Finch targets top-seven finish to reach desert

Not only did the Ulsterman end the continent's 40-year wait for a US Open champion this year at Pebble Beach and sink the winning putt in a memorable Ryder Cup, but he has also made the 'Race to Dubai' a race worth running.

The European Tour's lucrative and much-publicised season-long dash to the desert had been turned into a procession by Germany's Martin Kaymer, who as well as his own major breakthrough at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in August, claimed three more wins in Europe to streak ahead at the top of the standings.

But after a victory at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters and a third-place finish at last week's Singapore Open, McDowell has cut Kaymer's advantage to just over 320,000 in the last few weeks. With the German inactive this week, he can further eat into that lead at the Hong Kong Open and set up a fascinating dual in the desert.

"It's important that I get as close as I possibly can going into Dubai next week," said McDowell, in a statement that will be music to the ears of the Tour heirarchy who have placed enormous stock in the finances and exposure on offer in the Middle East.

"This is a very important week, Martin's not playing and it's a golf course where I have performed pretty well in the past. It's an opportunity to put some more numbers on the board.

"The game is in good shape coming off the back of a decent week in Singapore and I'm very much looking forward to it.

"My two main goals for the year were to play and win the Ryder Cup and then to win the 'Race to Dubai'.

"I was lucky enough to get the first one done and the second one is the reason that I am playing five weeks in a row at the end of the season.

"I have always said I want to get to Dubai within touching distance of Martin and where a win in the tournament would mean I would win the whole thing."

The pot of gold at the end of the Dubai rainbow next week is considerable. The tournament itself carries a $7.5m prize pool while the top 15 in the standings share a further $7.5m.

One man hoping to be playing for at least a slice of that is Hull's Richard Finch, whose season will end in Hong Kong this week unless he can finish in the top seven.

The 33-year-old – for whom runner-up finishes in India and Andalucia earlier this year punctuated an otherwise inconsistent season – is 63rd in the rankings, 40,760 shy of Thomas Aiken who occupies the 60th and last qualifying place for Dubai.

Seventh place in Hong Kong this week carries prize money of 46,139.

Malton's Simon Dyson, who is 51st in the standings, joins Finch in the Far East but Danny Willett and John Parry are absent with their place in Dubai already assured.

Defending champion Gregory Bourdy and fellow Ryder Cup stars Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter are also in action this week.

Poulter's bid to successfully defend the Singapore Open title he won in 2009 came unstuck last week amid the rain delays.

When the fourth round was suspended until Monday after a lengthy suspension due to thunderstorms, Poulter trailed Adam Scott by just three strokes with 10 holes remaining.

However, he faded on the resumption and finished in a tie for sixth.

"It was a disappointing week," said Poulter. "I really should have capitalised on the good shots I hit.

"We'll just bring that into this week and last week is over. It's out of my mind, I'm over it, and I move on."