With just one more tournament after this – the Nedbank Golf Challenge – before the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, Tommy Fleetwood is in the driving seat to be crowned as Europe’s number one at the end of the season.
Fleetwood extended his lead in the Race to Dubai to 865,000 points after finishing in a share of 20th place at the Sheshan International last week.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, who claimed his maiden World Golf Championship win in Shanghai, are in the frame to top the money list but need to make up ground on Fleetwood.
Rose, who is a previous winner of the Order of Merit, needs a big week in Turkey to stand a chance of pipping Fleetwood.
The world number six said: “I was very aware that I needed to play some special golf in my last three events.
“It was certainly on my mind and I knew that I had to play some great golf to catch Tommy (Fleetwood).
“I’m not playing South Africa next week. For me, it was always going to be China, then here in Turkey and then obviously take a week off just to go home and see the children and play Dubai.
“The simple math was I had to win at least two of them. Part one is done, anyway.
“It’s really now about focusing on the next two events that I have to make a difference, starting this week.”
The winner of this week’s event will pick up a cheque for £5million and collect 958,000 points.
See all the full first round tee off times.