The PGA Tour card will be the main issue this week in Dubai

By finishing 3rd in Abu Dhabi, Rory McIlroy is almost assured of winning a sixth Race even before the start of the DP World Tour Championship which closes the 2023-24 European Tour season. On the other hand, the fight to land one of the ten spots for the PGA Tour 2025 promises to be tough for a good dozen candidates.

L.V.

1,785.02 points. It is the gap that separates Rory McIlroy of Tristan Lawrencerespectively number 1 and 2 in the Race a few hours before the start of the DP World Tour Championshipthe last meeting of the 2023-24 European Tour season. Suffice to say that barring a catastrophe, the Northern Irishman will win a sixth crown after those obtained in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022 and 2023.

So that the story does not stutter three times in a row on the DP World Tourthe South African would have to win the tournament on Sunday (10 million dollars in prize money) and his main opponent should do no better than… 12th place. Thirteen times the current world No. 3 has participated in this Race final. Only twice has he finished beyond the top 15. It was in 2018 (20th) and last year (22nd). In short, the chances are clearly low that the Briton will miss out on another triumph in the Emirates!

Eight for three places

To tell the truth, the stakes for the first 50 of the Race (in fact the first 52 since Ludvig Åberg21st, injured, and Jon Rahm34th, who decided to end his season after having played the four Tour tournaments allowing him to be eligible for the next Ryder Cup) will above all be to secure one of the ten spots at stake to evolve in 2025 on the PGA Tour.

If the ticket is already in the pocket for this same Thriston Lawrence but also for the Dane Rasmus Højgaard (3rd in the Race) and for the Englishman Paul Waringsurprise winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, now 5th, seven seeds are still to be distributed. Respectively ranked 8th, 10th and 11th, the Dane (another one) Niklas Nørgaardthe Italian Matteo Manassero and the Swede Jesper Svensson are also almost guaranteed to cross the Atlantic in a few weeks.

More than Thorbjørn Olesen12th in the Race and 7th in the order of obtaining this playing right on the PGA Tour, at Julien Guerrier22nd, the fight promises to be undecided between Thursday and Sunday. Having benefited from one of these ten spots last year, Olesen hardly shone in 2024 on the US Circuit, only ranking 165th in the FedEx Cup with no top 10 in 16 starts.

113.23 points only between Smith and Langasque

13th in the Race, the Japanese Rikuya Hoshinovictorious in Qatar at the start of the season, has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot, Ryo Hisatsunewinner of Cazoo Open de France 2023 and last to have “qualified” there is one for the PGA Tour.

9th and 10th among non-exempt players, the Swede Sebastian Söderberg and English Jordan Smith are only 104.5 and 62.37 points ahead of Tom McKibbin18th and first hunter. The gap is hardly greater with Guido Migliozzi (19th) and Romain Langasque (20th). 95.07 points between Smith and Migliozzi and 113.23 points between Smith and Langasque. Remember that 12,000 points will be at stake in this final.

Even Julien Guerrier, recent winner of theAndalucia Mastersis still in the game. 22nd with 1513.47, the Rochelais is only 233.19 behind Jordan Smith. A final Top 10 for the Frenchman would be sufficient here. In short, the fight promises to be fierce on the Earth Course of Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Photo : DAVID CANNON / David Cannon Collection / Getty Images via AFP