With the two Race to Dubai events remaining the goal of European No. 1 will be fought out between four neighbours.
The leading four golfers on the Race to Dubai – Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and the England duo of Justin Rose and Ian Poulter – are all residents of the Lake Nona gated community in suburban Orlando.
The four play practice rounds together while their respective families mix socially.
But that neighbourly love will be forgotten over the next fortnight here in Turkey and next week in Dubai.
Henrik Stenson looking to repeat on the European Tour and that’s to win the final event of the year that would give him the No. 1 Race to Dubai title.
Stenson continues to lead the Race to Dubai from McDowell, Rose and Poulter and with £1.542m separating the foursome.
However anyone of the Lake Nona residents could end the year as No. 1 given there’s a first prize cheque of £721,000 up for grabs in this week’s inaugural Turkish Airlines Open and then £940,000 on offer as the top prize in next week’s season-closing DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Stenson said: “It’s funny that the four really in contention for the Race to Dubai are all Lake Nona neighbours as we all practice and play at Lake Nona, so that’s what is really bizarre now about the Race to Dubai.
“When I’m back home at Lake Nona I’m always bumping into Ian and Justin, and I’ve been up to G Mac’s bistro a couple of times so it’s a close knit community.”
McDowell is not playing in Turkey and finishing third in Shanghai last week to bridge the gap on Stenson to £123,554.
However Stenson is looking to make the most of the former US Open winner’s absence and if the Swede end the year as European No. 1 he insisted he would gladly pick up the tab at McDowell’s Nona Blue Bistro located just a 9-iron from the front gates of the Lake Nona residential estate.
Stenson said: “I’ve had a G Mac cheese burger that’s on the menu.
“I also like the chicken nuggets he has there as they’re really good.
“But I’ve now been there twice. Once I was a guest of the house and once I paid and if G Mac wins the Race to Dubai then for sure, he will be paying. If I win, then I would be happy to pick up the tab.
“The good thing is that I won the PGA Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup, so if I can do what I did in Atlanta then I would be very pleased.
“But with Ian playing this week in Turkey and also Justin and myself but then not G Mac, I see that whatever does happen in Turkey it will still come down to what happens next week in Dubai.”
Stenson was chatting after shooting a final round 65 in last Sunday’s concluding WGC- HSBC Champions event. It was the second straight Sunday the Swede had signed for a 65.
“I am starting to make a habit of shooting 65s on Sunday’s,” he said smiling.
“I had it going both Sunday’s as today I was seven under through 11 holes but then it’s much better for me to start on the 10th , so if I start every week on the 10th then I should shoot low scores.
“My putting was very bad the first two days and then I was looking at ending at 10-under on Saturday and ended up four-putting on the lovely eighth green so I played a bit a tennis on that green yesterday.
“It wasn’t that I was overly happy shooting five under on Saturday but then I played really nicely today getting off to a solid start and then hit the turn, and like Saturday, I made four birdies in five holes.
And looking back on his two weeks in Shanghai Stenson summed up his efforts remarking: “It’s been tough to get the rest that I would have needed considering the problem I had with my wrist at the start of the BMW Masters, as I was a little bit pushed for time last week with regards to my practice in having to see Peter (Cowen – coach) because I couldn’t hit a ball for two days.
“Then at the end of last week I felt in shooting a 65 I was a lot better off but then just didn’t get off to a good start here in the HSBC with nothing happening until the weekend when I made some positive moves.
“I know going to Turkey I need to play well one of these four weeks for sure and now, just like the Play Off Series in the States, I need to make it happen over the last two weeks.
“I managed to pull something off nicely in Atlanta in winning the Tour Championship and if I have to leave it for the last week on the European Tour and win in Dubai, then so be it.
“I know that whatever happens in Turkey I should be right in there with a strong chance of winning the Race to Dubai.”
It looks like it will all come down to Dubai?
“With Poulter finishing second and G Mac third it’s going to make now for a very tight race,” said Stenson.
“So if I can do what I did in Atlanta then I would be very pleased. Ian is playing in Turkey so too is Justin and myself and everyone really except G Mac, so whatever does happen in Turkey I still see it down to what happens in Dubai.”
