Fulfill at all costs the calendar totally upset by the pandemic linked to Covid-19!
This was the motto of those responsible for the European Tour when it recorded at the very beginning of spring an avalanche of tournament cancellations (including the French Open), the consequence of an unprecedented health crisis.
Under the obligation to ensure a minimum of television broadcasts, resulting from a contract binding it with Sky Sports, the European Tour has however set about finalizing a 2020 calendar which, despite the circumstances - withdrawal of several Rolex-stamped stages Series (Irish Open, Italian Open, Turkish Open, Nedbank) and low endowments - will ultimately have organized 38 tournaments, including the final of the Race (10-13 December).
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This week, the European entity, which has just concluded an important partnership with the PGA Tour, even offers two tournaments spread between Wednesday 2 and Sunday 7 December.
As a prelude to the DP World Tour Championship and its princely prize-money ($ 8 million), the European Tour thus launches the Dubai Championship (€ 1 million endowment) scheduled for December 2 to 5 on the Fire Course, the another course from Jumeirah Golf Estates, regular host of the Race final (on the Earth Course).
The line-up is tempting with the presence of the English Matt Wallace, 51st player in the world, and Danny Willett, 62nd in the world, double winner in Dubai (Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2016 and DP World Tour Championship 2018) and the Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, 39th world, which remains on a very solid 4th place on the PGA Tour two weeks ago at the RSM Classic.
To this trio which is also aiming for a place in the next European Ryder Cup team in September 2021, we can add recent Tour winners such as the English (again!) Aaron Rai (Scottish Open), Andy Sullivan ( English Championship), Sam Horsfield (Hero Open and Celtic Classic) and Callum Shinkwin (Cyprus Open) but also Dane Rasmus Hojgaard (UK Championship), Spaniard Adrian Otaegui (Scottish Championship) and Scots Robert MacIntyre (Cyprus Showdown) .
Twelve French people are also at the start.
They could have been thirteen but Romain Langasque, 39th in the Race, has just tested positive for Covid-19 and will therefore very likely have to resolve not to participate in the final.
Big blow for the French Riviera!
Ranked 63rd in the Race, Benjamin Hébert, who has not played since the Cyprus Showdown at the beginning of November, must for his part have a big week to hope to enter the top 60 (even if the top 65 should be enough to compete in the final).
Sixth in the Dunhill Championship, Alexander Levy will try to confirm his return to business after several long months of doubts ...
We're back at the stunning Gary Player Country Club # SAOpenpic.twitter.com / pAdyIGhEx5
- The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 1, 2020
Scheduled from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December, the South African Open wraps up the South African triptych (co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour) on the sublime Sun City track, at the home of the legendary Gary Player.
As was the case at the Joburg Open and then at the Dunhill Championship, a very strong South African contingent is engaged.
Leading the way, we can cite Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 41st player in the world and winner at Leopard Creek, and Dylan Frittelli, 70th in the world, fifth in the Masters on November 15.
The field is, however, less dense than at the Dubai Championship, with most of the Tour's top golfers favoring the Emirates with a view to the final next week.
Six French people nevertheless made the choice to stay in South Africa.
This is the case of Matthieu Pavon, 71st in the Race and who has not lost hope of securing a place for the final in Dubai.
Co-leader after eighteen holes at the Dunhill Championship last week, Robin Roussel will try to sign his first top 10 in 2020 ...
Dubai Championship (European Tour) - 1,001,548 euros endowment
Players to watch
Martin Kaymer (All), Danny Willett (Ang), Aaron Rai (Ang), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Sami Välimäki (End), Matt Wallace (Ang), Robert MacIntyre (Eco), Callum Shinkwin (Ang), Adrian Otaegui (Esp), Rasmus Hojgaard (Dan), Sam Horsfield (Ang), Andy Sullivan (Ang), Thomas Pieters (Bel), Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Marc Warren (Eco), Alexander Knappe (All), Niklas Norgaard Moller ( Dan), Adri Arnaus (Esp), Thomas Detry (Bel), Gavin Green (Mal), Kalle Samooja (Fin), Sean Crocker (USA), Ross Fisher (Ang), Jazz Janewattananond (Tha), David Horsey (Ang) , Robert Rock (Eng), Matthew Jordan (Eng), Marcus Armitage (Eng), Ondrej Lieser (Rtc).
The French engaged
Alexander Levy, Joël Stalter, Benjamin Hébert, Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Raphaël Jacquelin, Antoine Rozner, Robin Sciot-Siegrist, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet, Clément Sordet, Romain Wattel, Damien Perrier, Gary Stal.
To follow the Dubai Championship (European Tour) on television:
Wednesday December 2, 1st round: 9 a.m. (Golf +)
Thursday 3 December, 2nd round: 8 a.m. (Golf +)
Friday December 4, 3rd round: 7:30 a.m. (Golf +)
Saturday December 5, 4th round: 7:30 a.m. (Golf +)
South African Open (European Tour) - € 1,061,421 endowment
Players to watch
Pablo Larrazabal (Esp), Ross McGowan (Ang), Garrick Higgo (AfS), Joost Luiten (PB), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (AfS), George Coetzee (AfS), Dylan Frittelli (AfS), Daniel Van Tonder (AfS), Jacques Blaauw (AfS), Wilco Nienaber (AfS), Richard Sterne (AfS), Brandon Stone (AfS), Jayden Schaper (AfS), Shaun Norris (AfS), Matthias Schwab (Aut), Scott Jamieson (Eco), Dean Burmester ( AfS), Richard Bland (Ang), Adrian Meronk (Pol), Johannes Veerman (USA), Lars Van Meijel (PB), Jamie Donaldson (CEO).
The French engaged
David Ravetto, Matthieu Pavon, Julien Guerrier, Robin Roussel, Adrien Saddier, Grégory Havret.
To follow the South African Open (European Tour) on television:
Thursday December 3, 1st round: 2:00 p.m. (Golf +)
Friday December 4, 2nd round: 12:00 p.m. (Golf +)
Saturday December 5, 3rd round: 12:00 p.m. (Golf +)
Sunday December 6, 4th round: 11:00 a.m. (Golf +)
