'European Tour reaching Race to Dubai finale an astonishing achievement'

The 18th on the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates will be the final hole of an extraordinary European Tour season

Whenever a European Tour season has concluded in Dubai it has been a source of celebration. Being eligible for the finale, as one of the leading 60 players on the money list, is a badge of honour few take for granted.

Anyone in the field for the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the venue for the tour's climax since 2009, has, by definition, enjoyed a lucrative and successful season. This time there is more to celebrate after the challenges of 2020.

The fact that the European Tour has arrived at this point warrants huge applause. What a shame it is not possible for galleries to assemble and provide such a tribute.

It has been an astonishing achievement by Keith Pelley and his Wentworth-based team to create a viable schedule amid the global Covid-19 pandemic. It saved the tour as the demands of lifeblood television contracts needed to be fulfilled.

Putting on any form of professional sport has been extraordinarily challenging since March this year. But for such an international circuit, involving hundreds of individual players the task was even more demanding.

"We have played 23 events since July," Pelley recently told reporters. "Creating 15 from scratch, showing incredible resilience and flexibility; and also at the same time funding a health strategy and Covid testing."

After the Qatar Masters in early March, the tour was shut down until the Austrian Open in July. Then came a run of six British-based events as a secure bubble was established to protect players, caddies and officials from coronavirus.

The purses were substantially smaller, total prize funds were typically around one million euros (£917,000) and several of the events were funded entirely by the tour at a cost of around £2m per event.

But crucially Europe's leading golfers were able to ply their trade and eventually travel to, among other destinations, Valderrama in Spain, the Portugal Masters, Italian Open and two events in Cyprus.

By last week there were two events happening simultaneously, the South African Open won by the wonderfully in form Christiaan Bezuidenhout and the Golf in Dubai Championship, which was snapped up by Antoine Rozner.

The Frenchman became a tour winner thanks to the improvisational spirit that has served the European Tour this year. It was an inspired move to use the Fire course at Jumeirah the week prior to the season finale which is always played on the neighbouring Earth layout.

It was not quite two events for the price of one, but almost given the economies of scale that come with holding both at essentially the same venue.

These remain turbulent times and the tour believe they have stabilised their future with the recent announcement of their strategic alliance with the PGA Tour, big brother from across the pond.

So perhaps it is fitting that it is an American, Patrick Reed, who leads the Race to Dubai as it enters its final lap. The 2018 Masters winner is a controversial and divisive figure but a convincing advocate of his adopted tour.

"Winning the Race to Dubai and the European Tour's Order of Merit has always been a goal of mine," he insisted. "I came close in 2018 and you can bet I will do my best to earn the number one spot."

When he competed in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last September, Reed spoke with pride and passion of his desire not to be one of those Americans who rarely needs to know the whereabouts of his passport.

"Being a worldwide player is certainly at the forefront of my mind as a professional," he said. "Experiencing new cultures and playing in different conditions ultimately helps me become a more well-rounded golfer and person.

"I enjoy meeting new fans and traveling to different parts of the world to help grow the game of golf," he added.

"It would be an honour to become the first American to win the Race to Dubai and I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

Aside from the $8m (£6m) prize fund, there are 12,000 Race points up for grabs this week and Reed holds a 460-point advantage over Tommy Fleetwood, with another American, Collin Morikawa, 546 points behind in third place.

The 23-year-old's elevated position is down to his maiden major triumph at the US PGA Championship at Harding Park, which counts towards the Race to Dubai for European Tour members.

Ironically this will be his first start in a a proper European Tour event, but the fact that Morikawa is a member and travelling to take part is a welcome sign of commitment from one of the most exciting young talents in the world.

"I'm looking forward to playing in a new environment in the Middle East," said Morikawa. "The opportunity to win the Race to Dubai is a thrill and it would be a great way to end an unforgettable year."

At the other end of the age spectrum, Lee Westwood lies in fourth place and the 47-year-old Englishman is looking for his third money list title.

"It's a big honour for any player to be crowned the European Tour's Number One," he said. "I've done it twice before so it's great to have another chance again this year."

Bezuidenhout is bidding for his third title in three weeks after dominating the past fortnight in his native South Africa.

This week he is part of a stronger field that also includes Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bob Macintyre, Ian Poulter, Matt Wallace, Danny Willett and Viktor Hovland, the Norwegian winner on the PGA Tour in Mexico last Sunday.

There are big names missing and the absence of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Paul Casey and Justin Rose removes a fair amount of stardust.

But if 2020 has told us anything, it is to cherish what we have and in that regard the European Tour can still boast a fitting end to what has been a uniquely challenging year.