Race to Dubai 2014 Standings: Rankings and Preview for WGC-HSBC Champions Day 2
Graeme McDowell, the ranking Northern Irishman at the 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions due to the absence of one Rory McIlroy, got off to a hot start at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, China.
McDowell notched seven birdies to go five under par after Day 1 and will look to improve upon his fine form as the globetrotting golfers on the European Tour International work their way to the United Arab Emirates in the 2014 Race to Dubai.
McDowell currently ranks 16th in the Race to Dubai standings, and a win in the WGC-HSBC Champions, the second of four Final Series tournaments, would certainly give him a leg up on the majority of the competition.
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As it stands, McDowell is just below the cut for the big Final Series bonus pool, as the top 15 golfers in the rankings after the DP World Tour Championship stand to split a $5 million prize fund, per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). The winner of this tournament gets a whopping 1,666,600 points in the Race to Dubai, per EuropeanTour.com.
Here are the latest rankings for the Race to Dubai, along with a preview and some predictions for Day 2 of the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament. A complete list can be found at EuropeanTour.com.
| 1 | Rory McIlroy | 14 | 5,400,700 |
| 2 | Jamie Donaldson | 22 | 2,353,309 |
| 3 | Sergio Garcia | 14 | 2,275,712 |
| 4 | Marcel Siem | 19 | 2,190,093 |
| 5 | Justin Rose | 12 | 1,966,531 |
| 6 | Henrik Stenson | 17 | 1.941,231 |
| 7 | Alexander Levy | 27 | 1,909,903 |
| 8 | Thomas Bjorn | 24 | 1,877,652 |
| 9 | Victor Dubuisson | 20 | 1,800,166 |
| 10 | Mikko Ilonen | 23 | 1,669,442 |
Predictions, Preview for Day 2
| 1 | Graeme McDowell | NIR | -5 |
| T2 | Rickie Fowler | USA | -3 |
| T2 | Brandt Snedeker | USA | -3 |
| T2 | Chris Kirk | USA | -3 |
| T2 | Tommy Fleetwood | ENG | -3 |
| T2 | Tim Clark | USA | -3 |
| T2 | Martin Kaymer | GER | -3 |
| T3 | Adam Scott | AUS | -2 |
| T3 | Lee Westwood | ENG | -2 |
| T3 | Henrik Stenson | SWE | -2 |
| T3 | Ian Poulter | ENG | -2 |
McDowell Will Sink in Standings, but Only Slightly
McDowell sank plenty of birdie putts during his opening-round 67 on Thursday, but he realizes that the key to winning Sheshan is off the tee, not on the green.
"A big key to this golf course is driving the ball well," McDowell said, via AFP's Daniel Hicks (h/t YahooSports.com). "I drove it very well today. I think I missed only one fairway, which is very important. Set up a few opportunities. The greens are in fantastic shape and I putted very well."
He leads a gaggle of pros, including the likes of Martin Kaymer, Brandt Snedeker and Tommy Fleetwood, by a mere two strokes. Maintaining composure is of the utmost priority on Friday, and McDowell will look to put his best club forward this weekend.
McDowell has shown decent form in recent tournaments. He tied for 16th in the BMW Masters and tied for ninth in the Volvo World Match Play Championship, but he was a lowly 46th in the 2014 PGA Championship. It's tough to say which version of McDowell will show up for the remainder of this tournament.
Although he lacks elite power, McDowell's 13th-ranked driving accuracy should keep him in the top five after Day 2, although a couple of golfers are well-positioned to overtake him.
Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson Will Rise Above the Pack
Rickie Fowler, who shot a 69 on Day 1, is one such golfer. The European Tour noted he tore up the par-five holes on Thursday:
He's also proven in the past year that he's one of the best big-tournament players around. The Texan finished in the top five in all four major tournaments on the PGA Tour in 2014.
He may be a long way from the Lone Star State, but Fowler's resolve and ability to make up strokes on the putting green should set him up for success in this tournament.
Stenson won the Race to Dubai in 2013, and he is in fine form as of late, placing second in the Match Play Championship and tying for third at the PGA Championship. He shot a two-under par in Round 1 in Shanghai, and his overall play this calendar year has been rather remarkable.
His ability to drive the ball, 16th in accuracy and 13th in distance on the European Tour, bodes well for this course, where staying out of the deep, treacherous rough is key. Stenson's consistency is also evident in his 69.87 stroke average.
Currently eighth in the Race to Dubai standings, Stenson will be highly motivated to gain separation not only on the Sheshan leaderboard, but in the all-important points table as well.
No matter the result of the 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions, it appears quite unlikely that anyone will catch Mr. McIlroy, who has three million more points than the next closest golfer, Jamie Donaldson. Only some miraculous play from a select few near the top of the rankings, combined with an extended absence for McIlroy, can possibly prevent the Northern Irishman from winning.
Statistics courtesy of EuropeanTour.com unless otherwise noted.
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