If this were football instead of golf, we would say that what’s at stake this weekend is more than just three points. This Thursday marks the start of the Genesis Championship, or in other words, the last opportunity offered by the DP World Tour this year to maintain a full card for next year, meaning the ability to plan your schedule without worrying about the ever-fluctuating world of reserve players. It is played in South Korea, at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club course in Incheon.
In the position of saving full playing rights for 2024-2025, we have five Spaniards: Santi Tarrio (116), Iván Cantero (117), Rafa Cabrera Bello (121), Adri Arnaus (123), and Sebas García Rodríguez (129). The situation is historic. We have never had so many members of the Armada in such a tight spot with only one tournament left, between position 114, the last to maintain a full card this year, and 129. They are all fighting to maintain category 10, which opens the doors to all tournaments next season. To do this, they need to finish among the top 114 in the Race to Dubai. Let’s look at the numbers.
In position 114 is German Freddy Schott, with a total of 402.85 points. Reasonable calculations point to 420 as the figure to secure the card. Obviously, it will depend on how the tournament goes in Korea and what everyone involved in this fight scores, but 420 points seems like a good figure.
From that starting point, the minimum result the Spaniards need is as follows:
– Santi Tarrio: the Galician needs to finish in the top 45. It doesn’t seem like a too complicated goal, but he hasn’t reached this final stretch in the best moment of confidence. He has missed the last three cuts.
– Iván Cantero: his goal in Korea should be to finish in the top 25. The Asturian’s jam is even greater. He has missed the last five cuts and thirteen of the last fourteen. His game is far above the results, but he is going through one of those streaks where it seems nothing wants to go right.
– Rafa Cabrera Bello: the Canary Islander needs a top 20. A situation similar to Cantero’s. He is playing better than the results reflect, but the situation is managing to hold him back. He has missed the last four cuts and six of the last seven. We must trust and appeal to his experience to be able to pull through in the last attempt.
– Adri Arnaus: he is in an identical situation to Rafa. He needs a top 20. The player from Moià has made three of the last five cuts, and his game is clearly on an upward trend, but he is struggling to put together all four rounds of the week. If he finds that consistency, it’s not at all far-fetched to see him even fighting for victory in Korea.
– Sebas García Rodríguez: it’s the most desperate situation, though not impossible. The Madrid native needs a top 12. He has made the cut in four of his last six tournaments. That means he is playing well, but he has lacked finishing off the weekend. The blessed pressure. In his favour, he is used to dealing with these situations.
Once the calculations are made, it is worth clarifying that none of them would be left empty-handed. Rafa Cabrera Bello has the most peculiar situation. If he does not maintain category 10, next year he would have category 11, for being in the top 40 of the historical earnings list of the DP World Tour. The Canary Islander wouldn’t even play the school, as the status of the money list is superior to that of the school, and he is obliged to take the best category he has.
Meanwhile, the other four could play the DP World Tour School Final at Infinitum to obtain category 18, and if they do not achieve it, they would have category 19 or 20, those who finish between position 115, the last to miss out on a full card, and approximately position 150. Obviously, the closer they finish to position 114, the more opportunities they will have to play next year.
Beyond the fight for the card, Pablo Larrazábal, Alex del Rey, and Alfredo García Heredia are playing for their presence in the first DP World Tour playoff in Abu Dhabi. It will be played by the top 70 available in the Race to Dubai. Right now, Del Rey (68) and García Heredia (67) are in, but they need to score in Korea to avoid being left out or, at least, not risk being left out. Meanwhile, Larrazábal (90) will need at least a top 7 to secure his presence in Abu Dhabi.
By the way, one last curious fact regarding points and rankings. As you know, six qualify by right for the points accumulated in the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. Well, this week, when there is still a long way to go before the classification closes, we have three Spaniards in positions 8th, 9th, and 10th: Ángel Hidalgo, Jorge Campillo, and Jon Rahm. The sixth and last spot is held by the champion of the Estrella Damm Andalucía Masters, Julien Guerrier.
