DUBAI // For Henrik Stenson, there is simply no taking his foot off the gas. The giant Swede had a paw planted firmly to the floor around the Earth Course on Friday, speeding to the top of the leaderboard at the DP World Tour Championship and maintaining his grip on the Race of Dubai title, too.
Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, two of the three immediate rivals for the season-long crown, still constitute fairly larges presences in his rearview mirror, but much like he has done for most of 2013, Stenson continues to blaze a trail.
He refuses to slip into cruise control just yet.
“I saw Rosey and Ian are seven-under. They’re chasing me as good as they can,” Stenson said. “And I know neither of those guys are going to back down. So I better keep my foot down and my head down.”
It is hard to catch a guy when he matches the low round of the day.
At flawless 64 played to a receptive crowd at Jumeirah Golf Estates, with Stenson enjoying the vociferous support that underlined this week’s rock-star status.
Two more encores and he will become the first golfer to seal both the FedEx Cup and the Race to Dubai in the same season.
That the latter could still arrive without a win this week, and a triumph on the European Tour this term, would not mute the victory music.
“I’m greedy. I’ll take it any way,” Stenson said. “I wouldn’t think twice about that.”
Rose would love to make him think twice this weekend. The Englishman, second in the Race, struggled to find the birdies to crank up the pressure on Stenson, yet a 67 keeps him in the chase.
Six players sit between him and the leader, though, a group that includes Poulter.
Yet Rose remains unconvinced any of the pack can trouble Stenson here.
“This course seems tailor-made for Henrik,” he said. “He seems to be able to take advantage of all the par-fives, and is playing really, really well. Tough to catch, but I’ll give myself a chance.”
Likewise Poulter. Perhaps the most tenacious player on tour, he reinforced his reputation by birdieing three of the final six holes to maintain the heat on Stenson.
They would certainly provide him a little shudder.
“They could be pretty big,” said Poulter following his 68. “We’ll find out on Sunday. Henrik is obviously playing great golf, but I just need to stay there or thereabouts.
“As long as I’m within striking distance come Sunday afternoon, then we might see some fireworks.”
Pyrotechnics would be required, most probably, if Graeme McDowell is to keep alive fading hopes of the Race title. The Northern Irishman, the fourth of that group who entered the week with genuine aspirations of seizing the European No1, emulated Poulter’s 68, but at four-under his threat is burning low. He conceded as much, saying: “I’m going to have to play two great rounds from here to have a chance.”
Stenson could prove too big to budge. His end of season seemed set to be hampered by a persistent wrist injury, but bar a gentle reminder on the sixth tee when he snagged his club, it seems to be holding up well.
“I want to win this one,” he said. “Every time you tee it up that’s the kind of feeling you have. And this is no different.”
Poulter mirrored the resolve, taking to Twitter to fire a late reminder to his good friend.
“Hunt the Swede,” read his post. “Hahaha, loving it.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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