European Tour Turkish Airlines Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016086/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
For those who don't follow world affairs, there was an attempted coup to overthrow the government in Turkey this summer and today many leaders of the opposition are being held in prison despite pressure from the United Nations.
America used Turkey as a base to send airstrikes in their crisis with ISIS which adds to the mix and this week they denied any involvement with this civil war during these politically charged times.
Last Friday in Shanghai I am told it was 50/50 whether this first of the Race to Dubai playoffs would go ahead. There have been car bombings and rocket attacks in Antalya so Keith Pelley and the European Tour needed some assurances regarding security before deciding to go ahead.
The headliner was world #3 Rory McIlroy whose face is plastered on billboards all over the region, so when he decided to withdraw on Saturday night, officials were left with egg on their face, and a lot of explaining to do.
You'll remember in 2012, Rory and Tiger were paid a fortune to play in an eight man exhibition match by Turkish Airlines who also flew media members from around the world to report on it at this lavish resort course and complex on the Mediterranean.
That led to a European Tour event which has now been elevated to one of the three playoffs, called the Final Series, in the Race to Dubai. Turkey has gone all in to promote tourism and to grab their share of the lucrative winter European holiday golf business which has traditionally been cornered by Portugal in the Algarve.
So far this week there hasn't been a hint of trouble in fact veteran European Tour correspondent Nick Dye tells me there is less security than at the Open.
The resorts in this area are suffering of course, and there are hardly any spectators, but the players are getting on with it as always at this Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Review-g312725-d5484934-Reviews-Regnum_Carya_Golf_Spa_Resort-Belek_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.html#photos;geo=312725&detail=5484934
For the record Thorbjorn Olesen, playing with new equipment is running away with the tournament with rounds of 65 62 68 -18, seven full shots ahead of a pack of five players at -11. He has had a poor year before arriving in Turkey, in fact has only made 3 of his last 12 cuts.
The tournament wraps up tomorrow (overnight here in the EST).
Bryan Angus
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