After some success for Irish women at LPGA Tour Qualifying School, the microscope shifts back to the men’s professional game as a landscape defining fortnight begins this week.
The Final Stage of DP World Tour Q-School takes place on Friday with Max Kennedy (AM), Gary Hurley and Dermot McElroy battling to be inside the top-20 and ties who qualify for Europe’s top tier in 2025.
Meanwhile, Tom McKibbin resumes his quest for a PGA Tour card as the DP World Tour Playoffs begin in Abu Dhabi as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry return to action.
DP World Tour
After taking the week off from the Genesis Championship in Korea, Tom McKibbin saw his PGA Tour destiny taken out of his hands as he fell outside the top-10 places for a card in America next season.
McKibbin was pipped by Guido Migliozzi and has now fallen to 17th on the Race to Dubai which is 11th in the race for the ten available PGA Tour cards, behind Romain Langasque by just 43 points with two events to play.
The DP World Tour playoffs begin at Yas Links at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship where Rory McIlroy arrives well placed to secure his sixth Race to Dubai crown, taking him level with Seve Ballesteros and to within two European Tour Order of Merit titles of Collin Montgomerie.
And yet, while McIlroy holds a commanding advantage at the summit of the season-long rankings, there are still statistically 36 other players in with a chance, albeit a faint one for many, of ending the season as the European Number One.
Four-time Major champion McIlroy leads the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex from Thriston Lawrence by 1,572.39 points, with Rasmus Højgaard a further 347.89 points adrift.
Shane Lowry also returns to competitive action after a well earned rest following a stretch of ten events in twelve weeks which saw him reel off seven top-13 finishes including 6th at the Open and 8th at the Tour Championship.
PGA Tour Champions
Pádraig Harrington knows he will need to make it back to back wins on the Champions Tour if he is to secure a maiden Charles Schwab Cup at this week’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club.
Harrington won the second of three playoff events a fortnight ago to revive his hopes of winning the season long rankings as he rose into 4th position.
The 53-year-old must win this week and knows he must beat Father Time and capitalise on what could be one of his best opportunities to claim the Schwab Cup title.
“Yeah, I’m getting a bit older, so I am aware that it’s not going to get easier to win the Schwab Cup,” Harrington said.
“There’s more players coming on, new players. If I have a chance, I’ll certainly be anxious to take my chance.”