Race To Dubai / Paul Krishnamurty / 12 October 2010 /

Every penny is worth fighting for at this stage of the season and Paul Krishnamurty has highlighted six players who will be striving to make it to the race finale in Dubai and secure some cash over the coming weeks.

With seven events remaining, the Race to Dubai looks almost done and dusted so far as the winner is concerned. Martin Kaymer's third straight win at the Dunhill Links Championship leaves him almost a million euros ahead of his nearest pursuer. Recommended here at [12.0] back in May, Kaymer's odds have crashed in to [1.25] as the German has established himself at golf's top table. Now up to fourth in the rankings, he could plausibly take over as world number one before the year is out. Sunday's exemplary play down the stretch was arguably his most complete, assured performance to date.

Nevertheless, while the main market looks all over, there's no shortage of interesting sub-plots. The two key numbers are 60th on the money list, which earns a trip to the Dubai World Championship finale and a guaranteed windfall; and 115th place, which secures playing rights for next season. Things can change very fast, as seen in the case of the English golf's latest young star, John Parry. Just three weeks ago, Parry was in 126th place, locked in a battle to save his card by making the top 115. Now, following victory at the Austrian Open and third at the Dunhill Links, he's up to 40th and a banker for Dubai.

Three tournaments in Portugal and Spain over the next three weeks are the key battleground for these lower targets. Here's six players currently the wrong side of a cut-line, who could be about to step up their efforts when it matters. In addition to the outright, these players are well worth following in place markets, as every putt and every penny is worth fighting for at this stage.

Alexander Noren
Money list position: 95
Portugal Masters Odds: [36.0]

Has there been a more disappointing player this season than Noren? A plausible outsider back at the start of the race, he is languishing down in 95th and a long way from Dubai qualification. Happily, Noren appears to have found some form in his past two events, finishing third in Austria and playing a difficult weekend well to make the top-20 in Scotland. In both 2008 and 2009 schedules, Noren thrived during this autumn period, including at this week's Portugese venue. Three visits to Vilamoura all yielded top-20s, including sixth last year.

Nicolas Colsaerts
Money list position: 66
Portugal Masters Odds: [110.00]

Colsaerts needs to eradicate a deficit of around E60,000 in order to make the top-60, and could have ideal conditions to do so over the next fortnight. This week's Vilamoura layout arguably offers a greater advantage to long-hitters than any other on the calendar, and there are few longer than Colsaerts. He's enjoyed a consistent season, registering nine top-25s, and had legitimate excuses for two recent missed cuts.

Matteo Manassero
Money list position: 66
Portugal Masters Odds: [60.0]

Golf is currently blessed with an unprecedented number of brilliant youngsters, with Manassero perhaps the best of all. His achievements by the age of 17 are breathtaking; making the Masters cut and the top-15 in an Open as an amateur, before comfortably earning his card from just a few pro starts. On the evidence of third place last month at Crans, Matteo is already well capable of winning one of these forthcoming events to book his ticket to Dubai.

Pablo Larrazabal
Money list position: 89
Portugal Masters Odds: [150.00]

Such is the all-out attacking nature of Larrazabal's game, consistency is always likely to be a problem. Several of the tough summer venues tend to find him out, but he's still done enough on the more suitable layouts to retain full playing rights. After struggling in Scotland, the Spaniard now has more favourable conditions with this forthcoming trio of Iberian events. His big-hitting, aggressive putting style should be an asset around the easy Vilamoura layout.

Thomas Levet
Money list position: 119
Portugal Masters Odds: [160.0]

After Phil Price and David Howell sneaked inside the cut-line with top-10s over the weekend, former Open runner-up Levet is probably the biggest name outside the top-115. He too made up some ground at the Dunhill Links, registering his second straight top-20, suggesting he's grasped the urgency of the situation. Again, Levet has produced most of his best golf in this region.

Daniel Vancsik
Money list position: 146
Portugal Masters Odds: [250.00]

Here's a rank outsider with the capacity to spring a big shock either this week or next. Vancsik is a two-time European Tour winner, both in southern Europe, and was third at Vilamoura in 2007. The Argentinian is another huge-hitter, rather unsuited to last week's Scottish links affair where he surprised nobody by missing the cut. Previously, he'd offered hints of a return to form with two top-25s in three events.

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