Masters champion Danny Willett is intent of regaining his lead in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai at the expense of the absent Henrik Stenson at this week’s Turkish Airlines Open in Belek.
Willett has led the money list title since last April when fitted with the coveted Augusta National members green jacket.
But the 29-year old Englishman found himself pushed into second place following Stenson’s joint second in last week’s WGC – HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
Stenson has elected not to compete in this week’s Euro 6.3m event and the opening tournament of the Tour’s three-event Final Series, and being played for a first time on the Regnum Cayla Resort course laid out along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Willett trails Stenson by Euro 261,387 and would need to finish fifth or higher to go ahead of the Swede.
Danny Willett looking to make Race to Dubai gain at the expense of the absent Henrik Stenson. (Photo – European Tour)
“I had a terrible week last week in China and it was one of them things where anything that could go wrong, went and I didn’t play great,” he said.
“And then just to put the icing on the cake, obviously Henrik (Stenson) and Rory (McIlroy) both finished well up there.
“So, it’s unfortunate that Henrik’s jumped me but I was never going to win the Race to Dubai on the amount I was on.
“I always had to bump it forward and that’s still the aim so I have got to go out here this week, and hopefully the golf game gets a little better and we just keep working forward.”
The absence also of World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, and citing fears for his safety in Turkey, could also help in Willett’s favour as McIlroy moved to No. 3 on the Race to Dubai following his share of fourth place in Shanghai.
In fact, six of the players ranked from McIlroy to South African Branden Grace, at No. 9 on the Race to Dubai, have elected not to compete in Turkey.
However, it will be a case of ‘normal service’ resuming at next week’s Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, and the second of the Final Series events with all those currently inside the top-10, and with the one exception being McIlroy, set to compete.
“I’ve got the Nedbank next week and then The Race to Dubai finale in three weeks’ time, so there’s still a lot of golf left,” added Willett.
“I’ve just not been playing very well, so that’s the main aim of the next three weeks to get back to playing good golf again.”
And at World No. 10 Willett finds himself the highest ranked player in the 78-player Turkish field.
