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Dp world tour q-school – 2022 final stage preview & results.

16th November 2022 – Updated

The DP World Tour’s FINAL STAGE QUALIFYING  event, played at Infinitum in Tarragona, Spain came to a conclusion on 16th November 2022.

I have been following all of the amateurs, GB&I professionals, First Stage and Second Stage Qualifying medalists and a few other overseas ‘players of interest’ throughout the Q-School process.

Here is a summary of their final results after 6 rounds of Final Stage play: –

PLAYERS WHO FINISHED IN THE TOP 25 AND TIES These players have earned conditional membership (Category 17) on the DP World Tour and fully exempt status on the Challenge Tour for the 2023 season.

1st  -29   Simon FORSSTRÖM (SWE) – EX Challenge Tour OoM   WINNER 3rd -26   Daniel BROWN (ENG) – EX Challenge Tour OoM T13 -19   Gary HURLEY (IRL) –  Alps Tour OoM / 2nd Stage  Emporda T13 -19   Sam HUTSBY (ENG) –  1st Stage Golf D’Hardelot / 2nd Stage Isla Canela T19 -18   David HORSEY (ENG) – EX DP World Tour OoM T19 -18   Jens FAHRBRING (SWE) –  Challenge Tour OoM / 2nd Stage  Emporda CO-WINNER T23 -17   Andrew WILSON (ENG) – EX DP World Tour OoM T23 -17   Garrick PORTEOUS (ENG) –  DP World Tour Member / 2nd Stage  Emporda T23 -17   John MURPHY (IRL) – EX Challenge Tour OoM

A total of 28 players finished in the top 25 and ties positions with -17 being the cut-off.

Simon Forsström (SWE) was medalist with an impressive 399 (-29) total, two shots better than France’s David Ravetto who won the Brabazon Trophy in 2020.

Simon Forsström (Photo: DP World Tour)

Christoffer Bring (DEN), Tobias Edén (SWE), Sam Hutsby (ENG) and Gunner Wiebe (USA) all completed the full Q-School, working their way through the First, Second and Final Stages to secure their DP World Tour cards.

Here are the round-by-round scores of the 28 players who earned their DP World Tour cards:-

DP World Tour Q-School Results

PLAYERS WHO MADE THE TOP 70 AND TIES 72 HOLE CUT AND FINISHED BELOW 25TH PLACE These players have earned conditional membership (Category 20) on the DP World Tour and are fully exempt on the Challenge Tour for the 2023 season.

T29 -16  Oliver FARR (WAL) –  DP World Tour Member / 2nd Stage Desert Springs T32 -15  OJ FARRELL (ENG) –  Challenge Tour OoM / 2nd Stage Isla Canela T32 -15  Ross MCGOWAN (ENG) – EX DP World Tour OoM T35 -14  Tom MURRAY (ENG) –  1st Stage The Players Club / 2nd Stage  Emporda CO-WINNER T35 -14  Marco PENGE (ENG) – EX Challenge Tour OoM T35 -14  Takumi KANAYA (JAP) –  1st Stage Mottram Hall WINNER / 2nd Stage Isla Canela T43 -13  Tom LEWIS (ENG) – EX DP World Tour Past Winner T43 -13  Pavan SAGOO (ENG) –  PGA EuroPro Tour OoM / 2nd Stage  Emporda T43 -13  Daniel O’LOUGHLIN (ENG) –  1st Stage Mottram Hall / 2nd Stage Isla Canela T43 -13  Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) TURNED PRO 9/22  –  WAGR Top 10 / 2nd Stage Isla Canela T43 -13  Chris WOOD (ENG) – EX DP World Tour Past Winner T43 -13  Chris PAISLEY (ENG) –  DP World Tour Member / 2nd Stage Desert Springs T51 -12   Callan BARROW (ENG) AM –  1st Stage Mottram Hall / 2nd Stage Las Colinas T56 -11  Craig HOWIE (SCO) – EX DP World Tour OoM T66   -6  Liam JOHNSTON (SCO) –  Challenge Tour OoM / 2nd Stage Desert Springs T68   -5  Gary BOYD (ENG) –  1st Stage Arlandastad / 2nd Stage Desert Springs 70th  -4  Oliver FISHER (ENG) –  DP World Tour Member / 2nd Stage Isla Canela WD        Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) – EX DP World Tour OoM (after 90 holes -4) 

Callan Barrow was the only amateur to make the cut and ultimately finished in a very credible tied 51st position. With Challenge Tour status secured for 2023 he will inevitably turn pro in the coming weeks.

PLAYERS WHO MISSED THE TOP 70 AND TIES CUT AFTER 72 HOLES Players failing to make the cut are eligible for membership of the Challenge Tour in 2023.

T73   -4  Jack SENIOR (ENG) – EX DP World Tour OoM T73   -4  Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) – EX  DP World Tour Career Money List T73   -4  Harry GODDARD (ENG) –  1st Stage Golf D’Hardelot / 2nd Stage  Emporda T73   -4  Ivan CANTERO GUTIERREZ (ESP) –  Challenge Tour OoM / 2nd Stage Las Colinas WINNER T73   -4  Steven BROWN (ENG) – EX DP World Tour Past Winner T85   -3  Cormac SHARVIN (ENG) –  DP World Tour Member / 2nd Stage Las Colinas T85   -3   Hayden HOPEWELL (AUS) AM –  1st Stage Arlandastad / 2nd Stage Desert Springs T85   -3  Simon DYSON (ENG) – EX DP World Tour Career Money List T85   -3  Joel SJOHOLM (SWE) –  Challenge Tour OoM / 2nd Stage Isla Canela CO-WINNER T93   -2  Jonathan CALDWELL (NI) – EX DP World Tour Past Winner T93   -2  Alfie PLANT (ENG) – EX Challenge Tour OoM T93   -2  Tom GANDY (IoM) –  DP World Tour Member / 2nd Stage Desert Springs T93   -2  Matt FORD (ENG) –  DP World Tour Member / 2nd Stage  Emporda T100  -1  Thomas THURLOWAY (ENG) –  1st Stage Lyngbygaard / 2nd Stage Desert Springs T103 Ev  Paul DUNNE (IRL) – EX DP World Tour Past Winner T103 Ev  Craig ROSS (SCO) –  1st Stage Golf D’Hardelot  / 2nd Stage Desert Springs T103 Ev  Angus FLANAGAN (ENG) –  1st Stage Arlandastad / 2nd Stage  Emporda T114 +2  Philipp KATICH (GER) –  1st Stage Golf D’Hardelot / 2nd Stage Desert Springs WINNER T123 +3  James ALLAN (ENG) –  PGA EuroPro Tour OoM / 2nd Stage Las Colinas T123 +3  Braden THORNBERRY (USA) –  1st Stage The Players Club / 2nd Stage Isla Canela T123 +3   Luke HARRIES (WAL) AM –  1st Stage Arlandastad / 2nd Stage Las Colinas T131 +4  Michael STEWART (SCO) –  1st Stage The Players Club CO-WINNER / 2nd Stage Las Colinas T131 +4  David HOWELL (ENG) – EX DP World Tour Career Money List T131 +4  Christian BANKE (USA) –  1st Stage Montado / 2nd Stage Isla Canela T137 +6  David HAGUE (ENG) –  1st Stage Mottram Hall / 2nd Stage Desert Springs T144 +8  Pieter MOOLMAN (RSA) –  Sunshine Tour OoM / 2nd Stage Isla Canela CO-WINNER  T146 +9  Hamish BROWN (DEN) -5 T23 –  Nordic Golf league OoM / 2nd Stage Emporda 149th +13  Kyle MICHEL (AUS) –  1st Stage Rosebud / 2nd Stage Las Colinas WD          Luis MASAVEU (ESP) AM  –  1st Stage Montado / 2nd Stage  Emporda (after 36 holes -3) WD          Richard MCEVOY (ENG) – EX DP World Tour Past Winner (after 54 holes +2) WD          Ben STOW (ENG) –  Challenge Tour OoM / 2nd Stage Las Colinas (after 54 holes +12)

