Fleetwood closing in on “special” Race to Dubai title

AFP: Tommy Fleetwood remains confident of beating fellow Englishman Justin Rose to the Race to Dubai title this week, despite failing to secure the year-ending prize on Sunday.

Fleetwood needed to win the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City to wrap up the European Tour number one title and deny Rose and four other rivals, but fell short of that goal with a final-round 71 to finish in a tie for 10th in South Africa.

But that was enough for the 26-year-old to almost double his lead over Rose to 256,737 points, after the former US Open champion elected not to compete in the penultimate event of the season.

Four other players in Sergio Garcia, fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm and the English duo of Tyrrell Hatton and Ross Fisher are all but out of contention for the $ 1.25 million bonus prize.

World number six Rose only needs to finish sixth, if he is ahead of Fleetwood, in the 60-strong DP World Tour Championship field to secure the Race to Dubai spoils.