Event of the Day: DP World Tour Championship
Our event of the day is the opening round of the DP World Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. The season-ending golf tournament on the PGA European Tour hosts the leading 60 players in the Race to Dubai who will compete on the Earth course. This season-long competition ends in Dubai and the event will determine the European Tour Number One player. The tournament was established in 2009 when the Race to Dubai replaced the Order of Merit. For this year’s event, the list of contenders includes last year’s winner Matthew Fitzpatrick and other big names such as Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Francesco Molinari and Branden Grace, who comes confident following last week’s win at the NedBank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, where he finished with an 11 under par score of 277. However the players who are really under the spotlight are the three remaining candidates for the crown of Race to Dubai champion 2017.
Tommy Fleetwood leads the rankings and is the favourite for the final triumph, while Sergio Garcia needs some luck on top of a winning performance. For Justin Rose, who recorded consecutive wins at the WGC-HSBC Champions and the Turkish Airlines Open recently, a victory in Dubai would secure him the title of European Number One for the second time, after a triumphant 2007. With many great players taking part in the event it promises to be a thrilling season finale.
Honourable mentions
around the globe go the big NBA clash between the Boston Celtics and the reigning champion Golden State Warriors at the TD Garden in Boston. It is the top team in the Eastern Conference versus the leading team in the Western Conference and is many people’s pick for this seasons’ NBA Finals match-up. The 2017 Women’s Rugby League World Cup begins with pool stage matches between Australia and the Cook Islands in Pool A; New Zealand and Canada in Pool B; and England and Papua New Guinea in an inter-pool match. At Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India and Sri Lanka start the first Test match of the Sri Lankan Cricket Tour of India. It’s the second day of a warm-up match between the Cricket Australia XI and England with the Australia XI reaching 249 for 9 at the end of the first day. In Group ‘Boris Becker’ of tennis’ 2017 Nitto ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in London, number two seed Roger Federer faces Marin Čilić; while Alexander Zverev and Jack Sock decide the second semifinalist from this group in a direct duel. In the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the New Jersey Devils to the Air Canada Centre. In the NFL’s week 11 Thursday Night clash, the Pittsburgh Steelers meet with the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by Jumeirah Golf Estates