Fleetwood, Rose & Garcia Vying to Win “Race to Dubai” at DP World
Tour Championship, as European Tour Season Culminates This Week
Season-Ending CME Group Tour Championship Sets up for Thompson,
Park, Feng, Ryu or Henderson to Win CME Globe with a Victory
Hughes Defends at RSM Classic on PGA TOUR
ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 14, 2017) – The European Tour season will culminate this week at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Only three players in the field have a mathematical chance of winning the season-long Race to Dubai: Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. Fleetwood has the best chances of the three, needing Rose to finish outside of the top-5 and for Garcia not to win for the Englishman to claim the title. The LPGA season also comes to a crescendo this week, as the Tour returns to the United States for the CME Group Tour Championship. The top-5 in the season-long standings will win the CME Globe with a victory this week: Lexi Thompson, Sung Hyun Park, Shanshan Feng, So Yeon Ryu and Brooke Henderson, while Nos. 6-12 in the standings also have a mathematical chance of winning the title. The PGA TOUR is on St. Simons Island in Georgia for the RSM Classic, where Mackenzie Hughes defends after winning on the third hole of a five-man playoff that carried over to Monday at last year’s event.
EUROPEAN TOUR
DP World Tour Championship
Dates: Nov. 16-19
Venue: Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 3-8 a.m. (Live)
Friday 3-8 a.m. (Live)
Saturday 2:30-8 a.m. (Live)
Sunday 2-7:30 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast notes:
Fleetwood, Rose and Garcia battling for Race to Dubai title: Only three players in the field have a mathematical chance to win the season-long Race to Dubai: Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. Fleetwood has the best mathematical chance of winning, needing Rose to finish outside of the top-5 and for Garcia not to win the tournament. The top-10 in the final Race to Dubai standings will split a $5 million bonus pool, with the winner receiving $1.25 million.
Fitzpatrick defends: Matthew Fitzpatrick finished one shot ahead of Tyrrell Hatton to claim his third European Tour win.
Headlining the field: Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Ross Fisher, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Alex Noren, Branden Grace, Francesco Molinari and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Host: Mike Ritz
Play by Play: Dougie Donnelly
Analyst: Sam Torrance / Mark James
On-Course: Julian Tutt / Ken Brown
LPGA TOUR
CME Group Tour Championship
Dates: Nov. 16-19
Venue: Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern)
Thursday 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Channel Digital)
Friday 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Channel Digital)
Saturday 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Channel Digital)
Sunday 1-4 p.m. (**Live, Airing on ABC**)
Broadcast notes:
Five players would win CME Globe with a victory in Naples: The points have been reset heading into this week, and the top-5 in the season-long standings are poised to automatically win the Race to the CME Globe with a victory this week: Lexi Thompson, Sung Hyun Park, Shanshan Feng, So Yeon Ryu and Brooke Henderson. Nos. 6-12 in the standings also have a mathematical chance of winning the title, but are reliant upon how others in the top-12 finish this week.
Other season-long milestones on the line: Ryu has a narrow three-point lead over Feng in the running for Rolex Player of the Year, while Park (who already has clinched the 2017 Rookie of the Year award) leads Ryu by nearly $300,000 on the money list. Thompson meanwhile holds a slim lead over Park in the season-long scoring average title (Vare Trophy – 69.147 to 69.259).
Hull defends: Charley Hull finished two strokes ahead of So Yeon Ryu for her maiden LPGA Tour win.
Headlining the field: Lexi Thompson, Sung Hyun Park, Shanshan Feng, So Yeon Ryu, Brooke Henderson, In Gee Chun, Cristie Kerr, Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya Jutanugarn, Anna Nordqvist, Stacy Lewis and Lydia Ko.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play: Terry Gannon
Analyst: Judy Rankin
Tower: Tom Abbott
On-Course: Jerry Foltz / Karen Stupples
PGA TOUR
RSM Classic
Dates: Nov. 16-19
Venue: Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside & Plantation Courses), St. Simons Island, Ga.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern)
Thursday 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 5:30-8:30 p.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Course layout: Players in the field will complete one round on each of the courses over the first two days, with the third and final rounds being contested on the Seaside Course.
Hughes defends: Mackenzie Hughes won on the third hole of a five-man playoff (that carried over to Monday) for his first PGA TOUR victory.
Headlining the field: Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, Zach Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, Davis Love III, Patton Kizzire, Ernie Els, Chesson Hadley, Bubba Watson and Mackenzie Hughes.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play: Rich Lerner
Analyst: Justin Leonard
Tower: Curt Byrum / Matt Gogel
On-Course: Arron Oberholser / Phil Blackmar
-NBC Sports Group-
