It’s one of the longest and most intense weeks in golf… but for a host of big names, their hopes of a DP World Tour card for next season are over as Q School nears its dramatic finale.
Since 1976, the DP World Tour Q School has provided a pathway for golfers from around the world to secure a seat at Europe’s top table.
With future livelihoods on the line and just 20 cards up for grabs, the Q School is one of the most pressurized and competitive events in golf.
Just to be in with a chance of playing for the privilege, players who are not otherwise exempt had to come through two 72-hole stages to earn themselves a place in the 156-man field for the final stage in Spain.
There, the field has already faced a grueling four rounds across the Lakes and Hills Courses at Infinitum Golf Resort, near Taragona.
With two rounds of the marathon week left to play, just 60 players remain, with a host of big names packing their bags and making their way home to plan for a season without privileges on Europe’s premier tour.
Englishmen Oliver Wilson and Chris Wood, the only former Ryder Cup players who teed it up in Spain, are both leaving early.
Wilson, who played for Nick Faldo’s side in the defeat at Valhalla in 2008, will be kicking himself after a third-round 78 (+6) cost him a spot, with the two-time DP World Tour winner finishing at three-over, nine shots outside the cut.
Wood, who was part of Darren Clark’s team at Hazeltine in 2016, is a three-time DP World Tour winner, including the flagship BMW PGA Championship, but he fell one shot short of making it through. The 37-year-old, who battled back from an opening round of 74 (+2), was on track to progress after 66 holes, before following a bogey with a double to leave himself with too much to do.
Fellow Englishman Matthew Southgate, who regained his card via Q School just months after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer in 2015, couldn’t repeat the feat. The 37-year-old, who was T6 at the 2017 Open Championship, withdrew after two rounds after opening 74-75 to sit six-over.
Yannik Paul, who came close to qualifying for the 2023 Ryder Cup team, is also out. The German, who won the 2022 Mallorca Golf Open, will rue a nightmare 76 in his third round as he missed out by a single shot.
Seven-time DP World Tour winner Gonzalo Fernandez-Costano also heads home, failing to build on an opening 70 (-1) to sit six shots shy, as does Lucas Bjerregaard – the man who beat Tiger Woods and reigning Open champion Tiger Woods at the 2019 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
The Dane was seen as one of golf’s brightest prospects when he won the Portugal Masters in 2017 before seeing off Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton to lift the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2018, only missing out on victory at that year’s Omega European Masters with a playoff defeat to Matt Fitzpatrick.
But enough of the doom and gloom. There are plenty of big names still vying for one of the 20 cards across the final two days.
Zander Lombard (pictured above) will have to make some serious errors if he’s not to take one of them. The South African has gone 64-69-67-64 to lead by six shots from Connor McKinney.
Shubhankar Sharma, who has two DP World Tour wins, sits in a tie for 6th at 14-under, with big-hitting Adri Arnaus, who won the 2022 Catalunya Championship, in a tie for 18th at 11-under.
South Africa’s George Coetzee is in a tie for 22nd as he looks to regain his card and add to his four DP World Tour wins. Among those he’s tied with is Eddie Pepperell. The Englishman broke his phone and a new putter as he battled to come through the second stage of Q School to reach Infinitum, and the former Qatar Masters and British Masters winner, who hosts the hugely popular Chipping Forecast podcast, will be hoping there’s good news for listeners in the next episode.
Scotland’s Marc Warren, who’s just one start away from joining the DP World Tour’s ‘500 Club’, has given himself a great chance of grabbing a card. He’s T43 at seven-under, just three shots outside the top 20, as is four-time DP World Tour winner David Horsey
They’re joined by Luis Masaveu. The Spaniard was dumped from Sergio Garcia’s LIV Golf team – Fireballs GC – earlier this year in favor of Jose Luis Ballester and is hoping to gain a card in his homeland.
Those who finish inside the top 20 will receive Category 18 playing privileges for the 2026 DP World Tour season along with fully exempt status on the HotelPlanner Tour.
You can keep track of the leaderboard as Q School reaches a conclusion, here.