EX – Exempt Player 

Click this link to view the DP World Tour’s full – FINAL STAGE Q-SCHOOL RESULTS

Every player will be ranked according to their final results with ties resolved by card play-off. For those that make the cut the initial focus will be on the best last 18 holes, then best last 36 holes and then the best 3rd or 4th round over the Lakes Course.

This finishing position ranking is very important as it can make a big difference to the number of Tour starts recevied. To illustrate this Pre-COVID the Final Stage medalist could expect to receive 27 DP World Tour starts whilst the 25th placed qualifier garnered 18.

The DP World Tour announced on 3rd November that exempt players in categories 1-17 in the 2023 season would be guaranteed minimum earnings of $150,000 if they compete in 15 or more events. As the Top 25 and Ties finishers at Q-School gain Category 17 membership they will be eligible for this payment. Players who made the cut but finished below 25th place earned Category 20 membership which excludes them from this arrangement.

Infinitum – 18th hole, Hills Course (Photo: http://www.infinitumliving.com )

156 players contested the DP World Tour’s FINAL STAGE QUALIFYING  event which was played between 11th – 16th November 2022 at Infinitum, previously known as Lumine Golf Club, in Tarragona, Spain.

96 of these players came through the four Second Stage competitions with the remaining 60 players being exempted into Final Stage through their past endeavours.

45 Great British & Irish (GB&I) players were in the field; 26 coming through Second Stage with 19 being exempt.

Four amateurs made it through to the Finals – Callan Barrow (ENG), Luke Harries (WAL), Hayden Hopewell (AUS) and Luis Masaveu (ESP).

A total of six rounds or 108 holes were played over the venue’s two championship courses; the Lakes which plays 7,001 yards (par 71) and the Hills which is slightly shorter at 6,944 yards (par 72).

After two rounds were played on both the Hills and Lakes courses (72 holes) the field was cut to the leading 70 players and ties. 72 players, including 24 from GB&I, made this cut which fell at -5. The final 36 holes were then played on the Lakes Course on the remaining two competition days.

The Q-School consists of three stages, First, Second and Final. More information on the 2022 Qualifying School can be found in the Appendix at the end of this article. Earlier articles on this website covered the FIRST STAGE  and SECOND STAGE Qualifying School events.

THE 2022 DP WORLD TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL SERIES

The DP World Tour (previously known as the European Tour until November 2021) Qualifying School was first played in 1976, four years after the European Tour was founded. What started out as a 72 hole test has grown into potentially a 252 hole marathon.

Nowadays there are three stages of stroke play qualifying; First, Second and Final.

The 2022 European Tour Q-School entrance fee is £2,000 (2019: £1,800).

Male amateur golfers with a handicap below 0.4 (i.e. scratch) and who have appeared in positions 1-2,000 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) in 2022 can enter.

Some entrants are exempted straight into Second Stage or Final Stage based on their past results and ranking.

From an amateur perspective the leading 5 entrants to First Stage as at 17th August 2022 to a limit of 20th place in the WAGR are fast-tracked straight into Second Stage.

FIRST STAGE

First Stage consisted of nine 72 hole stroke play qualifying events split into six Sections, A, B, C, D, E and F.

Around 20% of each field, normally 15-30 players, progressed from each event. The actual number of places were confirmed after all of the players had teed off on Day 1 of each qualifier.

A 54-hole cut, where players needed to be within 7 shots of the final allocated qualifying place, reduced the field for the final round. Ties for the final qualifying place at the end of play also advanced.

For more information on this year’s First Stage please read – DP World Tour Q-School – 2022 First Stage Preview & Results

Here are links to all of the results from the First Stage events:-

4-8 Oct 2022  SECTION F – MOTTRAM HALL, ENGLAND –  Mottram Hall Q-School Results

4-7 Oct  2022  SECTION F – GOLF D’HARDELOT, FRANCE –  Hardelot Q-School Results

27-30 Sept 2022  SECTION E – LYNGBYGAARD GOLF, DENMARK –  Lyngbygaard Q-School Results

20-23 Sept 2022  SECTION D – BOGOGNO GOLF RESORT, ITALY –  Bogogno Q-School Results

14-17 Sept 2022  SECTION C – HAUGSCHLAG, AUSTRIA –  Haugschlag Q-School Results

13-16 Sept 2022  SECTION C – ARLANDASTAD GOLF, SWEDEN –  Arlandastad Q-School Results

7-10 Sept 2022  SECTION B – MONTADO, PORTUGAL –  Montado Q-School Results

30-2 Sept 2022 SECTION A – THE PLAYERS CLUB, ENGLAND –  The Players Q-School Results

30-2 Sept 2022  SECTION A – ROSEBUD CC, AUSTRALIA –  Rosebud Q-School Results

SECOND STAGE

Four events were played concurrently at Desert Springs GC, Emporda Golf, Isla Canela Links and Las Colinas G&CC, all in Spain. These competitions were played over 72 holes with no cut.

The actual number of places available for Final Stage were again confirmed after all of the players have teed off on Day 1 of each event. Sudden death play-offs were also held to resolve ties at this Stage.

For more information on this year’s First Stage please read – DP World Tour Q-School – 2022 Second Stage Preview & Results

3-6 Nov 2022 – DESERT SPRINGS GC, SPAIN – Desert Springs Q-School Results

3-6 Nov 2022 – EMPORDA GOLF, SPAIN – Emporda Q-School Results

3-6 Nov 2022 – ISLA CANELA LINKS, SPAIN – Isla Canela Q-School Results

3-6 Nov 2022 – LAS COLINAS G&CC, SPAIN – Las Colinas Q-School Results

FINAL STAGE

The Final Qualifying Stage consists of 108 holes on the Lakes and Hills Courses at Infinitum, previously known as Lumine GC, in Tarragona, Spain. Infinitum / Lumine replaced PGA Catalunya Resort in 2017 and will be hosting Final Stage for the fourth time this year.

The Tour has entered a new 3 year contract, covering 2022-24, with the Spanish venue to stage the Finals.

156 players will play two rounds over each of the Hills and Lakes Courses. After these 72 holes the field will be cut to the leading 70 players and ties who will play a final 36 holes.

The leading 25 players (plus those tied for 25th place) in the Final Stage competition will earn Full Membership of The DP World Tour (and Challenge Tour) for the 2023 season. On average between 2014-19 the medalist has received 27 European Tour starts whilst the 25th qualifier has garnered 18.

Those who make the 72 hole cut but finish outside the Top 25 will also earn a membership category, albeit a lower one, on the DP World Tour (and Challenge Tour).

