Scene set for blockbuster Race to Dubai finale for ‘Moliwood’ pair Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari

On the Twitter page of Tommy Fleetwood’s wife Clare, there is a mocked-up picture of the Last Supper in which her long-haired husband is reimagined as Jesus.

Fleetwood knows it will take a nigh-on miracle for him to upstage the ‘disciple’ to his side in that particular picture, Francesco Molinari.

Moliwood, who bonded to such good effect at the Ryder Cup, return to being more familiar foes on the golf course tomorrow as the Race to Dubai reaches its climax.

Molinari, who won five points from a possible five at Le Golf National to Fleetwood’s four, knows he is in the ascendancy. The Italian’s advantage of more than a million points means Fleetwood must win and Molinari finish in a tie for fifth with more than one player or worse.

And with his good friend breathing down his neck, the London-based Molinari has no plans to give up his No1 spot without a fight.

“Winning this would be amazing because it is something I would have struggled to see myself do,” he said. “To win the Race to Dubai would be incredible because it’s a season-long event against such a high level of talent that is on tour right now. It really would be something special for me.”

As for any suggestion that the rivalry might cause fissures in Moliwood, he added: “It’s fine with Tommy, we are used to competing against each other week in, week out. It has been quite funny that of all the guys he has ended up the closest to me. It feels a bit like a fairytale ending to the season.”

Like any good Moliwood ending, the European Tour would relish their stand-out pair battling it out for the Harry Vardon Trophy, named after British golf’s first superstar at the turn of the 20th Century, and the £1m winner’s bonus going down the 18th in a battle for end-of-season glory.

Fleetwood, though, knows he needs more than his own game to be on his side.

“It’s nice to have a chance as little as it is but it’s a massively tall order,” said Fleetwood, who won the Race to Dubai last season under pressure from a late surge from Justin Rose. “It’s great that we [he and Molinari] are playing the first round together and hopefully I will have a chance on Sunday but, if not, then he will deserve it after the year he’s had.”