An emotional Lucas Bjerregaard secured his best European Tour result for three years as a tie for second at the 2021 Portugal Masters ensured he will keep his card for 2022.
The Dane won at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Club in 2017 and followed that up with a victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship the following year before famously defeating Tiger Woods en route to the semi-finals of the 2019 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
But after just one top ten in the last two and a half years, he entered this week 136th in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, with just two events remaining to get into the top 122 and maintain his playing privileges.
He started the final round at an event where he did not feel he was playing well four shots off the lead and made a birdie birdie finish in a 66 to get into a share of second and move up to 100th in the Rankings.
"It’s never meant as much to me," he said fighting back the tears. "I haven’t felt comfortable all week but I did what I came here to do. Even though I didn’t feel like I’d played very well. That kind of sunk in with that putt on the last.
"This week I didn’t even have to say anything to my caddie but I could sense it was him and I against everyone.
"I didn’t feel like I’d played well at any stage really. I felt like it could all go wrong. But I found a way and hit a terrible drive on 18, but a great recovery out of the bunker. To make that putt was pretty good.
"I wanted to go out there and try and win, if I did that it would take care of everything. I got off to a good start, played alright.
"Didn’t make birdie on 12, didn’t birdie 15, then bogeyed 16. A couple of birdies there - a par on 16 and everything would have looked very different."
Countryman Nicolai Højgaard had no concerns over his playing privileges after his victory at the 2021 DS Automobiles Italian Open but was left disappointed after finishing alongside Bjerregaard at 17 under.
The 20-year-old shared the lead after birdies on the 16th and 17th but bogeyed the last and finished two shots behind Thomas Pieters after carding the lowest round of the day with a 64.
"It’s been good fun," he said. "It was a good ride on the back and the front nine as well. It’s tough right now, I’m so disappointed with my finish.
"It’s kind of hard right now to see the positives but I played some really good golf today and I’m proud of that. But I’m not satisfied with the finish.
"I’m pretty sure I’m going to win at least one more time, a few times, in the next few years.
"I’m just disappointed; when you have the chance to close out a tournament and put some pressure on the guys behind and then you don’t do that, it’s tough sometimes. But there’s many positives and I’m happy."
