By Mathieu Wood
Opening doors to new challenges is a fundamental element of sport at the elite level. Paul Waring did just that with his Rolex Series victory in Abu Dhabi on Sunday and others will hope to do so this week at the DP World Tour Championship.
With his two-shot victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Waring propelled himself from just inside the top 50 on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex to fifth and with it guaranteed himself status stateside in 2025.
At 39, it is a life-changing moment in his career. Six years on from winning the Nordea Masters in Sweden, he is a winner again on the DP World Tour, where he has competed since 2008.
As part of the Strategic Alliance between the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, Waring now lies third on the list of ten players (not otherwise exempt) who are projected to hold status on both tours.
Ahead of him are Thriston Lawrence and Rasmus Højgaard, while Niklas Nørgaard, Matteo Manassero and Jesper Svensson are all in strong positions on the Race to Dubai and appear set to ensure they can play on the PGA TOUR while still enjoying the flexibility to play on the DP World Tour.
· To view the current Race to Dubai Rankings, click here.
Here, we take a look at the eight players - representing six nationalities - on the bubble to gain dual membership ahead of the DP World Tour season climax.
Thorbjørn Olesen
Race to Dubai Ranking: 12th (seventh on the list of non-exempt players)
The Dane is on track to capitalise on this pathway for the second season in a row, having finished ninth on the Race to Dubai last year. His victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in January saw him win on the DP World Tour for a third consecutive season. He then focused his attention on playing on the PGA TOUR but was unable to produce his best form, missing five cuts out of 11 starts outside the Majors and the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open as he went on to lose his playing privileges. However, since returning to more familiar ground he has recorded some eye-catching results. His tie for third at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship was his third consecutive top ten on the DP World Tour and propelled him six places up on the Race to Dubai to put him in a strong position with one week to play.
Rikuya Hoshino
Race to Dubai Ranking: 12th (eighth on the list of non-exempt players)
The Japanese won his first DP World Tour title at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in February, after finishing runner-up over back-to-back weeks in Australia earlier in the season. That fast start to the season has ensured his lofty status on the Race to Dubai, but he has shown his talent since with top ten finishes at the BMW International Open, Omega European Masters and Genesis Championship. Ahead of his DP World Tour Championship debut, the 28-year-old appears set to emulate countryman and 2023 success story Ryo Hisatsune in earning dual membership via this method.
Sebastian Söderberg
Race to Dubai Ranking: 15th (ninth on the list of non-exempt players)
With three top five finishes in as many starts, the Swede topped the Asian Swing standings earlier in the campaign. That earned him a debut appearance at the US PGA Championship, where he went on to make a hole-in-one at Valhalla. He then marginally missed out on winning his second DP World Tour title on home soil at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed. A back injury then saw him miss three months of the season, before finishing tied 12th at the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club – the scene of his maiden Tour win. While his final round 73 in Abu Dhabi on Sunday will have been a setback, he still comes into the season finale with a good chance of realising his objective.
Jordan Smith
Race to Dubai Ranking: 17th (tenth on the list of non-exempt players)
The man with the target on his back, Smith comes into the week on a run of three top 15 results, with a final-round 63 in Abu Dhabi doing his chances no harm. In truth, his form has been consistent since the start of the Back 9 at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. In his last eight starts the two-time DP World Tour winner has only finished outside the top 20 once, with a tie for fourth his best result at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters last month.
Tom McKibbin
Race to Dubai Ranking: 18th (11th on the list of non-exempt players)
The Northern Irishman is currently the best placed of those looking in from the outside. In just his second season on the DP World Tour, he has been a consistent presence towards the top of leaderboards with nine top tens – a feat bettered only by Lawrence. He made his first start in a Major at the U.S. Open in June, before following that up with his Open debut a month later at Royal Troon. Still just 21 years old, there can be no doubting his talent and it would be fascinating to see how he would fare should he join fellow Holywood player Rory McIlroy on the PGA TOUR next year. He has finished in the top ten in his last two Rolex Series events, and one would suspect that another would be enough to accelerate his development.
Guido Migliozzi
Race to Dubai Ranking: 19th (12th on the list of non-exempt players)
Returned to the DP World Tour winner’s circle with his play-off victory at the KLM Open in June during a rich vein of form earlier this season that started with a runner-up finish in China. Since capturing his fourth DP World Tour title, he has had two top tens with the most recent of those coming in South Korea. The Italian is a charismatic talent known for his shot making and will be hoping he can finish the season strong and join countryman and good friend Manassero stateside next year.
Romain Langasque
Race to Dubai Ranking: 20th (13th on the list of non-exempt players)
France has enjoyed a stellar season on the DP World Tour, with three players entering the winner's circle. While Langasque is not one of those, he enters the final week of the season as the top-ranked player from his nation on the Race to Dubai. His campaign is highlighted by two runner-up finishes in Belgium and Denmark. A repeat or better of his tied 11th finish over the Earth Course last year would help his cause.
Julien Guerrier
Race to Dubai Ranking: 22th (14th on the list of non-exempt players)
One of the three aforementioned French players to have made their breakthrough on the DP World Tour. His nine-hole play-off victory over Jorge Campillo in Spain last month equalled a record and offered him this unexpected opportunity over the closing weeks of the season. At 39, he is the third oldest winner on the DP World Tour this season after Marcel Siem and Waring. He wasn't able to produce his best at Yas Links last week but the World Number 121 is no doubt viewing this as a no lose, everything to gain scenario.
