The Race to Dubai final will go down to this week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship thanks to little-known Korean Jeunghun Wang.
Wang, 21 posted a blistering eight under par 64 to move three shots clear of the field on 11-under par heading to today’s (SUN) final round of the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City.
South Korean Jeunghun Wang delivers the European Tour a huge bonus in shooting a third round 64 and virtually ruling out Henrik Stenson capturing the Race to Dubai title at Sun City. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
The Seoul-born Wang, who won back-to-back in Mauritius and Morocco earlier this year, shot a score three shots better in the bright but very windy conditions than the next best and Masters Champion, Danny Willett who restored some shine to his struggling game with a 67 and share 16th place on level par.
Race to Dubai leading Henrik Stenson birdied his opening two holes along with the middle two and also the closing two in a see-sawing 69 to be in sixth place at four under par but seven adrift of Wang.
Stenson went to South Africa needing to bank the Nedbank title and Willett to finish outside the top-10 if the Swede was to wrap-up the Race to Dubai title, and with one event still to play.
But Wang handed the European Tour a big sigh of relief with as many as five players, including World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, mathematically now in with a chance to break the Race to Dubai victory tape.
Stenson said: “It’s now just a question of whether I stay in front on the Race to Dubai or if I’m even or behind going to Dubai.
“I should hopefully still be in front still and it means I’ve got to play some good golf next week to wrap it up.”
However, the likelihood of any Scot joining Stenson in Dubai looks very bleak and if so, it will be the first time since the inaugural event in 2009.
Top-Scot Russell Knox has elected not to compete in Dubai and the three Scots competing in the Rainbow Nation has shown little colour.
Richie Ramsay, who posted a Nedbank third day 73 to be sharing 25th place at two over par, is projected to drop four spots to 73rd on the Race to Dubai.
Marc Warren’s dismal week continued carding a 75 for a seven over par tally and now staring at slipping from 65th to the high 70s and well outside the top 62 on the R2D.
And David Drysdale was no better shooting a second 76 in three days and fall to 11-over par but oddly may pick up the odd spot to go from 81st and end his season in the high 70s on the money list.