Players who miss the cut will be eligible for membership of the Challenge Tour.

Every player is ranked according to their finishing score, card count backs assisting in this process, and this ranking matters when it comes to future playing opportunities.

Copyright © 2014-2022, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.

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QUALIFYING/ POINTS STRUCTURE PRIZES

The Challenge Tour was created to give player's the opportunity to compete in San Diego and not have to travel out of town and out of state to play in quality golf tournaments that earn points towards Junior Golf Scoreboard. All 36-Hole events are Nationally recognized by Junior Golf Scoreboard. Once the Tour is well established we will have the opportunity for Golfweek and AJGA recognition.

WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING FOR?

• Top 3 in each division receive a Player of the Year Plaque and a featured article on the Challenge Tour Website.
• Top 3 in each 15-18 division will be in the running for the Future Champions Golf Scholarship ($500 will go to One Boy and $500 to One Girl)
• All Top Finishers will be invited to the Callaway Performance Center
• All Division Winners receive a Complimentary Round at Carlton Oaks GC.
• Callaway Prizes will be Awarded
• Stadium Golf Center Prizes will be Awarded
• Must Play 36-Holes
• Must Play a Minimum of 4500 Yards
• The Challenge Tour, if needed will make adjustments to age divisions to make sure all divisions have enough players to receive National Rankings.
• and a whole lot more... Stay tuned for details... ALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR PRIZES WILL BE DESCRIBED IN BETTER DETAIL SOON!

Marco Penge completes Challenge Tour double to earn DP World Tour promotion

Marco Penge claimed promotion to the DP World Tour with by winning the Challenge Tour's Grand Final and the season-long points race.

Marco Penge rounded off a special week by becoming the second Englishman in as many years to win the Challenge Tour grand final and the season-long Road to Mallorca rankings double.

The 25-year-old posted a closing three under par round of 69 to move to ten under par for the week and secure an emphatic six stroke victory over Frenchman Tom Vaillant.

Vaillant finished in solo second at Club de Golf Alcanada to also break into the Road to Mallorca top 21 and clinch promotion to the DP World Tour .

Penge follows in the footsteps of countryman Nathan Kimsey who triumphed at the season finale 12 months ago to win the rankings, and he becomes the 13th Challenge Tour Number One to hail from England.

Penge started the day one-shot ahead of Vaillant but a bogey at the par five first hole saw his lead disappear, however he would bounce back brilliantly.

Four birdies in seven holes around the turn and another at the par four 15th saw him move clear at the top of the leaderboard and secure promotion to the DP World Tour.

"To be standing here and saying I've won twice on the Challenge Tour and also winning the rankings is hard to imagine," he said.

"It hasn't quite sunk in yet, but I am absolutely over the moon.

"I believe in myself, and I know what I am capable of. I was in pretty good stead to do well this week and I'm just really pleased that I could bring it all together.

"I made bogey on one after a terrible shot into the green. I find it always takes me three or four holes to settle in my rounds and that is something I need to improve on.

"But, after three holes, I said to my caddie 'I feel normal now, so let's try and get our foot down and move as far forward as we can' and obviously I did that.

"I think birdieing hole seven kind of settled everything really and, once I got through eight, I knew I would be okay. once I got through eight holes and hadn’t made a big number, I felt I was going to be fine.

"My coach, Gary King, has been here all week and he’s been saying to me that I was hitting it great, even though I didn't feel I was swinging it great but he said I was."

Penge, who was in 60th place in the rankings before his maiden win at the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos six weeks ago, finished just seven points ahead of South African Casey Jarvis, who came second on the Rankings, with Spaniard Manuel Elvira finishing third.

Frenchman Ugo Coussaud graduated in fourth place with Swedish duo Jesper Svensson and Adam Blommé finishing fifth and sixth respectively.

Italian Lorenzo Scalise earns promotion in seventh place, with fellow countrymen Andrea Pavan – a two-time DP World Tour winner – and Matteo Manassero – a four-time DP World Tour winner and the youngest in DP World Tour history – returning to Europe’s top tier in eighth and ninth.

What it means to secure your @DPWorldTour card #RolexGrandFinal pic.twitter.com/9hn5kJ5mY6 — Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 5, 2023

Portuguese Ricardo Gouveia finished tenth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and England's  Alex Fitzpatrick 11th. Vaillant climbed 21 places to 12th following his second place finish in Mallorca, with fellow Frenchman Frederic Lacroix finishing third this week to move up to 13th.

Italian Francesco Laporta returns to the DP World Tour in 14th, Englishman Will Enefer earns his first promotion in 15th and Spaniard Ivan Cantero goes up in 16th.

Englishman Sam Bairstow made a final day move, up five places to 18th with a fourth place finish.

Two-time DP World Tour winner Brandon Stone finished 19th on the rankings, while German Maximilian Rottluff who has won twice on the Challenge Tour this season finished 20th. Welshman Stuart Manley secured the final DP World Tour card on offer.

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How it works: 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - JUNE 12: A course view of the chipping area during the second round at the Korn Ferry Tour's Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass at Dyes Valley Course on June 12, 2020 in Ponte Vedra B the chippingeach, Florida. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

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Beginning in 2023, PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry will award PGA TOUR cards to the top five finishers and ties, in addition to determining 2024 season eligibility for the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas.

Related: Scores and results: PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry

PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry consists of four different stages, though competitors can bypass Pre-Qualifying, First Stage, or Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry if they meet the criteria of at least one exemption category for First, Second, or Final Stage.

Competition for Pre-Qualifying, First Stage, and Second Stage is conducted at several different sites, with the number of competitors advancing from each site being on a pro rata basis (i.e., approximately the same percentage from each site will advance).

Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry will be contested at Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass, as well as Sawgrass Country Club, with each competitor playing two rounds on each course. At the conclusion of the final round, the last set of TOUR cards for the 2024 season will be awarded, with the others coming from the 2022-23 DP World Tour season (top 10 players from Race to Dubai Rankings not already exempt) and 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season (top 30 players on final points list).

• Pre-Qualifying (eight sites, 54-hole stroke play competition) – September 13-29

• First Stage (13 sites, 72-hole stroke play competition) – October 10-27

• Second Stage (five sites, 72-hole stroke play competition) – November 14-December 1

• Final Stage (72-hole stroke play competition) – December 14-17

The medalist (and ties) from each First Stage site will be exempt through the Latin America Swing of the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season.

The medalist (and ties) from each Second Stage site will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership and, provided they do not improve their status at Final Stage, will be subject to the second reshuffle of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season, and be placed in the Korn Ferry Tour Priority Ranking after the first 40 finishers and ties who did not earn a PGA TOUR card at Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

Performance benefits for Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry are as follows:

• Top five finishers and ties at Final Stage will earn PGA TOUR cards.

• Next 40 finishers and ties at Final Stage will earn exempt status through multiple reshuffles of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season, with the first 25 finishers and ties being subject to the third reshuffle, and any remaining finishers within the category being subject to the second reshuffle.

• The next 20 finishers and ties at Final Stage will earn exempt status for the Latin America Swing of the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season, while also earning conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership.

• All remaining finishers at Final Stage will have conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership and conditional PGA TOUR Americas membership for the 2024 season.

