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There was elation, despair, relief and disappoint – and that’s ignoring the playoff that followed an epic final round at the Genesis Championship.
All eyes were on the two South Koreans battling for the title on home soil, but while Ben An was celebrating his sudden death victory over Tom Kim, other players in the field were coming to terms with the fact the direction of their careers had drastically changed.
That’s because Sunday marked the final day in the regular DP World Tour season. The top 114 players in the Race to Dubai rankings secured their cards for 2025. Only the top 70 progress through to next month’s money-spinning playoffs in the Middle East.
• Tom Kim facing discipline after vandalising locker room
• Multiple winner calls time on DP World Tour career
So here are the biggest winners and losers after the final regular event of the season…
The winners
Ricardo Gouveia
Those in the field at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club knew one good week was all it would take. That’s exactly what happened for Ricardo Gouveia. The Portuguese player was staring Q-School in the face in 154th position before pitching up in Korea. A third place finish saw the 33-year-old rise 54 places up the rankings.
The Challenge Tour graduates
The DP World Tour – just like main tours should be – is a ruthless environment. Ivan Cantero and Marco Penge both faced precarious futures in Korea just one year after earning their playing rights from the Challenge Tour. Cantero deserves huge credit for his T6 finish which lifted the Spaniard from the bubble to inside the top 100. Marco Penge, meanwhile, just about did enough in T22 to move from 115th to 110.
Søren Kjeldsen
It might seem strange to put a player who has just lost their card in the winners section – but Søren Kjeldsen is an exception. The Danish veteran ends his DP World Tour career after 27 years battling on the circuit – and that longevity alone is worthy of celebration. He is only the fourth player in history to make over 700 starts on the circuit and has memorable wins at the Volvo Masters at Valderrama and the 2015 Irish Open at Royal County Down. Now the 49-year-old will have a crack at the seniors.
“I am playing well, but these guys hit it 30, 40, 50 [yards] past me so it is tough to compete,” Kjeldsen admitted. “I look forward to playing with someone my age.”
The DP World Tour’s loss is the Legends Tour’s gain.
Ross Fisher
Fisher’s missed cut in Korea meant he had an anxious wait to find out if he had done enough throughout a gruelling season to keep his tour card. The Englishman, who played seven weeks in a row in a desperate effort to preserve his status, ultimately took the 114th and final spot in the standings.
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The losers
Eddie Pepperell
A desperately disappointing end for Pepperell, who has fought so hard all season. A T12 at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last month was his best performance of the year and hinted at a resurgence. Three missed cuts in his last five starts proved costly. Now he’ll have to head to Q School if he is to regain his playing rights for next season.
Rafa Cabrera-Bello
Many golfers on the DP World Tour would envy the career and talents of Rafa Cabrera-Bello, but the 40-year-old’s powers have faded in recent times. The former Ryder Cup player had 18 missed cuts during his miserable season, including five in a row to finish 127th in the Race to Dubai rankings.
Ashun Wu
Bubble watch is always a fascinating if not agonising endeavour during a season finale. For every player who snatches a tour card, there is heartache elsewhere. Welcome China’s Ashun Wu. The 39-year-old, who won the Kenya Open just two years ago, started the week in 113th position and safe. After finishing dead last of those who made the cut, he dropped two spots to 115th. A cruel, cruel game.
David Law
The Scotsman is another heading to Q School in Spain. Law needed a big week in Korea starting 130th in the standings – and played solidly throughout. Ultimately, though, his T22 finish could only lift him eleven places into 119th. Seven Scots secured their card, but the Aberdonian now faces a battle to regain the playing membership he had held since 2019.
Other notable players who lost their tour card include Adri Arnaus, James Morrison and Oliver Wilson.
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