Rose to claim glory in European Tour season finale

The 2013 European Tour reaches a climax this week with the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Here is our guide to the best of the bets from this event.

The battle is two-fold in Dubai this week as every player will want to win the DP World Tour Championship, for nine others though they can still harbour dreams of finishing as number one on the European Tour for the season. Bookmakers think the season ending number is likely to come down to just the four players. These men are Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter. It is the Swede who is currently in pole position and he is 8/13 (betfred/CORAL) favourite ahead of Rose 3/1 (ladbrokes), Poulter 10/1 (betfred/CORAL), McDowell is 14/1 (bet365/boylesports/WINNER) with the others 40/1 or over.

The venue for the final event is the Jumeriah Golf Estates in Dubai which is a Greg Norman designed course. The Australian has created a lovely track with beautifully crafted fairways, undulating greens and over 100 bunkers. What a difference a year makes as in 2012 Rory McIlroy came into the event having already won the Race to Dubai and playing the golf of his life, he put the icing on this with a victory here. Fast forward a year though and things are very different. Instead of being in contention to win the season ending cheque he is battling to record his first victory on the Tour of the year. The Northern Irishman clearly likes it here having won in 2012 and with 11th and 5th in his last two events he is clearly in better form though at odds of 7/1 (GENERAL) I think it makes sense to look elsewhere.

Henrik Stenson is the third favourite at 12/1 (STAN JAMES) and he clearly likes the Middle-East with seven top ten finishes there since 2008. The Swede though is battling a wrist injury so I can not see him winning the event especially as his main concern will be to stay as close to the chasing pack as possible in the Race to Dubai outrights. Stenson might not have to push himself to make the shots to win the tournament if going well on the Tour outrights.

Others likely to go close are Jamie Donaldson (25/1-GENERAL) who was ninth here last year and was second in Turkey last week, Paul Casey is always dangerous at 28/1 (STAN JAMES) while 2009 event winner Lee Westwood is a 33/1 (sportingbet) chance. Ian Poulter was our tip last weekend and he went close before going down to Victor Dubuisson in the Turkish Airlines Open. The Englishman is clearly on the verge of a victory having also gone close in Shanghai. He also has the course form having come second in 2010 and ninth in 2009 and it would not shock me if he won out here.

Instead though I will go for Justin Rose as the main selection as the Englishman showed when winning the US Open in 2013 that he can handle the big event pressure. Rose is playing himself into form nicely with a fifth in Shaghai a fortnight ago and a third in Turkey last week. The Englishman loves the course and he shot a final round 62 here last year and has to be backed at 15/2 (888 SPORT/unibet) to win the event and 3/1 (ladbrokes) to win the Race to Dubai.

At bigger prices I like the look of Branden Grace who came sixth here on debut last season and the South African was playing well in Turkey last week before a disappointing final round. At odds of 80/1 (SPREADEX) I think he looks an excellent each-way chance.

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: Justin Rose to win DP Tour World Champs, 15/2 (888 SPORT/unibet)
SILVER: Justin Rose to win Race to Dubai, 3/1 (ladbrokes)
BRONZE: Branden Grace, Each-way, 80/1 (SPREADEX)

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25/11/2013     © Frixo 2024