It’s time for the most gruelling and arguably testing event in European golf, the six-day European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage.
Ahead of the action, we break down the field and take a deep dive into the key stats at Lumine Golf Club.
12 - The number of consecutive season’s Welshman Jamie Donaldson has played at the top tier of European Tour golf. The 2014 Ryder Cup hero will need to come through Final Stage this week if he is to extend that record for another year.
25 - The number of European Tour cards up for grabs at Lumine Golf Club.
After three qualifying stages, up to 252-holes and six rounds at Lumine, it all boils down to one thing, securing one of the 25 coveted cards for the 2020 European Tour season. For those who make it, the riches of European Tour golf await, for those who don’t, another 12 months lies ahead before the European Tour Qualifying School comes around again.
16 - Robin Sciot-Siegrist’s European Challenge Tour Ranking after the season ending Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca last week.
The Frenchman came agonisingly close to securing one of the 15 European Tour cards available via the 2019 Road to Mallorca despite starting the week in 37th position. He needed a solo runner-up result to secure graduation to the European Tour and came within a shot of doing just that, eventually finishing in a tie for second. Despite the disappointment of finishing one stroke outside the all-important top 15, that form should stand him in good stead as he takes another shot at claiming a 2020 European Tour card.
842 - A new record for the number of competitors entering European Tour Qualifying School First Stage, topping the previous high of 838 players set in 2017.
28 - Nationalities represented at Final Stage, including players from across five continents. Madalitso Muthiya will attempt to become the first Zambian player to secure a European Tour card after coming through Second Stage at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club.
11 - Kurt Kitayama’s current Race to Dubai Ranking. The American achieved the rare feat of coming through three stages of Qualifying School last year to secure his European Tour playing rights for the 2019 season. He has gone on to enjoy a stellar rookie campaign, becoming the fastest player to capture two European Tour titles when he captured the Oman Open in just his 11th start in February.
4 - European Tour victories by 2019 Qualifying School graduates Kitayama and Guido Migliozzi. Both players picked up two wins apiece by the midway point in the season, with Kitayama triumphing at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and Oman Open and the Italian tasting victory at the Belgian Knockout and Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa. With two tournaments left on the 2019 Race to Dubai those tallies could yet be extended further before the end of the season.
1 - amateur in the field at Final Stage. Bjarki Petursson will be the only player teeing it up at Lumine Golf Club who is yet to make the switch to the paid ranks. That may soon change if the Icelander can secure his card this week.
108 - The number of holes standing between the Final Stage entrants and a place on the European Tour. With six rounds over six days, Final Stage is one of the most intense tournaments in world golf.
