HENRIK STENSON WINS BY SIX SHOTS FROM IAN POULTER IN DUBAI
HAPPY FAMILY. Henrik Stenson with his wife and children after his stunning success in Dubai. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Henrik
Stenson was crowned The Race to Dubai Champion after finishing an
incredible season in stunning style by romping to victory in the DP
World Tour Championship, Dubai.
The
Swede produced a golfing masterclass in the final round at Jumeirah
Golf Estates, carding an eight under par 64 for a record 25 under par
total to win by six shots from Englishman Ian Poulter, who pushed his
rival all the way in the
title race and signed off with a 66.
Stenson
became the first European to win the lucrative FedEx Cup on the US PGA
Tour in September, and completed a brilliant double in Dubai despite
battling a wrist injury throughout the week, to become European Number
One.
Fittingly, his victory was completed with a majestic eagle on the par 18th, where he hit a three-wood approach to less than a foot from the hole.
“It
took a little time to sink in when I won the FedEx, and it just kept on
feeling better and better as time went on and I'm sure this will be the
same,” said Stenson, who has staged a remarkable comeback since falling
out of the top 200
in the Official Golf World Ranking in early 2012. “I have managed to
achieve something very special here this week.
“To
get the double‑double, winning the Tour Championship on both the tours,
that's going to take some beating in the future. It's been a dream
year, a dream summer for me, and the season of my life.
“I’m
just very, very pleased with the way I played. I knew it was going to
be a tough week and I knew the guys were going to keep on charging and
trying to catch me. Being in the lead, you want to play solidly and not
make any silly mistakes.
I had a couple of really good iron shots early in the round to set up
three birdies in the first five holes.
“It was blowing pretty hard with a lot
of sand in the air on the back nine. I was just trying to hit fairways
and greens and make pars coming in.”
Poulter
was the only player left with a realistic chance of pipping Stenson to
The Race to Dubai title on the final day, needing to win the tournament
and for his rival to finish worse than second, but his efforts were in
vain as the Swede
blew the rest of the field away with a record low total, beating by two
the previous best set by Lee Westwood in 2009 and matched by Rory
McIlroy last year.
“I've
tried to run Henrik down as hard as I possibly could,” said Poulter.
“He's been in incredible form the last six months, and even with a sore
wrist, he's managed to continue to press on and even today in the wind,
he kept his head
down and pressed on through.
“He's
played exceptional golf in the back end of the year - simply
incredible, flawless. The guy is the hottest player on the planet right
now, and all credit to him.”
FINAL TOTALSPar 288 (4x72)
263 H Stenson (Swe) 68 64 67 64,
269 I Poulter (Eng) 69 68 66 66,
271 V Dubuisson (Fra) 70 66 64 71,
272 J Luiten (Ned) 73 68 65 66,
273 R McIlroy (Nir) 71 67 68 67, L Donald (Eng) 73 66 67 67, L Westwood (Eng) 70 70 65 68,
274 M Jiménez (Esp) 72 66 66 70, J Donaldson (Wal) 68 72 67 67,
275 J Rose (Eng) 70 67 68 70, P Hanson (Swe) 70 68 70 67,
276 J Blixt (Swe) 72 65 71 68,
277 F Molinari (Ita) 70 68 70 69,
