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28 March 2024

Super Swede Stenson soars to a spectacular double in Dubai

Published
By Allaam Ousman

Sweden's Henrik Stenson stormed to a six-shot victory to clinch the $8 million DP World Tour Championship on a wind-swept Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday.

Stenson's victory was never in doubt as he blasted a final round 64 ending with a spectacular eagle at the 18th to underline his credentials as the world's best golfer.

The world number three set a new record tournament low of 25-under-par 263 to wrap up the final tournament of the year and with it The Race to Dubai title and mantle of European Number One.

It means Stenson becomes the only man to win the US PGA FedEx Cup and The European Tour’s Race to Dubai in the same year after seeing off the challenge of England’s Ian Poulter, who finished in second place on 19-under-par, with Frenchman Victor Dubuisson in third place on 17-under.

“It’s a massive thrill to win both titles – I’ve achieved something very special and it will take a lot to beat this in my career,” said Stenson, who received his impressive trophies from Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World; Mohammed Sharaf, Group CEO of DP World; Yousuf Kazim, General Manager of Jumeirah Golf Estates; Mattar Al Tayer, Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council; and European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady.

Stenson pocketed the $1.33 million first prize and an additional $1 million from the tour's bonus prize pool.

He began the final day on 17-under, four shots ahead of Poulter, while Dubuisson teed-off at 16-under.

The former Dubai resident marched inexorably to claim his first European title of 2013 with four birdies on the opening seven holes.

Further birdies on the 12th and 14th put Stenson well in front before a stunning three wood to within a foot on the 18th saw him finish with an eagle three and a new 72-hole tournament record of 263 (-25).

“It was about 237m from the pin on the 18th and I can’t say I was aiming for the flag as I just wanted to get it over the water but it flew and almost went in the hole. I couldn’t see it at first but then I heard the grandstand and they seemed to like it! It’s a great way to finish what has been a sensational year for me.”

Stenson had been nursing an injured wrist coming in to the tournament but there was no sign of any weakness in the Swede’s swing as he dominated the event with rounds of 68, 64, 67 and 64 with just two dropped shots in four rounds over the Greg Norman-designed Earth course.

Poulter went into the last round needing a low score coupled with a collapse by Stenson to have any chance of winning The Race to Dubai.

Despite starting with a bogey on the first hole, seven birdies saw Poulter move clear in second place even if he didn’t quite have enough to catch the new European Number One.

“He beat me fair and square,” said Poulter. “Henrik is in phenomenal form and you have to respect that – he works really hard and I'm very pleased for him. You're witnessing the best player on the planet at the minute for sure. I don't think there's anyone that can go up against him.”

Poulter’s second place was enough to give him the runner-up spot in The Race to Dubai ahead of fellow Englishman Justin Rose in third and Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland in fourth.

“I think golf is a game where you're never going to be finished so there's always room for improvement,” said Stenson after becoming the second Swede, following Robert Karlsson in 2008 to become European Tour Number One.

“I've certainly got a couple of areas where I know I can keep on developing, which could make me better as a player. It’s all about just getting out of bed, working away and trying to be better. It's not what I did in the summer that created this; it's the effort and time that I put in over the last couple of years that's been paying off from this summer and onwards.”

The new DP World Tour Championship winner was also delighted with the news that The Race to Dubai has been extended to 2017 and will continue to be played at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

“It’s pretty good news for me as I called Dubai home for around ten years and I've won this event, the Dubai Desert Classic and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters so I’ve only really to win in Abu Dhabi to win all four. We get great support for golf in this region and Dubai has been very important for The European Tour for a long time now and we really appreciate their support.”

Scores from the European Tour World Tour Championship at the par-72 course on Sunday in Dubai

263 Henrik Stenson (Sweden)           68 64 67 64
269 Ian Poulter (Britain)             69 68 66 66
271 Victor Dubuisson (France)         70 66 64 71
272 Joost Luiten (Netherlands)        73 68 65 66
273 Rory McIlroy (Britain)            71 67 68 67
    Luke Donald (Britain)             73 66 67 67
    Lee Westwood (Britain)            70 70 65 68
274 Jamie Donaldson (Britain)         68 72 67 67
    Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain)      72 66 66 70
275 Peter Hanson (Sweden)             70 68 70 67
    Justin Rose (Britain)             70 67 68 70
276 Jonas Blixt (Sweden)              72 65 71 68
277 Francesco Molinari (Italy)        70 68 70 69
278 Richard Sterne (South Africa)     70 70 70 68
    Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain)      68 71 68 71
    Alejandro Canizares (Spain)       66 67 70 75
279 Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark)        69 70 71 69
    Graeme McDowell (Britain)         72 68 68 71
280 Martin Kaymer (Germany)           70 69 72 69
    Mikko Ilonen (Finland)            72 68 69 71
281 Thomas Bjorn (Denmark)            71 74 69 67
    Gregory Bourdy (France)           76 70 66 69
    Matteo Manassero (Italy)          71 72 68 70
    Darren Fichardt (South Africa)    71 71 67 72
    Marcus Fraser (Australia)         67 69 72 73
282 Scott Jamieson (Britain)          73 70 70 69
    Ross Fisher (Britain)             75 64 72 71
    Pablo Larrazabal (Spain)          72 66 72 72
283 David Horsey (Britain)            72 72 68 71
    Chris Wood (Britain)              73 66 71 73
    Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand)   67 70 70 76
284 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa)   73 70 71 70
    George Coetzee (South Africa)     74 67 69 74