Road to the DP World Tour

On Friday, the most grueling test in golf will begin at DP World Tour Q-school. 108 holes will be played over six days to determine the top-20 (and ties) that earn DP World Tour status. It is the only tournament or Q-school (that I know) played on an OWGR-sanctioned Tour that is six rounds. 

‍Recognizable Names

‍Eddie Pepperell- The two-time DP World Tour winner is back at Q-school since his only other trip in 2016. The always entertaining and honest Pepperell struggled this year on DP, finishing six spots out of keeping his fully exempt card for next season. 

‍Chris Wood- It doesn't seem that long ago that the lanky Englishman was 22nd in the world. His third win came at the DP World Tour's signature event, the BMW Championship, and at only 28-years-old at the time, Wood was headed for a long and successful career. Later that year, he made the European Ryder Cup team, but since then, the story has been many injuries and missed cuts. Now ranked 1339th in the world, Wood made eight of 13 cuts on the Challenge Tour, and finished 124th on the Order of Merit. 

‍Tom Lewis- In 2011, Lewis shot an opening round 65 at the Open Championship to set the record for the lowest round by an amateur in the event's history. He was the co-leader after the first round and finished 30th. His pro career has been full of numerous highs and lows. After a win in 2011, he struggled and lost his card in 2016 before getting it back at Q-school. He won again in 2018 but finds himself back at Q-school for the third year in a row. 

‍Oliver Wilson- The 44-year-old and 2008 Ryder Cup member finds himself back at Q-school for the first time since 2018. This year, he made 13 of 25 cuts but finished 137th on the Order of Merit. 

‍Steven Gallacher- The four-time DP World Tour winner just turned 50, but his desire to play is still there. The Scotsman played 22 events this season, making just seven cuts. If he can earn exempt status back, he will have a chance to reach 700 career starts in 2026. He currently stands at 663. 

‍Most Wins

‍Gonzalo Fdez-Castano- Seven. The Spaniard has 337 career starts on the DP World Tour, along with 111 on the PGA Tour. His last win came at the 2013 BWM Championship at Wentworth. 

‍Highest Ranked

‍Matthew Southgate- 296th. The 36-year-old Englishman turned pro in 2010 and has 282 career DP World Tour events with four runner-ups. 

‍All Name Team

‍Alfie Plant- The Englishman has two Challenge Tour wins.

‍Jonathan Broomhead- Sadly, he doesn't use a long putter

‍Tiger- Well, not that one. This is German Tiger Christensen, who had an outstanding career at the University of Arizona before turning pro. 

‍Red, White, and Blue

A total of 20 Americans are in the 156-player field. Over 200 Americans teed it up in the first stage, a trend that we will see continue to grow. Here is some quick insight on a few of them. 

‍Gavin Hall—After an impressive college career at the University of Texas, Hall struggled as a pro battling a multiple injuries and his progress slowed. However, over the last few years he has started to win a lot of mini-tour events, so it isn't surprising to see him at final stage. 

‍Ryggs Johnston- The former Arizona State standout (both on the course and in the classroom) turned pro after a stellar 2024 season with the Sun Devils. He earned a management degree and multiple academic awards in Tempe. He advanced to final stage with a stellar final two rounds at second stage, where he moved up more than 30 spots. 

‍Taylor Funk- The son of eight-time PGA Tour winner Fred Funk, Taylor nearly quit the game just a few months ago. A visit to his swing coach helped straighten his swing and led to his resurgence. This is his first trip to final stage. 

‍Nick Carlson- The former substitute teacher, delivery driver, and assistant college golf coach won a Next Tour event for $50,000 in May, and quit all his jobs the next day. It was the first time he could afford to play full-time, and as he was out of money again, he found himself at the final stage with the opportunity of a lifetime. 

‍Scott Stevens- If you are a Bryan Brothers YouTube fan, you know Scott as “Cardboard.” The University of South Carolina alum held Korn Ferry Tour status in 2023 and now looks to earn a DP World Tour card. 

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