The field at Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry will feature players who advanced through the various stages of Q-School – Pre-Qualifying, First Stage, Second Stage – and others who automatically qualify by meeting the criteria of at least one exemption category.

Exemption categories for 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry are as follows:

First Stage

• Members of the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA), DP World Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica or PGA TOUR Canada during the years 2021, 2022 or 2023.

• Applicants that made the cut in a tournament awarding Official Money conducted by the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour, Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA), PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica or PGA TOUR Canada during the years 2022 or 2023 as of the First Qualifying Stage entry deadline (September 11, 2023).

• Applicants who played the Second Qualifying Stage of the 2019, 2021 or 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.

• Applicants who finished in the top 50, including ties, at a First Qualifying Stage site of the 2021 or 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.

• Applicants that played in the 2022 or 2023: THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship.

• Applicants that played in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship.

• Applicants that made the cut in the 2022 PGA Assistant Professional National Championship.

• Applicants ranked 101-200 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to be released as of the entry deadline for First Qualifying Stage (September 11, 2023).

• Applicants ranked six through twenty-five (6-25) on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) to be released as of Wednesday, September 6, 2023.

• Applicants who qualified for the 2021 or 2023 Walker Cup.

• Applicants who played in the semifinals of the 2021, 2022 or 2023 U.S. Amateur, or the final of the 2021 or 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Second Stage

• 2022-23 PGA TOUR Members who are eligible for tournament play as defined in the PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants with an official victory in a 2020-2021, 2022, 2023 Korn Ferry Tour tournament as defined in the Korn Ferry Tour Tournament Regulations .

• Applicants finishing sixty-one through eighty-fifth (61-85) on the final 2023 Official Korn Ferry Tour Points List, as defined in the Korn Ferry Tour Tournament Regulations .

• Applicants who have made fifty (50) or more cuts in PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved tournaments awarding official money as of the Second Qualifying Stage entry deadline (October 9, 2023).

• Applicants who made the cut in the 2023: THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship.

• Players ranked fifty-first through one hundred (51-100) on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to be released as of October 9, 2023.

• Applicants ranked sixth through twentieth (6-20) on the current season’s Final Official 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking.

• Applicants ranked sixth through twenty-fifth (6-25) on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica 2022-23 Final Official Totalplay Cup Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tournament Regulations .

• Applicants ranked sixth through twenty-fifth (6-25) PGA TOUR Canada 2023 Final Official Fortinet Cup Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Canada Tournament Regulations .

• Applicants ranked first through fifth (1-5) on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) to be released as of Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

• Applicants ranked one through five (1-5) including ties at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship.

• Applicants ranked two through five (2-5) on the current season’s Official Order of Merit for Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) as of the Second Qualifying Stage deadline (October 9, 2023).

• Applicants ranked two through five (2-5) on the 2022-2023 Final Official Money List for the PGA Tour of Australasia.

• Applicants ranked two through five (2-5) on the 2022-2023 Final Official Players List for the Sunshine Tour.

• Applicants ranked two through five (2-5) on the 2022-2023 Final Genesis Point List for the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA).

• Applicant who is a current Korn Ferry Tour member that has been disabled to the extent he is unable to compete in more than twelve (12) events in a season but has played in a minimum of five (5) Korn Ferry Tour events that season; has performed at a level which placed him 61st – 85th position on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List at the time he was disabled; or who has average points per event at the time he was disabled which would have placed him 61st – 85th position on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List for the entire season (determined by multiplying such an average number of Korn Ferry Tour events played by all Korn Ferry Tour members).

Final Stage

• The top 40 available applicants below the 125th position on the Final 2022-2023 FedExCup Playoffs & Eligibility Points List, to a floor of 200th position.

• Applicants ranked on the PGA TOUR Nonmember FedExCup Points list (including Special Temporary Members) whose combined official points and points earned in official money World Golf Championship events and the Barbasol and Barracuda Championships is equal to or greater than the 150th place finisher on the Final 2022-2023 Regular Season FedExCup Points List.

• Applicants ranked thirty-first through sixtieth (31-60) on the season ending 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Official Points List, as defined in the Korn Ferry Tour Tournament Regulations .

• Applicants ranked first through fifty (1-50) on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to be released as of the Final Qualifying Stage entry deadline (November 13, 2023).

Applicants ranked one through five (1-5) on the current season’s Final Official 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking.

• Applicants ranked one through five (1-5) on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica 2022-23 Final Official Totalplay Cup Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tournament Regulations .

• Applicants ranked one through five (1-5) PGA TOUR Canada 2023 Final Official Fortinet Cup Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Canada Tournament Regulations .

• Leading player on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) Official Order of Merit as of the Final Qualifying Stage deadline (November 13, 2023).

• Top five players on the 2022-2023 Final Official Money List for the PGA Tour of Australasia.

• Leading player on the 2022-2023 Final Official Players List for the Sunshine Tour.

• Leading player on the 2022-2023 Final Genesis Point List for the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA).

• Applicants among Major and Minor, Medical Extension category members (as defined in the PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations ) whose FedExCup Points earned in their “Available Tournaments”, when combined with the amount of FedExCup Points earned in their “Tournaments Played”, equals or exceeds the amount of FedExCup Points earned by the member who finished last in the 25 finishers beyond 125th place on the FedEx Cup Points List for the preceding season shall be exempt into Final Qualifying Stage in that year provided that the FedExCup Points earned in his “Tournaments Played” was less than the 150th finisher on the FedExCup Points List in the year of the applicant’s injury.

• Applicant who is a current Korn Ferry Tour member that has been disabled to the extent he is unable to compete in more than twelve (12) events in a season but has played in a minimum of five (5) Korn Ferry Tour events that season; has performed at a level which placed him 31st – 60th on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List at the time he was disabled; or who has average points per event at the time he was disabled which would have placed him 31st – 60th on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List for the entire season (determined by multiplying such an average number of Korn Ferry Tour events played by all Korn Ferry Tour members).

How To Earn A European Tour Card

There are many ways to qualify for a European Tour card which gives membership to the European Tour, now known as the DP World Tour

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There are two basic ways to get a European Tour card and thus membership of the European Tour, or DP World Tour as it is now known : you have it and retain it, or you qualify to move onto the Tour. There are many different routes to retain membership, just as there are for qualification.

The DP World tour operates, in effect, a promotion and relegation system with the Challenge Tour. It used to be that the top 110 on the Race to Dubai were guaranteed ‘staying up’ and the top players on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca were ‘promoted’. Those promoted this way used to be the top 15 but with Q-School (more of which later) suspended during the pandemic, it has been the top 20. Similarly, it has been the top 121 on the Race to Dubai who have ‘stayed up’ recently.

There are other ways to retain Tour membership which do not rely upon the final position in the Race to Dubai. Winning a DP World Tour event earns exemption from ‘relegation’, with the more prestigious the tournament, the more the number of seasons exemption a victory earns. Race to Dubai winners also gain lengthy exemptions. Some players can even retain membership on the basis of career performances, under a category of membership known rather delightfully and officially as ‘Legends’.

But how can you qualify for the Tour for the next season if not already on it during the current season? Well, a strong finishing position on the Challenge Tour’s order of merit is one way. Winning the order of merit of other selected tours around the world also brings with it DP World Tour membership.

