Last June, the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, and Royal & Ancient launched the Global Amateur Pathway, a ranking system similar to the PGA Tour University. The requirements to be included in this ranking are to be 20 years or older in the current year and not playing on a Division I NCAA team. The prize is a full DP World Tour card for the top-ranked player and several Challenge Tour cards for the following players. To obtain it, it is essential to give up amateur status and turn professional.
The Global Amateur Pathway closes next week, and the top three ranked players are Chinese Wenyi Ding, Danish Jacob Skov Olesen, and Spanish Luis Masaveu. The ranking will not change, so initially, Ding will take the European Tour card, while Olesen and Masaveu will receive the Challenge card. However, we insist, to do so, they must turn professional, and this weekend something happened that suddenly opened a back door to the DP World Tour for Masaveu.
Ding won the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan on Sunday, a tournament that automatically qualifies for the Masters Tournament and the Open Championship. However, to play in those two tournaments, Wenyi would need to maintain his amateur golfer status. If he does, he will not be able to receive the full DP World Tour card. The dilemma is significant. He has to choose between two Majors or the European Circuit. Olesen, the British Amateur champion, is in the same situation. If Ding and Olesen choose to remain amateurs to play in the Masters and Open, the doors of the DP World Tour would immediately open for Masaveu. Moreover, the Madrid native is aware of this option and is keeping an eye on what the Chinese and Danish players might decide.
However, it seems that this back door to the DP World Tour is going to close for Masaveu. Ding has his preferences very clear. He chose the DP World Tour a while ago. In fact, in the summer, he already made a tough decision. He did not return to Arizona State to play his second year as a college player, precisely because of this opportunity through the Global Amateur Pathway.
His results in the first year at the university of Jon Rahm, Del Rey, Puig, or Ballester, among others, had been very good. In eight tournaments, he had one victory and four top 5 finishes. However, as one of the requirements to be included in this new ranking is not playing at a Division I NCAA university, he decided to stay home and not return to Arizona State.
In that first dilemma, he chose the DP World Tour, and in this second one he faces now, it also seems he will opt for the card, although he has not officially stated it after winning. However, before the tournament, he had made it quite clear. In statements to Golf Digest, made before the tournament, about the hypothesis of winning and having to choose again, Ding said: “Yes, it is a very difficult decision, but I cannot sacrifice the status on the DP World Tour to wait for the Masters and the Open,” Ding said. “I know it’s a great opportunity for an amateur player, but I’m going to turn professional. Hopefully, I can get into those two majors by myself later. I want to learn to be a professional player and keep improving. I want to try to make the cut in every tournament and, if I have the chance, try to win,” he explained.
In light of these words, a change of opinion seems unlikely, so this back door that could open for Masaveu seems to remain closed. It would also need to be confirmed that Olesen decides to remain an amateur. It was a nice possibility, but it seems it will not happen in the end. In any case, Luis already has the Challenge Tour card secured and can still obtain the DP World Tour card through the School.
