Race to Dubai 2013 Rankings: Updated Look at Standings Heading into Turkey

The 2013 European Tour is coming down to the wire, as just one tournament remains before the DP World Tour Championship gets underway in Dubai later this month. 

Heading into the Turkish Airlines Open, a number of big names remain in the mix for the title, so the last two events on the schedule should be very entertaining. 

With Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and leader Henrik Stenson all still very much in contention for the hefty $1.5 million winner's purse, there's sure to be drama in Dubai in a few weeks' time. 

Now, going into this week's event at Montgomerie Maxx Royal Course in Turkey, here's an updated look at the standings in the Race to Dubai. 

Race to Dubai Standings

Rank	Golfer	Nationality	Prize Money (€)
1	Henrik Stenson	Sweden	2,203,260
2	Graeme McDowell	N. Ireland	2,097,395
3	Justin Rose	England	1,878,160
4	Ian Poulter	England	1,660,738
5	Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano	Spain	1,559,492
6	Richard Sterne	South Africa	1,398,888
7	Matteo Manassero	Italy	1,327,323
8	Thongchai Jaidee	Thailand	1,317,190
9	Thomas Bjorn	Sweden	1,289,213
10	Sergio Garcia	Spain	1,280,581

As of now, the player with the best shot at catching Stenson is Graeme McDowell, at least on paper. However, Justin Rose has at least an outside chance at challenging the Swedish leader with a strong performance later this week. 

But once all arrive in Dubai, all bets are off, because with $8 million up for grabs, everyone will be at his best, and there are a number of golfers with strong chances to claim the top spot. 

McDowell is obviously very much in the mix, and so is Rose, but Stenson's consistency has been truly remarkable this season. 

No, the 37-year-old Swede hasn't won yet on the European Tour this season, but after a pair of top-three finishes at the British Open and PGA Championship, Stenson carried that momentum to a number of impressive showings. And that's why he sits in the driver's seat heading into the circuit's final two tournaments of the season.

One dark horse to keep an eye on is Rory McIlroy, who rebounded from a largely disappointing season to a top-10 finish at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. He's still all the way back at No. 38 overall, but given his talent and pedigree, one can't discount the possibility of the two-time major champion surging to a surprising victory in Dubai.