By Kent Gray
Australian Scott Hend will get the Race to Dubai decider underway at 8.30am on Thursday but you’ll have time for an early lunch before the really tasty action at the 11th DP World Tour Championship begins.

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and the Race to Dubai leader’s closer challenger Tommy Fleetwood are last off on Earth at 12.40pm. Grouped in pairs in descending Race to Dubai standings order, Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm tee it up at 12.30am, 10 minutes after Matthew Fitzpatrick, the only other player still in the hunt to be crowned European No.1 come Sunday evening.

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Fitzpatrick is paired with four-time major champion Rory McIlroy in one of the first round’s glamour groups while there will also be Middle East interest in the 11.50am two-ball of Robert ‘ Bob’ MacIntyre, a former MENA Tour winner, and Kurt Kitayama who are the leading contenders in the Sir Henry Cottom Rookie-of-the-Year race which will also be decided this week.

Among the star-studded early groups out are Henrik Stenson and Patrick Reed at 9.50am and Justin Rose and Lee Westwood at 10.05.

For the full first-round tee times, click here.

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