278 A Cañizares (Esp) 66 67 70 75, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 68 71 68 71, R Sterne (RSA) 70 70 70 68,
279 G McDowell (Nir) 72 68 68 71, T Olesen (Den) 69 70 71 69,
280 M Ilonen (Fin) 72 68 69 71, M Kaymer (Ger) 70 69 72 69,
281 T Björn (Den) 71 74 69 67, M Manassero (Ita) 71 72 68 70, D Fichardt (RSA) 71 71 67 72, M Fraser (Aus) 67 69 72 73, G Bourdy (Fra) 76 70 66 69,
282 R Fisher (Eng) 75 64 72 71, P Larrazábal (Esp) 72 66 72 72, S Jamieson (Sco) 73 70 70 69,
283 D Horsey (Eng) 72 72 68 71, C Wood (Eng) 73 66 71 73, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 67 70 70 76,
284 G Coetzee (RSA) 74 67 69 74, L Oosthuizen (RSA) 73 70 71 70,
285 D Howell (Eng) 75 66 70 74, S Gallacher (Sco) 77 71 71 66, B Wiesberger (Aut) 72 73 66 74,
286 G Fdez-Castaño (Esp) 71 74 67 74, T Fleetwood (Eng) 72 76 70 68,
287 M Siem (Ger) 75 67 70 75, S Lowry (Irl) 71 71 74 71, S Khan (Eng) 72 72 74 69,
288 N Colsaerts (Bel) 71 75 71 71, D Lynn (Eng) 71 72 73 72,
289 C Lee (Sco) 73 70 71 75, R Jacquelin (Fra) 77 66 72 74, E De La Riva (Esp) 71 71 72 75,
290 T Jaidee (Tha) 69 70 74 77, B Rumford (Aus) 71 72 74 73, F Aguilar (Chi) 79 66 73 72, J Quesne (Fra) 74 73 69 74,
291 P Uihlein (USA) 72 72 76 71,
292 B Grace (RSA) 76 70 71 75, M Warren (Sco) 74 71 73 74,
293 P Casey (Eng) 75 68 73 77,
297 T Aiken (RSA) 76 74 73 74,
303 G Mulroy (RSA) 76 75 74 78,
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS269 I Poulter (Eng) 69 68 66 66,
271 V Dubuisson (Fra) 70 66 64 71,
272 J Luiten (Ned) 73 68 65 66,
273 R McIlroy (Nir) 71 67 68 67, L Donald (Eng) 73 66 67 67, L Westwood (Eng) 70 70 65 68,
274 M Jiménez (Esp) 72 66 66 70, J Donaldson (Wal) 68 72 67 67,
275 J Rose (Eng) 70 67 68 70, P Hanson (Swe) 70 68 70 67,
276 J Blixt (Swe) 72 65 71 68,
277 F Molinari (Ita) 70 68 70 69,
278 A Cañizares (Esp) 66 67 70 75, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 68 71 68 71, R Sterne (RSA) 70 70 70 68,
279 G McDowell (Nir) 72 68 68 71, T Olesen (Den) 69 70 71 69,
280 M Ilonen (Fin) 72 68 69 71, M Kaymer (Ger) 70 69 72 69,
281 T Björn (Den) 71 74 69 67, M Manassero (Ita) 71 72 68 70, D Fichardt (RSA) 71 71 67 72, M Fraser (Aus) 67 69 72 73, G Bourdy (Fra) 76 70 66 69,
282 R Fisher (Eng) 75 64 72 71, P Larrazábal (Esp) 72 66 72 72, S Jamieson (Sco) 73 70 70 69,
283 D Horsey (Eng) 72 72 68 71, C Wood (Eng) 73 66 71 73, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 67 70 70 76,
284 G Coetzee (RSA) 74 67 69 74, L Oosthuizen (RSA) 73 70 71 70,
285 D Howell (Eng) 75 66 70 74, S Gallacher (Sco) 77 71 71 66, B Wiesberger (Aut) 72 73 66 74,
286 G Fdez-Castaño (Esp) 71 74 67 74, T Fleetwood (Eng) 72 76 70 68,
287 M Siem (Ger) 75 67 70 75, S Lowry (Irl) 71 71 74 71, S Khan (Eng) 72 72 74 69,
288 N Colsaerts (Bel) 71 75 71 71, D Lynn (Eng) 71 72 73 72,
289 C Lee (Sco) 73 70 71 75, R Jacquelin (Fra) 77 66 72 74, E De La Riva (Esp) 71 71 72 75,
290 T Jaidee (Tha) 69 70 74 77, B Rumford (Aus) 71 72 74 73, F Aguilar (Chi) 79 66 73 72, J Quesne (Fra) 74 73 69 74,
291 P Uihlein (USA) 72 72 76 71,
292 B Grace (RSA) 76 70 71 75, M Warren (Sco) 74 71 73 74,
293 P Casey (Eng) 75 68 73 77,
297 T Aiken (RSA) 76 74 73 74,
303 G Mulroy (RSA) 76 75 74 78,
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
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