Previews

Cash bonanza in Middle East

Author: John Harris
Date: 19/11/2009
Golf betting

The Formula One season recently ended in the Middle East and it seems that golf has also decided to follow the money during this week's Dubai World Championship.

For the first time in its long and storied history, the European Tour season will conclude in Dubai with a year-ending cash bonanza for the 60 players fortunate enough to have secured their places.

The tour's historic Harry Vardon Trophy for the player who ends the year at the top of the season-long (and now defunct) Order of Merit will still be up for grabs, but there is the small matter of 15million US dollars to be claimed over four days of strokeplay competition.

The winner of The Race to Dubai (the new name for the Order of Merit) after the Dubai World Championship will earn 1,500,000 US dollars and receive a seven-year European Tour exemption.

The next 15 players in the standings will then share the rest of the bonus pool of 7.5million US dollars.

Meanwhile, the winner of the Dubai World Championship - the actual event which takes places this week - will win 1,250,000 US dollars in addition to a five year European Tour exemption.

Those figures represent a 25 per cent reduction in the total prize money initially unveiled last year, but it still a significant amount of cash during the midst of a global economic recession.

Who will end the season as Europe's number one? - Latest Golf Betting

The two main protagonists in the eyes of the sportsbooks are England's Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.

McIlroy is the slight online betting favourite after his second-placed finish in last weekend's Hong Kong Open edged him marginally ahead of Westwood.

"I am number one at the moment but there are four rounds of golf left," said McIlroy after closing with a storming final-round 64 in Fanling at the weekend.

"If I can play as well this week in Dubai as I have done of late then I will give myself a great chance to end number one.

"It is where I wanted to be going into the final tournament."

However, the number one title can also still be claimed by Martin Kaymer of Germany or England's Ross Fisher as less than 500,000 Euros separate the top four.

Paul Casey in fifth would also have been in with a shout had a long-running shoulder injury not put paid to his chances of playing the stunning Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

BET NOW