– The eternal Final Stage of the School of the DP World Tour has ended. Six rounds. Seven days. A total of 21 players have secured first division playing rights for the next season. Twelve fewer than last year’s 33. This is due to reducing the cards from 25 and ties to 20 and ties. Well, that, and the whims of ties. The first consequence is that players who finished just outside those who retained their card through the Race to Dubai might have a few more playing opportunities.
– Edoardo Molinari (-29) has been the winner of the Final Stage of the School. 43 years old. Niklas Lemke (-28) finished second. 40 years old. The elevated age is not the norm, but the exception. They are the only golfers over 40 who have secured their card through the School this year. After that, there are only four between 30 and 40 years old and three more between 26 and 29. Most are young and well-prepared. Up to twelve of the new DP World Tour cards are held by players under 25, and five of them are under 23. Last year, there were six players under 25 out of 33 cards. The difference is significant.
– The standout is Englishman Joshua Berry. He has secured the card at 19 years old. The most remarkable thing about this young man is that he already did it at 18 last year. In other words, he has secured the card through the School two years in a row. His goal in 2025 will be not to repeat a visit to Infinitum Golf.
– The country that has secured the most cards is the United States. It’s coming, it’s coming… They have secured four. Namely:
Davis Bryant: 24 years old and has only played one tournament counting towards the world ranking in his career, this year’s International Series in Morocco.
Ryggs Johnston: 24 years old and has played the PGA Tour Americas this season. His best result was a top 5.
Corey Shaun: 28 years old. He has played in Canada and PGA Tour Americas in recent months without major results.
Dan Erickson: 25 years old and has spent two seasons making a living in Africa. He has six top 10s there.
– France has secured two and a half cards: Bastien Amat, roommate in New Mexico of Albert Boneta, Clement Sordet, and Jean Bekirian, born in Marseille but competing under the Armenian flag due to, among other things, some disagreements with the French Golf Federation. Someone over there might be pulling their hair out right now. Italy has also placed two players, the winner Molinari and Gregorio Di Leo, a 24-year-old forged on the Alps Tour.
– Beyond the case of Bekirian, the most ‘exotic’ golfer among those who have secured the card is Tadeas Tetak, from Slovakia, also 24 years old. It’s not a country prolific in golf talents. However, watch out for him because he played the German Pro Golf Tour this year and had a great season with two wins and seven more top 10s.
– As expected, there was quite a bit of drama on the final day of the School. Four players who started the day in the top 20 fell out, and three came from behind to get in. On the negative side are David Law, European Tour winner, Callan Barrow, Soren Broholt Lind, and Robin Sciot Siegrist. In their place entered Tetak, Berry, Erickson, and List.
– Jacob Skov Olesen had one of the toughest experiences, although with a happy ending. He shot 73 and dropped 15 positions in the standings, but he finally managed to get into the top 20. The winner of the British Amateur in 2024 will have a place on the DP World Tour next year. He is the only one still with amateur status who has secured playing rights.
– Very painful for Flippo Celli. He had the card in his hand. He needed a birdie on the last two holes. The 18th is a par 5 where the vast majority managed to get a birdie today, but the Italian couldn’t and missed by one stroke. Yesterday’s poor round left him out of a School he had been handling superbly.
– There are six players who have secured the card by passing all three stages of the School. Not bad. They are Boneta, the Australian Danny List, and the four Americans.
– And finally, a question: will 2025 be the year of Wilco Nienaber‘s breakthrough? The South African secured the card through the school with a great final round of 63 strokes. He is only 24 years old.
The 21 players who have secured the card are:
Edoardo Molinari
Niklas Lemke
Davis Bryant
Albert Boneta
Alexander George Frances
Wilco Nienaber
Clément Sordet
Ryggs Johnston
Bastien Amat
Jean Bekirian
Joshua Berry
Justin Harding
Ben Schmidt
Benjamin Follett-Smith
Corey Shaun
Gregorio de Leo
Dan Erickson
Jacob Skov Olesen
Wil Besseling
Tadeáš Tadek
Danny List
