Justin Rose may be sitting pretty at fifth in the Race to Dubai but he will sparing a thought for those 100 places below him at this week's UBS Hong Kong Open.
The event at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling provides the final chance for players to battle their way into the top 110 of the rankings and secure their European Tour playing privileges for next season.
Those outside the top 110 will have to go to the Qualifying School, something Rose did in 1999 and 2000, and the 35 year old admits the pressure is just as great in that setting as it is in Major Championships.
"They are very unique tests. Q-School is brutal, really, it is," he said.
"It's relentless in the sense that you've got guys go through stage one, stage two, and finally, what is it, 14 rounds of golf, and you can't really have a bad day. You can have an average day but you can't have a bad day. Pressure is on and you have to keep your level up.
"There's an opportunity and I think that's the way you have to look at it. It's an opportunity to get your Tour card and an opportunity to fulfil your dream of getting on Tour.
"I think that's the way I choose to look at it rather than life or death, because there is always next year but that's a long year to wait. Just try and seize the opportunity."
Rose certainly made the most of his opportunity, going on to win the Order of Merit in 2007 and then the US Open Championship in 2013. His last European Tour win came at last season's Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and since then he has also finished in the top ten of three of this term's Major Championships.
That form has not only seen him move into contention in the Race to Dubai but also to seventh in the World Rankings, and Rose is hoping that sort of consistency can serve him well as the season heads into the Final Series.
"I feel like my game is probably in better shape arriving this year than what it was in years past," he said. "So you know, pretty optimistic about playing well.
"I think consistency has been probably a key word for the year. Played well in the Majors which I was very happy about. Florida Swing didn't go very well at all but began to play well in April.
"I kind of built my year around April to September. That's all the Majors. Did a good job of really playing well in pretty much every event I did for that spell.
"I would say I was unlucky. I came up against great performances. Jordan (Spieth) was incredible at Augusta. Jason Day was incredible. You know, record-breaking performances. But I don't sort of dwell on it at all.
I'm exblockquoted at how I played in the Majors, and I feel like if I can keep that level up the next few years, hopefully the door will open once more - Justin Rose
He added: "Now it's about turning my attention to The Race to Dubai and finishing strong and trying to make the Christmas turkey taste as good as possible."
Rose was speaking in downtown Hong Kong on his first visit to the event since 2011 and was enjoying the unique atmosphere that Hong Kong brings to The European Tour International Schedule.
"Any time you sort of bring golf into sort of the city-type environment, it always creates a bit more of an energy," he said. "It's fun. It's nice to showcase golf in a different way, sort of doing the urban golf thing.
"I think it's a cool addition to the tournament."