But what if you are a golfer who fancies joining the Tour and none of the above applies? For them there is Qualifying School, or Q-School as it is known.

This was not held in 2020 or 2021 because of the pandemic. But ordinarily it is run over three stages and the top 25 in the final stage earn Tour membership. Some players are exempt from having to enter at stage one, and automatically qualify for either stage two or stage three.

Stages one and two are four-round tournaments at various venues. Stage three is a six-round tournament at one venue in Spain (most recently at in Tarragona at Lumine Golf Club , now renamed Infinitum )  with 156 entrants, with a cut after four rounds. The top 25 win Tour membership.

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It costs to enter Q-School – the fee was €1,800 in 2019, the last time Q-School has been held. That year 842 golfers teed it up in the first stage across nine different venues with 183 players qualifying through this process to join those players whose exemption took them straight into stage two. 

You do not need to become a PGA Professional if you fancy a shot at Tour glory and a European Tour card. The good news is any male amateur golfer can enter Q-School so long as they have a handicap of 0.4 or lower. The bad news is that shot is probably the longest of longshots: the last time Q-School was held, more than 1,000 golfers entered in quest of those 25 spots.

Contributing Writer Golf courses and travel are Roderick’s particular interests and he was contributing editor for the first few years of the Golf Monthly Travel Supplement. He writes travel articles and general features for the magazine, travel supplement and website. He also compiles the magazine's crossword. He is a member of Trevose Golf & Country Club and has played golf in around two dozen countries. Cricket is his other main sporting love. He is the author of five books, four of which are still in print: T he Novel Life of PG Wodehouse ; The Don: Beyond Boundaries ; Wally Hammond: Gentleman & Player and England’s Greatest Post-War All Rounder .

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YouTube golf creators to compete for once-in-a-lifetime PGA Tour sponsor's exemption

It looks like the PGA Tour is pivoting to video … at least in this one specific instance. The “Golf Capital of the World” is set to host its first-ever sanctioned event and just might feature your favorite online golf personality taking on the best players in the world, because that’s a thing that can happen now.

MORE: 'Why don't we lean the other way?': How 'Strapped' became a YouTube cult hit

Golf Tourism Solutions and Visit Myrtle Beach will host “The Q at Myrtle Beach,” a 16-player, 18-hole shootout in early March that comes with quite the prize: An unrestricted sponsor's exemption for the winner into the PGA Tour's Myrtle Beach Classic, which makes its debut in May. Eight prominent YouTube golf creators will be partaking in the Dunes Golf and Beach Club event (the same course that where the PGA Tour event will be played) and will of course be creating their own content and videos on their respective channels. No surprise there.

There will also be a 90-minute video documenting this once-in-a-lifetime tournament that will eventually drop on Play Golf Myrtle Beach’s YouTube page April 23. If you want to watch some golf, this Myrtle Beach event is about to provide you with an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Tournament officials were quick to note in the press release announcing the event that all 16 participants meet the PGA Tour regulations regarding sponsor's exemptions. All are either professional golfers or amateurs with a USGA handicap of 0.0 or better, and are eligible for PGA Tour competition should they qualify.

Now, you’re probably wondering just who will be teeing off with a chance to make the big time. Eight online personalities and eight pros looking for a spot will all be fighting for that critical victory. Here’s who we’ve got:

Matt Atkins: The USC Aiken alum played six seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he won the 2017 Mexico Championship. Among his 25 PGA Tour starts, Atkins finished T-38 at The RSM Classic in November 2023.

George Bryan IV: The three-time All-American at the University of South Carolina made the cut in his lone PGA Tour start at the 2023 Bermuda Championship. Bryan has more than 410,000 total subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Jay Card III: The High Point University alum has made 39 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and has three top-10s, most recently at the 2023 Wichita Open (T-7).

Morgan Deneen: The former Coastal Carolina University golfer and 2018 Sun Belt champion is the assistant pro at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club and has made three PGA Tour starts, most recently the 2023 Fortinet Championship.

Peter Finch: Based in the United Kingdom, Finch has more than 1.25 million subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X.

Grant Horvat: Played collegiately at Palm Beach Atlantic University and has more than 1.35 million combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Luke Kwon: The member of Good Good Golf and University of Oklahoma alum has made more than 50 starts in PGA Tour-sanctioned events. Kwon has nearly 400,000 combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Good Good Golf has more than 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube.

Micah Morris: The Texas native made one PGA Tour Canada start in 2023 and features more than one million subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Turk Pettit: The 2021 NCAA championship winner from Clemson. He turned pro and played in all eight LIV Golf events during the upstart circuit's inaugural 2022 season before playing in PGA Tour Qualifying School last fall.

Dan Rapaport: Member of the "Fore Play" podcast and Barstool Sports, the Northwestern alum (and former Golf Digest writer) was featured extensively in Netflix’s “Full Swing,” and has more than 250,000 combined subscribers and followers on X, Instagram and TikTok.

Scott Stevens: The University of South Carolina alum recorded one victory and three additional top-10s on PGA TOUR Canada in 2022 and made 21 Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2023.

Nick Stubbe: Known as Fat Perez, Nick Stubbe is a member of "Bob Does Sports." Fat Perez features more than one million combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Tyler Watts: The high school sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, won the Jones Cup Junior Invitational in December 2023.

Jamie Wilson: A former All-SEC golfer at the University of South Carolina, Wilson has made two starts on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Mason Nut or Cole Lantz of "BustaJack Golf": The BustaJack duo will compete in a playoff match to determine who earns a spot in The Q at Myrtle Beach. They have more than 350,000 combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

So, yeah, these professionals and golf obsessives will all get the opportunity to clinch the final spot in the Myrtle Beach Classic, which just so happens to have a $3.9 million purse and 300 FedEx Cup points. It just goes to show you that if you want to make the highest level in golf, all you need is a camera and the ability to say, “Please like and smash that subscribe button.”

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2024 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Monday qualifier: Dates, locations, field and who got through

The 2024 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson is the ninth PGA Tour event of the calendar year to offer a Monday qualifier.

The third tournament in the Texas Swing is an an open event and allocates four spots in the field to players who earn their way in through a Monday qualifier. The tournament, which features an $9.5 million purse, is played Thursday through Sunday.

Monday qualifiers are tournaments held on Mondays (although a rare few are not), and they feature a field of typically around 80 players that are looking to get into that week's PGA Tour event. The tournaments are 18-hole affairs typically put on by the local PGA of America section nearest to the tournament host. Eligibility is not limited to professionals, as amateurs with a USGA handicap index under 2.0 may play as well.

For the 2024 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the Northern Texas section of the PGA of America presents the tournament. The Monday qualifier is played April 29, 2024, at Tierra Verde Golf Course in Arlington, Texas, and the field of 109 players was finalized on April 26 at 5 p.m. local time.

Before the Monday qualifier, there were pre-qualifiers, which is common. This tournament creates a pathway to the Monday qualifier for players who have limited or no status with the PGA Tour and, frankly, raises entry fees.

For this Monday qualifier, the field is filled with players with limited PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour status.

The top four finishers from the Monday qualifier will gain entry to the 2024 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The last Monday qualifier to win on the PGA Tour is Corey Conners , who won the 2019 Valero Texas Open after Monday qualifying.

