They say that things achieved with great effort taste infinitely better than those that come easily. That’s what they say. If that’s the case, then Carlos Pigem will certainly savour the glory of the Asian Tour 2026 card if he manages to finish the job this Sunday at the final of the School being held in Thailand. The man from Lleida is on the edge. There is no room for error. He delivered his third consecutive round at par this Saturday and is in 32nd place, right on the number. The top 35, without ties, will earn the card tomorrow, with a playoff if necessary. There are 18 holes left. No more. Right now, Pigem would have to play a playoff with five players for four cards. It’s as tight as it gets.
Of course, there are two ways to view Pigem’s situation. It’s up to him how he wants to interpret it. One is more negative. He started the final of the School with a magnificent five-under-par score on the first day, which placed him very close to the lead, and little by little, he has been eating away at the cushion he had until he found himself in this tight situation. It could be said that he has been losing steam, albeit very slowly.
The other way to see it, more positive and probably the most appropriate at this moment, is that he hasn’t played over par in the four days we’ve been at the School, and anyone would have signed up to be in his position when it all started back on Wednesday. After a long week, in a 90-hole tournament, you give yourself the chance to earn the card by being right on the number. He doesn’t need anything impossible. It’s not a matter of epic, at least not initially; we’ll see how the week unfolds. Realistically, a round under par should suffice, even a -1 could or should be enough. It’s very likely, though, that another par card won’t be enough, although it will depend on the playing conditions.
Pigem shot par today on the A&B course at Lake View Resort in Hua Hin. It was a round with movement. The first thing he achieved was a birdie on the 15th hole, followed by a double bogey on the 16th. First setback of the day. He recovered perfectly with two consecutive birdies on holes 1 and 2. It seemed like the round was taking off, but the battle was going to continue. Another bogey fell on the 4th, a good birdie on the 7th, and another bogey on the 8th. That’s what the School is like. You have to fight until the last moment, and Carlos knows this better than anyone and has it deeply ingrained. This is how he will face the final round this Sunday, fighting for everything to achieve the great goal of returning triumphantly to the tour where he achieved his first major victory as a professional.
Agustí Quinquilla (+3) hasn’t had the same luck as Pigem. In fact, the golfer from El Prat won’t even be able to play this Sunday to attempt a final assault on the card. He missed the cut of the top 70 and ties set after the fourth round. It wasn’t a good day. He lacked birdies. The putter, which served him so well in the lead-up, wasn’t up to the mark in this final. He made three bogeys and only one birdie and was left out. In any case, a great experience to continue growing before facing a full season with high expectations on the Alps Tour.
Beyond the Spaniards, a total of 71 players made the cut, of which only seven are European. It’s true that the vast majority are Asian and Oceanian, but the very low number of golfers from the old continent is a demonstration of how difficult it is to adapt to the different conditions, especially the grass, of the Asian courses. In fact, right now, with the card secured, there would only be one European: the Frenchman Alexis Leray, in twelfth place, tied with South African Justin Harding, one of the most prominent names in this final.
The leader of the School final with 18 holes to go is Thai Shaurya Bhattacharya (-16), with a one-shot lead over Japanese Tomohiro Ishizaka (-15). Notably, Mexican Roberto Lebrija (-14) is in third position.
