Louis Oosthuizen and Erik van Rooyen will start the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in each other’s company as they bid for the $3 million on offer.
Wiesberger holds R2D advantage
Rookies take battle to the last
Each has a lot on the line this week with Oosthuizen, who did not play here in 2018, looking to go the distance after another near-miss at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. A disastrous double at the 11th hole put paid to his hopes of landing one of his most coveted titles while Van Rooyen starts this week with one eye on The Masters.
A win at the Scandinavian Invitation helped the 29-year-old soar up the rankings and his runner-up finish in Turkey two weeks ago pushed him ever closer to the world’s top 50.
Those players in the top 50 at the end of 2019 and not already exempt for 2020’s first Major earn invites to Augusta, which places a good result at the top of Van Rooyen’s priority list. Van Rooyen, who finished T26 last year in this event, starts this week as the country’s second-highest ranked player (50th) alongside Oosthuizen (down one spot to 24th after slipping to T6 last week) at 12am.
To win DPWTC, you must beat Rory
At 9:30am, runner-up at the beginning of the year in Abu Dhabi Richard Sterne (172nd) starts with Adri Arnaus of Spain for company.
Justin Harding (66th) joins Ian Poulter on the tee at 10:45am while defending champion Danny Willett and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (101st) tee off at 11:15am.
Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger and NGC 2019 winner Tommy Fleetwood will play together in the final group.
The 50-man field will battle it out for the largest first prize in tournament golf with a whopping $3-million cheque awaiting Sunday’s winner.