2024 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Monday qualifier field

The post 2024 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Monday qualifier: Dates, locations, field and who got through first appeared on Golf News Net .

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Bryan Bros Golf’s George Bryan IV earns PGA Tour shot at Myrtle Beach Classic

Bryan received a surprise invite after he came up short in the Myrtle Beach Classic qualifier.

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George Bryan IV is part of the Bryan Bros Golf YouTube Golf channel. He and his brother Wesley Bryan create various golf content to entertain fans.

On Tuesday, Play Golf Myrtle Beach published its “Q at Myrtle Beach” qualifier on YouTube.

George was one of the eight YouTubers who participated in the 16-player, 18-hole shootout for one spot in this year's inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic .

He and pro golfer Matt Akins tied at 3-under after 18, but Akins beat him in a playoff.

After the main video, the eight content creators began posting their videos from the qualifier.

Yet on Thursday, Twitter user Patrick Lowry congratulated Bryan for earning a spot at the Myrtle Beach Classic. The tweet included a YouTube link to the Bryan Bros video from the qualifier .

George Bryan earns a spot at the Myrtle Beach Classic. well deserved, couldn't be happier for him. @wesleybryangolf @bryanbrosgolf #golf #pgatour https://t.co/eDDl1qETdu pic.twitter.com/HspcbdGYQl — Patrick Lowry (@thepatricklowry) April 26, 2024

The video showcased his journey through the qualifier. Around the 16:44 mark, Bryan explains he has a phone call with the Myrtle Beach Classic’s tournament director, Darren Nelson.

“Hey, I wanted to see what you’re doing May 6-12. We’d like to offer you a spot in the Myrtle Beach Classic,” Nelson said.

With the biggest grin, Bryan gives the camera a fist pump and looks beyond excited.

“Yes, I’m there,” he said. “Holy cow! Not going to lie when you said it was a call, I had my hopes, but I didn’t want my mind to go there and think that I would actually have a chance to play in a PGA Tour event. Honestly, I don’t even know what to think right now. Like I’m still like — holy cow.”

Nelson acknowledged he came close in the qualifier and how the Myrtle Beach Classic team wanted to offer him the spot.

Bryan gave another fist pump, and the excitement radiated from him.

It will be his first PGA Tour event in his home state of South Carolina. George and Wesley both played in the Butterfield Burmuda Championship last fall. However, it is clear playing in the Palmetto State in front of a home crowd is special.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

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BIIF golf: Sailer challenged at U.S. Open qualifier

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KAILUA-KONA — For many youth golfers, competing with peers in their age group can be plenty of a challenge. But for Hawaii Preparatory Academy star player Anna Sailer, she wanted more.

The German exchange student played in the 36-hole U.S. Open women’s qualifier on April 16 at the Village Course at Waikoloa, finishing with a 77 in the first 18 holes and a 79 on the back round. Sailer’s score totaled 156 (+12), placing No. 28 overall among the professionals that she went up against.

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Sailer told West Hawaii Today that it was her second professional tournament across her eight years of playing — the other was in a Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) tourament in Switzerland. However, she noted that the competition field was much tougher this time.

“(Playing in the qualifier) was an amazing learning experience,” Sailer said. “I’ve never been in a compeitive field with players like Anne Van Dam (Netherlands).”

While only one player and two alternates qualified for the U.S. Open from May 30 to June 2 in Lancaster, Pa. — Japan’s Yuka Nii, Van Dam (Alternate No. 1) and Japan’s Risa Murata (Alternate No. 2) — Sailer explained that she learned multiple valuable lessons to apply to her game going forward. Perhaps the most important one she took away was keeping a positive mindset when recovering from bad strokes.

“Even though I played very solid in the first round, I did have a few bad shots that got me into trouble,” Sailer said. “But reminding myself that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience helped a lot.

“Since bad shots will occur in every round, I just have to learn how to deal with them in the best way possible.”

Sailer also noted that keeping this mindset from the qualifier will serve her well for the rest of her prep season at HPA. During this Big Island Interscholastic Federation’s (BIIF) golf season, Sailer won the individual title in the girls field with an average score of 77.1 — being the only girls golfer on the isle with an average of under 80. She will be the BIIF’s No. 1 golfer next month at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association’s (HHSAA) David S. Ishii Foundation Girls Golf Championships at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course on Oahu.

While Sailer is only in the state for a semester, she is grateful for her playing experiences on the Big Isle, expressing that each tournament has helped her get better.

“I am excited for (the state tournament) and I will never forget the experiences I got to have and the lessons I learned,” she said. “The golf courses here are truly beautiful and in such amazing condition, and they are so much fun to play.

“My appreciation for this opportunity and the island are immense, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Ka Makani head coach Ken Zecchini is appreciative of Sailer’s presence on the island this season, explaining that she is a great player and even better person.

“Anna is patient and willing to work with the young people learning the game,” he said.

“She has excellent fundamentals, never gives up on a hole and emphasizes that golf is a game is supposed to be fun.”

Sailer will conclude her Hawaii golf career at the state tournament from May 7-8. Please see the paper in the near future to read Sailer’s and the rest of the isle’s golfers’ results.

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More Money Is Being Handed out in Golf, Again, But There Are Still No Winners

Bob Harig explores the report of PGA Tour equity shares being awarded, some Ryder Cup eligibility news and a tour gets OWGR points (but not that one).

• Author: Bob Harig

You know the plot has been lost—if it hadn’t already occurred long ago—when the social media warriors mocked Rory McIlroy after it was reported he will receive “only” $50 million in the PGA Tour’s equity share plan, while his buddy, Tyrrell Hatton, got $65 million up front from LIV Golf.

Never mind that McIlroy was to receive $27 million in Player Impact Program bonus money the last two years as well as numerous other tour-guided endorsement opportunities.

The fact that anyone on the sideline is claiming “victory” over all of this is beyond comical at this point.

Professional golfers, especially star players, are being rewarded at record levels, some of it overdue, but a good bit of it unsustainable in a commercial world that is still grappling with niche sports status and a divided game.

LIV Golf doesn’t come close to paying its way and almost assuredly never will without big changes. The PGA Tour is asking its nonprofit charitable host organizations to dip into the till to pay future purses to try and keep up. And now the new PGA Tour Enterprises is pledging approximately $930 million to be distributed to 193 players as part of a vesting program that will take eight years.

As part of that program, which was first announced in February , the Tour last week began sending correspondence to players spelling out how much of the loot they are expected to receive. The Telegraph first reported that Tiger Woods is down for $100 million, McIlroy $50 million and players such as Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth for $30 million.

Who knows if those figures are accurate, and it’s hard to believe anyone will publicly confirm them. But it’s all on paper anyway, as this money is not sitting in a vast pot waiting to be scooped up in four, six or eight years’ time.

The initial $1.5 billion in investment from the Strategic Sports Group that landed in the PGA Tour Enterprises account in late January is not earmarked for the players, contrary to numerous reports. The $930 million is based on a PGA Tour Enterprises valuation in excess of $12 billion. The SSG money is meant to be used by the Tour to grow the business, or, to bring back the kind of return that will allow for those massive pay days down the road.

That is the multi-billion-dollar question.

It doesn’t take a financial wizard to see that getting that kind of return on the existing business model of the PGA Tour is far-fetched. PGA Tour events, most of which are non-profit anyway and give their proceeds to charity, make millions not billions. And hitting them up is just a small piece of the plan.

