The agony and ecstasy of sport is set to be on display this week with plenty at stake for many of those in action at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
The tournament’s 26th edition is the last ‘regular’ event of the 2023 DP World Tour season, offering players the final opportunity to secure their playing privileges for the 2024 campaign via their Race to Dubai Ranking.
Following this week’s event in the Middle East, there is a one-week break on the schedule before the Nedbank Golf Challenge which features a 66-player field.
While the chance to tee it up at Sun City will be a source of motivation for many in action, there is also the allure of being among the top 50 available players on the Race to Dubai rankings that feature in the lucrative DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Even further up the season-long standings, there is also the question of who will earn PGA TOUR cards by finishing as the leading ten players not otherwise exempt.
Here, we summarise the key issues heading into a pivotal week of DP World Tour action…
Battle for full Tour playing privileges
Everything is set for a nail-biting week in the heat of Qatar, with the highs and lows on the DP World Tour never rarely more visible than at the final counting event for Tour cards.
After last week’s final event of the campaign on European soil, the Tour returns to the Middle East with the top 110 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex after this week retaining their membership for the 2024 season.
With six players currently counted as “in addition” to the 110, the cut off is currently 116th position.
Those who don’t get inside the top 116 most likely face a return to the Qualifying School or a season on the European Challenge Tour.
Denmark’s John Axelsen, who has missed three of his last five cuts, occupies the ‘magic’ 116th spot.
_Below is a table outlining the minimum finish required for members ranked between 117 and 145, and who in action this week, to overtake 116th position on the Race to Dubai Rankings. _
| Position | Name | Points | Minimum finish required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 117 | Marc Warren | 422.02 | 76th |
| 118 | Alfredo Garcia-Heredia | 417.01 | 64th |
| 119 | Scott Jamieson | 409.73 | 53rd |
| 120 | Daniel van Tonder | 408.63 | 52nd |
| 122 | Kazuki Higa | 397.99 | 38th |
| 123 | Jeunghun Wang | 393.62 | 33rd |
| 125 | Alex Levy | 383.76 | 26th |
| 126 | Deon Germishuys | 377.33 | 20th |
| 127 | Kristian Krogh Johannessen | 363.98 | 14th |
| 128 | Wilco Nienaber | 359.71 | 13th |
| 130 | Oliver Bekker | 353.7 | 11th |
| 131 | John Parry | 352.83 | 11th |
| 132 | David Ravetto | 347.31 | 10th |
| 134 | Darius van Driel | 342.3 | 10th |
| 135 | Justin Walters | 339.27 | 9th |
| 137 | JC Ritchie | 335.46 | 9th |
| 138 | Bryce Easton | 327.1 | 8th |
| 139 | Soren Kjeldsen | 321.86 | 8th |
| 140 | Tapio Pulkkanen | 314.81 | 7th |
| 141 | Robin Sciot-Siegrist | 307.02 | 7th |
| 142 | Mikael Lindberg | 298.9 | 6th |
| 143 | Jazz Janewattananond | 298.59 | 6th |
| 144 | Freddy Schott | 294.73 | 6th |
| 145 | Jamie Donaldson | 290.17 | 6th |
The above is an indication of the minimum requirement only and does not take into account other players’ performances this week.
Experienced Scottish pair Marc Warren and Scott Jamieson are both on the outside looking in, ranked 117th and 119th respectively.
Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia is sandwiched in between, having fallen two spots last week outside the cut-off, highlighting the fine line between success and failure.
Five-time DP World Tour winner Alexander Levy, who returned to Tour action in January following a near year-long injury enforced absence, is another notable name fighting to save his Tour card at 125th.
One spot above him is European Challenge Tour graduate Deon Germishuys, who made his Major Championship debut at the U.S. Open in June.
Søren Kjeldsen, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, John Catlin and Renato Paratore are among a host of another notable multi-time DP World Tour winners requiring a big performance to pen the dream climax to their season.
Nedbank in sight and race to Dubai hots up
But the agenda-setting nature of this time of the season is further amplified by those players vying for a place at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and ultimately the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge, the penultimate tournament on the 2023 DP World Tour schedule, will feature a 66-man field, of which the leading 60 available players from the rankings are assured to feature.
English pair Matt Wallace and Aaron Rai, ranked 62nd and 65th respectively, have both made the trip to the Middle East having played on the PGA TOUR at the Zozo Championship in Japan last week.
In-form countryman Richard Mansell is another with hopes of extending his DP World Tour campaign through to the season climax in Dubai after back-to-back top tens in Spain.
Scandinavian pair Jens Dantorp and Jeff Winther occupy the two immediate spots outside the top 50, while Nick Bachem and Richie Ramsay both made positive moves to the cusp of qualification last time out in Sotogrande.
Opportunities are there to be seized this week.
Players make push for PGA TOUR cards
As part of the strategic alliance between the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR announced in 2022, a pathway was opened for players to secure status on the PGA TOUR through their performances on the Race to Dubai.
Ten PGA TOUR cards are available to the highest-ranked players in the season-long standings who don’t already hold PGA TOUR status for finishing in the top 125 of the FedExCup Playoffs and Eligibility Points List or above.
The top finisher in the Race to Dubai who is not already exempt on the PGA TOUR will be fully exempt for the following TOUR season.
With his victory at last week’s Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, Adrian Meronk moved above Ryan Fox into that position.
The other nine DP World Tour players will start the season positioned directly above the 30 Korn Ferry Tour graduates and the top five finishers (and ties) from Q-School in the PGA TOUR Priority Ranking.
If any DP World Tour member declines PGA TOUR membership, then the next-highest ranked player from the Race to Dubai not otherwise exempt will earn PGA TOUR status.
To see who is currently in line to earn a PGA TOUR card, click HERE.
Challenge Tour graduate of the year
With just a week to go until the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca it is also important to highlight the battle to finish the campaign as the Challenge Tour Graduate of the season.
Of the 20 who earned a Tour card for this season, four have won for the first time on the DP World Tour this season emphasising the standard coming through.
Daniel Hillier, who won the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at The Belfry, is currently leading the way from the Class of 2022.
The Kiwi is 26th on the season-long standings, three places above Road to Mallorca Rankings champion Nathan Kimsey with Tom McKibbin – another winner on Tour this season – sitting 42nd.
Hillier and McKibbin are both in action this week as are SDC Championship winner Matthew Baldwin and Todd Clements, the most recent of last season’s Challenge Tour graduates to win on the DP World Tour following his breakthrough triumph at the D+D REAL Czech Masters.
