Heavyweights starting to dominate the Dubai World Championships
Published:Ross Fisher’s magnificent round of 64 has shot him to the top of the Dubai World Championships leaderboard at nine-under par for the tournament.
But breathing down his neck are some of the biggest names in golf with Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer all in the mix to win the Dubai World Championship.
A birdie from Poulter on the 18th means he shares the overnight lead with Fisher at 10-under par and Poulter is now 3/1 co-favourite to win his second tournament in a row after succeeding in Hong Kong last week.
Lee Westwood joins Poulter as co-favourite at 3/1 favouritism from 5/1 after shooting 67 to send him to eight-under par for the tournament, just one shot off Fisher and Poulter.
Westwood faces a fight to hold onto his status as world number one with Martin Kaymer and the German is only two shots off the lead and offers plenty of value after drifting to 6/1 to win in Dubai.
Westwood has already expressed his desire to be the world number one entering the start of the 2011 European Tour season, and the fight to better Kaymer can drive Westwood to his second consecutive victory at the Dubai World Championships.
Unfortunately for Graeme McDowell, his one-over par round of 73 leaves him 11 shots adrift of the leaders and his chances of being crowned Europe’s number one golfer are now very slim.
With the course playing into the hands of the golfers, anybody as low as Rory McIlroy who is at one-under par and eight shots off the leaders stands a chance of winning.
McIlroy is 80/1 to win but Ernie Els is capable of stringing two solid rounds together and the Big Easy is 100/1 to win in Dubai.
A £10 stake on Ernie Els winning the Dubai World Championship would return £1010. New customers can sign up here for a free £10 bet.
