Tuesday 8 November 2016 15:24, UK
Henrik Stenson can secure the Race to Dubai crown with a tournament to spare at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, where several players still have hopes of ending the year as Europe’s No 1.
Stenson currently holds a 252,164 points advantage over nearest challenger Danny Willett, who struggled to a tied-68th in Turkey last week, with 2015 order of merit champion Rory McIlroy in third spot.
Victory in Sun City would guarantee Stenson his first Race to Dubai title since 2013, the same year the Swede also topped the PGA Tour's money listings, providing Willett finishes the week outside of the top 10.
Sixth place or better for the Olympic silver medalist is enough to end Rory McIlroy's hopes of finishing the season top of the standings for a third year running, as the Northern Irishman already trails by more than a million points and doesn't feature this week.
Willett led the Race to Dubai for the majority of the season until a recent dip in results, but the Masters champion remains the only player able to move above Stenson in the standings in South Africa.
A win at the Gary Player Country Club - the venue where Willett won the opening event of last season - would leapfrog the Open champion back in to top spot, while a top-five finish could be enough depending on Stenson's performance.
The current top 10 in the standings all have a mathematical chance of ending the season top of the rankings, although those outside of the top two would need a series of scenarios to go in their favour to claim the Harry Vardon Trophy.
Alfred Dunhill Links Champion Tyrrell Hatton and three-time European Tour winner Alex Noren can both significantly close the gap on the leading trio with a win this week, while only victory will keep any kind of hope alive for those currently between sixth and 10th spot.
Further down the standings, the race is on to move inside the top 60 and secure a spot in the field for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The winner of this week's $7million event will earn €1,048,522, with the player finishing bottom of the 72-man field collecting just over €10,000 in prize money.
Who will win the Race to Dubai? Watch the final two events live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Live coverage of the Nedbank Golf Challenge begins on Thursday November 10 from 9am.