There has to be something else, something bigger and more lucrative.

Buying the DP World Tour’s rights to the Ryder Cup would be one potential avenue for PGA Tour Enterprises. The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have a working alliance and a purchase of that could come with a windfall that props up the struggling DP World Tour for years. Getting its hands on the Ryder Cup would finally give the PGA Tour a bigger piece of a huge asset, and along with the Presidents Cup, potentially bring in significant revenue.

Beyond that?

Well, that’s where golf fans should really be focused.

All of this money talk hasn’t exactly left the game in a great place. The idea of “unification” first broached nearly a year ago with the controversial and secret “framework agreement” has yet to even see all of the parties meet in the same room.

McIlroy, who captured his 25th PGA Tour title on Sunday when he won the Zurich Classic with partner Shane Lowry, resigned his spot as a player director on the PGA Tour policy board last November and is now talking about returning to that role , in theory, to knock some heads together and see about getting something done.

Because the game is divided—no matter what you think of LIV Golf or the PGA Tour or both—is not good. And thinking it is going back to the old way, and thus, being bitter toward those who have a role in this current climate, is also not productive.

Getting there, of course, is complicated. There have been rumblings that LIV Golf is perfectly content to operate separate from the PGA Tour. And LIV is planning for the future, with no signs that is conceding. If so, how does that bring the game back together?

Without changes, there is no way for players to compete on both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. McIlroy’s idea for a Champions League-type series of golf events beyond the existing tours is intriguing, but again, how will it work? Who would qualify? When would the events be played? Would any of them count as PGA Tour or LIV events?

A deal with the PIF, in theory, would only enhance PGA Tour Enterprises and allow for some investment into some of these ideas. But getting there remains a long journey.

In the interim, the greater golf world is getting more annoyed by all the money talk. Nobody wants to hear that already well-compensated golfers are going to cash in even more. Meanwhile, TV ratings of PGA Tour events, even the Masters , are down, and fans aren’t exactly switching over to watch LIV in droves.

It's a game-wide problem that could use some serious attention. And soon.

A path to the Ryder Cup

When Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton signed with LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy was quick to say that the rules need to be amended to allow them to play for Europe in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

But as new DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings said last week that is not necessary.

Those players are already eligible under the current rules—although the qualification process for next year’s matches has yet to begin.

“If you look at what the qualification/eligibility criteria was for 2023, then I think there has been a slight misconception because the reality is under the current rules, if a player is European and is a member of the DP World Tour and abides by the rules as they currently are—so, if you don’t get a release, there are sanctions and if you accept those sanctions and take those penalties and work with that —there is no reason why players who’ve taken LIV membership but maintain membership with the DP World Tour could not a) qualify or b) be available for selection,” Kinnings said in a media session with UK and Irish golf writers.

Jon Rahm (left) and Tyrrell Hatton are with LIV Golf but may not be out of the picture for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports

Rahm and Hatton will face a one-event suspension and fine for playing in the LIV Adelaide event. A similar scenario exists for this week’s LIV Singapore event. Both are up against DP World Tour events, thus requiring a release.

But according to Kinnings, as long as the players pay the undisclosed fine and serve a one-tournament suspension—even if they were not planning to play a DP World Tour event—they will be eligible, provided the meet the criteria of playing in four DP World Tour events this season.

“It’s not a loophole,” Kinnings said. “That’s the rules we’ve always had and those are the rules we are going to continue to apply. They have been tested and, if everyone applies and follows those rules as they are ... ”

Asked how a player can be suspended from an event they were not planning to play, Kinnings said: “Because rules are rules. Rules are for all of the membership and it’s important for people to know how those apply and they apply to every member.”

LIV Golf has yet to announce the final two events of its schedule but it is expected to conclude the weekend of Sept. 20-22—which is when the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship is contested.

That means Rahm and Hatton would likely need to play a few events prior to that time because they’ll get one-event suspensions for missing that week, thus possibly knocking Rahm out of a tournament in Madrid. The British Masters and European Masters proceed LIV’s final two events.

Following LIV’s season-ending event are tournaments in Spain, France and Scotland.

A 54-hole tour gets OWGR accreditation

During another point in time, the Official World Golf Ranking announcement that it was accrediting the Clutch Pro Tour beginning this week would have barely been noticed.

There are now 25 tours around the world that are getting OWGR points, and you’d probably be hard-pressed to know a single player competing on the Clutch Pro Tour unless he is a family member or acquaintance.

But in the era of the LIV Golf League—which has quite publicly lamented its lack of accreditation and subsequently withdrew its application—any tour stepping up to get entry into the system at least brings a bit of curiosity.

The Clutch Pro Tour is in its fifth season based in the United Kingdom as a developmental tour or feeder tour to the Challenge Tour, which subsequently allows access to the DP World Tour.

Also referred to as the Mizuno Next Gen Series, the tour has a 17-event schedule in 2024.

What is interesting is how the OWGR seemingly went out of its way to highlight aspects of the Tour that have been sticking points for LIV Golf, including the 54-hole format—which, ultimately, has never been a deal-breaker for LIV.

“The Clutch Pro Tour provides access to its official tournaments, conducted over 54 holes with a 36-hole cut, via its 2024 qualifying series held in the UAE and, for its 2025 season, an annual open qualifying school,” the OWGR said in a statement announcing the accreditation. “It also provides local and regional players opportunities, culminating with a no-cut, season-ending Championship. As such, the Clutch Pro Tour is in keeping with long-standing OWGR Eligibility and Format Criteria.”

The OWGR also noted that the process took 17 months in which the “Tour worked continuously toward the standards required to become eligible.”

LIV Golf officially applied for accreditation in July 2022. Its bid was rejected in October 2023, with OWGR chairman Peter Dawson—the former head of the R&A—basically saying that the closed nature of the league and its small relegation and promotion were the main problems.

“We are not at war with them,” Dawson said in an interview with the Associated Press at the time. “This decision to make them eligible is not political. It is entirely technical. LIV players are self-evidently good enough to be ranked. They’re just not playing a format where they can be ranked equitable with the other (now 25) tours and thousands of players who compete on them.”

How much interaction between LIV and the OWGR there was over this was up for debate and speculation. The bid was denied before LIV Golf played its first promotions event, one that saw three players and the winner of the International Series Order of Merit get promoted—with four LIV players being relegated off the tour.

This year, LIV added a new four-man team for Jon Rahm as well as two “wildcard” players to bring its total from 48 players to 54. But aside from injury, it is the same field every week.

It remains puzzling, however, why LIV Golf would rescind its bid and not try and work with OWGR to fix issues to help comply. OWGR went out of its way to say it did the very thing with the Clutch Tour. Both sides should figure this out, because it doesn’t appear the majors will offer access via LIV’s points list.

“I think it will be difficult to establish any type of point system that has any connection to the rest of the world of golf because they're basically, not totally, but for the most part, a closed shop,” Masters chairman Fred Ridley said of the LIV Golf League structure when asked about LIV getting direct spots in future Masters. “There is some relegation, but not very much. It all really depends on what new players they sign.

“Those concerns were expressed by the OWGR, but I don't think that that prevents us from giving subjective consideration based on talent, based on performance to those players.”

