Which DP World Tour members earned 2025 PGA TOUR dual membership?

By Mathieu Wood

At the end of a 44-event DP World Tour season, ten players are celebrating accessing the PGA TOUR through their performances on the Race to Dubai.

For the second year running, as part of the Strategic Alliance between both tours, the top ten players on the final Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex who were not already exempt on the PGA TOUR for 2025 earned dual membership.

The formalised pathway has proven a success, with Matthieu Pavon and Robert MacIntyre each winning PGA TOUR titles in 2024. Pavon claimed the Farmers insurance Open, while MacIntyre won the RBC Canadian Open, before going on to fulfil a lifelong goal of winning the co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open on home soil.

In addition, six of the nine players who took up PGA TOUR membership are in line to remain fully exempt for the 2025 PGA TOUR season by finishing inside the top 70 in the FedExCup standings or the top 125 in the FedExCup Fall standings.

So, while it was Rory McIlroy who was being crowned the DP World Tour Championship winner and earning his sixth Race to Dubai crown, many others also had reason for cheer.

With eight countries represented in the top ten, here’s a look at who will be playing on both the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR in 2025.

Rasmus Højgaard

· Age: 23

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 2

A year after missing out on dual membership by one place, the Dane made sure there was no repeat with a consistent campaign to ensure he will play alongside twin brother Nicolai on both tours next year. The highlight of his season came at the Amgen Irish Open when he produced a closing 65 to deny McIlroy victory in front of his home fans at Royal County Down and win his fifth DP World Tour title. But there were also seven further top tens, rounding off the campaign by nearly emulating Nicolai by winning his first Rolex Series title at the season-ending tournament in Dubai. But the runner-up finish - his second of the year - did ensure he walked away from the United Arab Emirates as the leading non exempt player on the Race to Dubai Rankings and thus claims exemptions into THE PLAYERS Championship, along with two Signature Events - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational - on the PGA TOUR.

Thriston Lawrence

· Age: 27

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 3

The South African arrived in Dubai as the only player who could deny McIlroy winning the Race to Dubai. While he was unable to achieve that, he can look back on a consistent campaign, featuring five runner-up finishes, along with an impressive fourth-place finish in The Open Championship at Royal Troon. Across his 26 starts, the four-time DP World Tour winner registered a season-high ten tops tens.

Paul Waring

· Age: 39

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 5

The career-changing impact of this pathway is perhaps best encapsulated by the Englishman. With two weeks to go in the season, the 39-year-old was ranked 48th on the Race to Dubai but with a brilliant performance transformed his outlook by winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the Rolex Series. Coming into the week, he said he felt great about his game – with four top tens across the season – and a career-best 61 in the second round to break the course record at Yas Links proved instrumental in opening doors to a new future as he went on to hold off a stellar chasing pack in the final round. Having first played on the DP World Tour in 2007, and a year on from moving to Dubai, he can prepare to test his game on a new stage stateside in 2025.

Jesper Svensson

· Age: 28

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 10

The Swede has been a revelation in his rookie season on the DP World Tour. Like Matteo Manassero, he graduated from the Challenge Tour and now finds himself with a PGA TOUR card. After runner-up finishes in South Africa and Bahrain, the 28-year-old made his DP World Tour breakthrough with a play-off victory over Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the Porsche Singapore Classic in March. He made his Major debut at the U.S. PGA Championship, with his form during the early part of the season earning him an invite from the PGA of America. Back-to-back top fives in the Czech Republic and England at the Betfred British Masters in the summer cemented his standing in the top ten list. One to watch for sure as he joins a host of fellow Scandinavians in holding status on both tours.

Niklas Nørgaard

· Age: 32

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 11

A late bloomer in his own respect, the Dane, who turned professional in 2016, has taken his game to new heights in 2024 with a breakthrough DP World Tour win at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. Prior to his win at The Belfry, his previous best finish was runner-up at the Soudal Open in Belgium earlier this year. Since his win in England, the 32-year-old has recorded four top 20s to climb into the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Third on the DP World Tour for driving distance at 322 yards, his big hitting off the tee will likely be a big attribute in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR.

Matteo Manassero

· Age: 31

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 12

Another player who exceeded his expectations in 2024. The Italian graduated from the Challenge Tour with two victories last year, but it remained to be seen how he would perform on his long-awaited return to the DP World Tour. But it has been seamless. He ended an 11-year wait for his fifth DP World Tour title at the Jonsson Workwear Open and has continued to go from strength to strength. He qualified for his first Major start in eight years at the U.S. Open and then played at The Open a month later. Back-to-back top five finishes at the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship highlighted that the Italian is back competing among the best at the top of the game.

Thorbjørn Olesen

· Age: 34

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 13

The Dane was one of the ten-strong cohort to earn dual membership status last year but was unable to produce his best on his return to the PGA TOUR and lost his playing privileges. But since returning to familiar ground, he has excelled. Having already won his eighth DP World Tour title in Ras Al Khaimah in January, the 34-year-old enjoyed a strong finish to the season with three top tens in his last four starts. A Ryder Cup winner in 2018, he has plenty of pedigree.

Antoine Rozner

· Age: 31

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 15

Rozner has been a picture of consistency during his fifth full season on the DP World Tour, making 20 cuts from 26 starts. Although he did not enter the winner's enclosure, the Frenchman took home a career best earnings in a season with over €1,700,000 thanks to seven top ten finishes. He saved his best display until last though, sharing the third-round lead with Rory McIlroy and Rasmus Højgaard at the DP World Tour Championship. He birdied the last to earn his card on the PGA TOUR and sit alongside Adam Scott and Shane Lowry in a tie for third.

Rikuya Hoshino

· Age: 28

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 16

After Ryo Hisatsune last year, another Japanese player latches on to an opportunity to further his career progressing by claiming dual membership. The six-time Japan Golf Tour winner started the season as a relative unknown on the global stage, but after back-to-back runner-up finishes in Australia, he won his first DP World Tour title in Qatar to earn wider recognition. Four top tens have since followed, with the most recent of those coming at the Genesis Championship.

Tom McKibbin

· Age: 21

· Final Race to Dubai ranking: 18

In just his second season on the DP World Tour, the Northern Irishman has been a consistent presence towards the top of leaderboards with nine top tens – a feat bettered only by Lawrence. He finished in the top ten in two of his last three Rolex Series events, only missing out on a third at the DP World Tour Championship by one place. However, a birdie at the last in the final round did see him claim the tenth and final card, finishing just over ten Race to Dubai points above the unlucky Jordan Smith. 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 will be fascinating to see how he fares having joined fellow Holywood player McIlroy on the PGA TOUR next year.