Desert dreams

Having experienced the sweet taste of winning the Dubai Desert Classic last year, Henrik Stenson is dreaming of another "home" win at next year's $10 million Dubai World Championship.

With the Race to Dubai replacing the existing Order of Merit from next season, the lucrative tournament to be hosted by Jumeirah Golf Estates has got everyone within the international golfing fraternity talking.

And though still over a year away, Dubai-based Stenson hopes his will be the first name on the winner's trophy.

Eyeing the double

"I'm very thrilled to get started and that will be in just three or four weeks' time," Stenson told XPRESS while attending the launch of Jumeirah Golf Estates' Water neighbourhood.

"Obviously I want to try and do really well. It will be a great time to step up a bit and possibly be able to win the Race to Dubai next year. That would be really nice, and then of course do well at the World Championships at the end of the year. I wouldn't mind wrapping up two at the same time, that would be good," he added with a wry smile.

Stenson said the likes of world number two Phil Mickelson and other US Tour players would be welcome additions to the Race to Dubai.

"It would be great to have a player like Mickelson to come over and play. It would be good for the tournament. Obviously I don't think there will be too many Americans that will play as members of the European Tour given the history that they don't like to travel much," he said.

For now, Stenson is eager to end the present season on a winning note. "It's been a steady season. I've had my best season in the majors so far with a third at the British Open and fourth at US PGA and that was one of my main goals this year. So I'm very happy with my season and if I could have a good week and win a tournament by the end of the year, that would make it a great season," he said.

Stenson revels in domestic bliss

Dubai Henrik Stenson said family life has offered him a different sense of enjoyment to golf. "It's been great. My daughter [Lisa] is 16 and a half months now. She's at a very fun age. She's running about and learning new things all the time. So family life is good. It's obviously a bit more work than before but the upside is tremendous and it's a totally new side of life," he said.