Final Stage Preview

The final stage of European Tour Q-school begins today in Spain. A total of six rounds will be played, with the 156-player field being cut to the top 70 and ties after the fourth day. The top 25 (and ties) will earn European Tour status. Below is a breakdown of the course, some notables in the field, and a link to scoring. 

The Courses

Infinitum Golf Club (Lakes and Hills)

Hills: Par 72- 6956 yards Designer: Green Project

Lakes: Par 71- 7001 yards Designer: Greg Norman

The Field‍

The player with the most European Tour wins‍

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano- The Spaniard has seven European Tour wins, the last coming in 2013. He was ranked 27th in OWGR in 2013 but currently sits at 1229th. 

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Follow the Cloud

Kiradech Aphibarnrat- The lovable multi-time European and Asian Tour winner looks to regain the form he had when he rose to 29th in the OWGR. There have been glimpses of the old game lately, including a T5 at the KLM Open this year. Here is hoping the crowd favorite plays well. 

Another Comeback

Tom Lewis- The Englishmen was one of the best amateurs in the world when he turned pro in 2011. He backed up the promise with a win in his first month as a pro, but sustained success has been fleeting. Lewis has been to Q-school multiple times in between, winning two Euro titles and the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in his first KFT start. Here is hoping another jumpstart is coming. 

Elvis Lives!

Elvis Smylie- Suspicious Minds might say this isn't the real Elvis. Well, Hound Dog, I think you might be wrong. This is the real Elvis. The lefty from Australia has played very well in his homeland, visiting Heartbreak Hotel a few times with two runner-up finishes. But with a spot in the final stage, it's Now or Never. (I'm sorry) 

The Road Back

Braden Thornberry- Thornberry was named an All-American as a freshman at the University of Mississippi and won the individual NCAA Championship as a sophomore. In his first PGA Tour start, he finished T4, but his struggles started soon after. He lost his KFT status at the end of 2022. He opened second stage with an 81 and was in third-to-last place, but played very well in the final three rounds, nabbing the final spot in a playoff and surviving. Here is to the start of the comeback. 

Be the Right Club Today

Callum McNeil- Callum is one of my favorite stories in golf. Originally from Scotland, McNeil worked at a club in Texas and worked on his game when he could. There, he met Hal Sutton, who eventually agreed to coach him and help him play pro golf under one condition: McNeil needed to quit his job at the club. He did and now heads to the final stage of Euro Q-school for the first time. 

The Lone Maple Leaf

Sebastian Szirmak- The lone Canadian in the field, Szirmak looks to gain status on a major tour for the first time in his 11-year pro career. This season, his best finish came on the Mexican Tour, where he finished T4. 

Red, White, and Blue

A total of 14 Americans will tee it up in Spain. The group includes John Caitlin, who owns three Euro Tour and four Asian Tour wins. Also included in the group are KFT members Evan Harmeling, Patrick Newcomb, and James Nicholas. 

International Flavor

A total of 30 countries will be represented at final stage including Iceland, Zimbabwe, and India. It will also include 13 players from Denmark, a country with just 150 courses and a population of just 5.8 million. 

Top Ranked

Deon Germishuys- The South African, who has a Sunshine Tour win, is the highest-ranked player in the field at 335th. 

Full Leaderboard

https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/final-stage-infinitum-golf-2023/leaderboard