Endgame in Dubai for the title of European champion: in pole position Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Alex Noren and Rory McIlroy, in a context of 60 participants, the cream of the circuit. Among the deserving appear the blues Francesco Molinari and Renato Paratore, who therefore close their excellent 2016 season at the DP World Tour Championship, at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Paratore, twenty years old in December, is the youngest on the field, while Francesco Molinari is among the veterans of the appointment and will have the opportunity to further improve his position in the world ranking, where he is 36th today.
The champions in the running to win the title are the first four of the Race to Dubai, in order Stenson, Willett, Noren and McIlroy. The latter is the highest in the world order of merit and is not the type to settle for second place, so he will look for the podium also to regain his role as number one in the world, as well as number one in Europe. This year Rory has already won the Fedex, the American ranking and collected a ten million dollar bonus. With a victory in Dubai he could close the circle of a seemingly subdued year, but perfect in the end. Both Rory and Stenson have already managed to win both circuits, but hunger is never too much in golf. The prize pool is 7,450 million euros, the first coin of 1,333 million; in addition there is an overall bonus of another five million, which will be spread over the best players.
The figures are still far from the hyperbolic ones of the Pga Toru, but the Europeans are trying and since 2017 there is a novelty called the Rolex Series which also concerns the Italian Open. “The birth of the Rolex Series – explains the CEO of the European Tour, Keith Pelley – is one of the most important advances of the circuit in its 44-year history. A new concept of event which, thanks to the support of Rolex, will enhance the competitiveness and spectacularity of the game for the benefit of the members of the European Tour and all golf enthusiasts”. To join this club you have to put 7 million dollars on the plate and the Italian open has promised to do it for the next 10 years. It therefore begins at Olgiata from 12 to 15 October. The other travel companions in this expensive adventure, aimed at capturing the best players in the world, are: the BMW PGA Championship (May 25-28, Wentworth Club, England); the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open (July 6-9, Portstewart GC, Northern Ireland); the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open (July 13-16, Dundonald Links, Scotland); the Turkish Airlines Open (November 2-5, Regnum Carya Golf, Türkiye); the Nedbank Golf Challenge (November 9-12, Gary Player CC, South Africa); the DP World Tour Championship (November 16-19, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai).
