Dubai: Tommy Fleetwood must put his Ryder Cup bromance with Francesco Molinari aside when the pair goes head-to-head for the Race to Dubai title at the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship this week.
Molinari leads last year’s Race to Dubai winner by just over a million points, but Fleetwood could still overtake his friend if the Englishman wins and the Italian finishes below fifth in the final event at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Thursday to Sunday.
“All of a sudden it’s come down to just the two of us that can win it and those are the only two scenarios,” said Fleetwood, who forged a solid partnership with Molinari at September’s Ryder Cup in Paris, winning all four of their doubles matches together to hand Europe victory over the US.
“It’s great for us as friends, knowing that you’re going out there with the person you’re closest with on Tour, trying to win the biggest prize that we play for. If it doesn’t work out for me, I couldn’t be happier for him for what he’s achieved this year.”
Last year Fleetwood clinched his first Race to Dubai title despite finishing tied for 21st at the DP World Tour Championship, while his nearest challenger Justin Rose just missed out on overtaking him at the last with a tied for fourth place finish behind winner Jon Rahm.
“It was a lot closer last year and I was nervous. I think it showed. I kind of stumbled over the line. Justin at the same time was in the form of his life.
“The biggest difference [this year] is that it’s not in my hands. But as little as it is, and it’s not a big chance, to have reached the final event again, and have a chance of winning the Race to Dubai, shows that you’ve played a lot of good golf.
“Hopefully, come the back nine on Sunday, I have a chance and I can give Frank something to think about.
“The math is pretty clear. It’s in Frank’s hands, but I’ll be playing as if it’s another start, just focusing on what we have to do to win and move on from there.
“It’s a massively tall order, but at the same time, if you’d said at the start of the season you need to win the last tournament to win the Race to Dubai, you’d say ‘yeah, OK’ and give it a go from there.
“I’ll play to win and see where I end up. There’s definitely a bigger element of freedom [in chasing]. Unless I have a three-shot lead going into the back nine on Sunday [and blow it], I can’t really lose anything. I either win or I don’t, and that’s pretty black and white this week.”
