Peter Hanson has a chance to hunt down Rory McIlroy in the Race for Dubai, says Ross McFarlane.
Hanson is close to breaking into the elite says McFarlane
Peter Hanson has a real chance to hunt down Rory McIlroy in the Race for Dubai after beating his rival in the BMW Masters, according to Sky Sports' Ross McFarlane.
The Swede finished won the tournament at Lake Malaren in Shanghai by a shot from the world number one to record the biggest win of his career. England's world No 3 Luke Donald was third, while another Ryder Cup star, Ian Poulter, was fourth.
Hanson, 35, who picked up a €888,560 cheque, has given himself a chance to deny McIlroy in the European Tour money list by leaping from seventh to second in the standings with four weeks to go. Though, McIlroy still leads the European standings by more than £650,000.
"Can he eclipse Rory MCilroy? Well, he has the opportunity now," McFarlane told
Sky Sports.
"So that is quite a long way away so he would have to pull off a big victory, let's say for example in Dubai and maybe he would have to win next week as well.
"So two wins the last three or four weeks and he could do what Robert Karlsson did and win the Race to Dubai.
"He has a chance of winning the Race to Dubai and that has got to be his goal right now. He has got to think he can chase down Rory McIlroy."
Wonderfully consistent
McFarlane believes Hanson's win in Shanghai was just rewards for a player who has displayed superb consistent over recent years and is only a few improvements away from becoming a major threat in the world's top ten.
"He has always been a wonderfully consistent golfer, a great driver and a good putter," McFarlane said.
"He has shown his putting over this weekend and his short game, he has every aspect of the game. He just has to go that little step further to become a top ten player in the world.
"I think the start of round today was key when he missed a couple of par putts. We knew from that situation he was on the back foot and had to do the chasing. He did the chasing but unfortunately, not as good as Mo Farah, he didn't quite make it in the end."