Ridley singled out Joaquin Niemann, who was given a special invitation, having won the Australian Open and posted high finishes at the Australian PGA and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. He said nothing about Talor Gooch, whose three LIV Golf League wins last year and individual player title, apparently carried little weight.

The PGA Championship is in two weeks and it is expected to announce those who receive exemptions next week. Typically—although not officially—it issues spots to those otherwise not exempt via the top 100 OWGR. A majority of the field finds its way into the tournament through a top-70 year-long PGA Tour points list and PGA Tour victories.

Niemann has already been extended an invitation and Tyrrell Hatton, who remains a top-20 player, finished among the top 15 last year so he is already exempt. Defending champion Brooks Koepka as well as past major champions Johnson, DeChambeau, Cam Smith and Phil Mickelson are also in the field.

LIV players Adrian Meronk, Lucas Herbert and Patrick Reed would also be in line for exemptions, if the PGA continues to invite those in the top 100.

David Puig will be an interesting case. The Spaniard who plays for LIV was 104th going into the weekend. He has risen to that point from 239th at the end of the year, having won twice on the Asian Tour as well as a fifth-place finish at the recent Saudi Open.

LIV Golf’s success Down Under ... and other notes

There is no denying the passion for golf in Australia. For the second year, the LIV Golf Adelaide event delivered, with boisterous crowds, an enhanced party hole and even more spectators than last year. Various media reports put Sunday’s final tally at 35,000 spectators and LIV Golf announced more than 94,000 for the week.

The tournament got an added bonuses of the first-ever team playoff and it included the Australian team captained by Cam Smith. He and Marc Leishman of Ripper GC took on Louis Oosthuizen and Dean Burmester from the all-South African team Stinger GC and went two holes in a sudden-death playoff with both scores counting. The atmosphere was quite lively, as spectators cheered, for example, when Burmester left a shot in a bunker. And the Aussies won to the delirious delight of the Australian fans.

Brendan Steele got his first LIV Golf win in Australia.

Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Brendan Steele got his first individual victory and his HyFlyers team captained by Phil Mickelson got a third-place finish and a first time on the podium (only the top three teams share in team prize money). All in all, it appeared a rousing success and makes you wonder if LIV Golf should schedule more than one event for Australia.

Greg Norman, the Aussie legend and LIV Golf commissioner, couldn’t help himself afterward. In an interview with Australian Golf Digest , the two-time major winner who has long sought to bring more meaningful golf to his homeland, took a victory lap.

“Vindication is not the right word,” Norman told the publication, before pausing. “It’s the ignorance of others who simply didn’t understand what we were trying to do. I actually feel sorry for them because they now see the true value of LIV Golf and want to be a part of it.”

The Shark might have gotten caught up in the moment.

“The support Australia gave me during my own playing career for decades was something I have never forgotten,” Norman said. “It’s why I brought LIV Golf back home—I did it for them. The people have well and truly spoken. Both individual and team golf is alive and well in Australia and they deserve it. I knew they would support this event.

“I’m feeling extremely proud right now. With what we’ve (LIV Golf) gone through over the past 16 months, both as a league and what I’ve copped personally ... the hatred ... this makes it all worthwhile.”

Some of the vitriol toward Norman is not likely to subside. To many, he’s viewed as the person who divided the game—even if it is far more complicated than that. But Norman did deliver on his idea in his homeland, and he told Australian Golf Digest that he’s looking to bring the concept to other places, such as South Africa. Next up is this week’s event in Singapore.

And a few more things ...

Rory McIlroy was credited with his 25th PGA Tour victory after winning the Zurich Classic with Shane Lowry . And he’s entered some rare air among all-time PGA Tour winners. That tied him with Johnny Miller at 23rd all time along with Tommy Armour and Macdonald Smith . He’s one behind Henry Picard . The victory moved McIlroy past Dustin Johnson , who now plays for LIV Golf. The only active PGA Tour player ahead of McIlroy is Tiger Woods (82). Phil Mickelson (45), Tom Watson (39) and  Vijay Singh (34) are the only players ahead of McIlroy whom he would have competed against. ... Not surprisingly, Scottie Scheffler is not in his hometown Byron Nelson event this week as he awaits the birth of his first child. The tournament has just four of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking. ... A big stretch awaits as the Wells Fargo Championship, a signature event, follows and then the PGA Championship. Last year, Scheffler skipped Quail Hollow. ... The Byron Nelson is the cutoff for the PGA Championship’s 70-player points list that began the week prior to last year’s PGA Championship. The tournament can go beyond 70 to fill out its field and traditionally also invites the top 100 OWGR who are not otherwise exempt. ... LIV Golf reaches the halfway point of its 14-event schedule when it returns to Singapore and Sentosa Golf Club this week. ... The PGA Championship begins in 17 days.

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Hannah Green wins JM Eagle LA Championship for 2nd straight year

Ioa championship presented by morongo casino resort & spa tools of a winner: juliana hung.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Green won LPGA Tour's JM Eagle LA Championship for the second straight year Sunday, holing out twice from off the greens in a pivotal back-nine stretch at challenging Wilshire Country Club.

A year after making a 25-foot birdie on the final hole of regulation and winning on the second hole of a playoff, Green — with help from Maja Stark — took the late drama out of this one for her fifth LPGA Tour victory and second of the year.

"It wasn't as a eventful as the last couple days. I was nervous," Green said. "And I've never been able to win having a lead into the last hole like that, so it is nice to be able to get it done earlier in the round."

Green closed with a 5-under 66 to beat Stark by three strokes. The 27-year-old Australian, also the winner early last month in Singapore, finished at 12-under 272 on the tree-lined layout with poa annua greens that become bumpy late in the day.

"It's really kind to me," Green said about the course. "I felt like a couple times today almost got like a member bounce. I, obviously, really am fond of the golf club and joked that they didn't approve it with me that they were making alterations. I love it here."

Green began the key run with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 12th and made a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 13th. Then, after Stark bogeyed the par-4 16th two groups ahead, Green ran in a 25-footer for eagle from the fringe on 15 to open a four-stroke lead, and made it 5 under in five holes with a birdie on 16.

"When I chipped in on 12 I kind of felt like I really snagged one there," Green said. "I really like the 13th hole and also played the 15th really well. When I made eagle on 15 that kind of sealed the deal. I did see Maja got it to 9 under so I know what I needed to do. Usually, I make it really tricky on myself and only win by a shot."

Stark finished with a 68, rebounding from the bogey on 16 to birdie the final two holes. The 24-year-old Swede also finished second last week outside Houston in The Chevron Championship, two strokes behind top-ranked Nelly Korda in the first major of the year.

"I'm really proud of the way I've played," Stark said. "I feel like I've hit a lot of good shots and I feel like my nerves kind of took over for a little while, but I was always able to get back to the normal — my normal state of mind."

Haeran Ryu (69) was third at 6 under, followed by fellow South Korean players Jin Young Ko (67) and Jin Hee Im (72) at 5 under.

Grace Kim, four strokes ahead entering weekend after opening rounds of 64 and 66 and tied with Green for the lead after a third-round 76, finished with a 77 to tie for 25th at 1 under. She failed to make a birdie the final two days.

Korda withdrew from the Los Angeles event Monday, a day after her record-tying fifth straight victory.

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Hannah Green won the JM Eagle LA Championship for the second straight year.

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