The DP World Tour is set for one of its most nail-biting weeks of the season as the 2024 Genesis Championship hands players the final opportunity to earn points to keep their playing rights.
Here, we take a look at ten players either side of the cut-off point of 114th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex who will be looking to alleviate that pressure with a strong week in South Korea.
Matthias Schwab - 110th
The Austrian recorded top-ten finishes in China and Italy in May and June but has struggled for consistency since then. He will be buoyed by shooting four under-par rounds last week, though, and should keep his card if he can maintain that form at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
Marcel Schneider - 111th
A bogey-free 69 in Spain last Sunday helped Schneider finish in a tie for 12th and catapult him 17 places up the Rankings and onto the right side of the line. The German has had some impressive results in the 2024 campaign - including a joint-third finish at the ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan - and is more than capable of producing another strong showing to wrap up his playing rights.
Wu Ashun - 113th
Another player who rose above the line with a strong weekend display at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande last week, Wu is a four-time champion who has been a familiar face on the DP World Tour since winning the 2015 Volvo China Open. He knows exactly what he needs to do to stay above the magic mark.
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Freddy Schott - 114th
Having earned his card with a two-stroke victory at the Final Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School last year, 23-year-old German Schott will be determined to keep it. He demonstrated that with standout performances in Spain and Northern Ireland in recent weeks to get above the line.
Marco Penge - 115th
European Challenge Tour graduate Penge made a really bright start to life on the DP World Tour, finishing in a share of fourth place at the Alfred Dunhill Championship before Christmas. And although he has not managed to post any other top-ten results since, he will be encouraged by finishing joint-12th at the star-studded Amgen Irish Open last month.
"I just want to enjoy what I'm doing and take every moment from playing on the European Tour. I've loved it this year." 🙌@PengeMarco has made two cuts in his last ten starts but will be heading into the weekend at @edamsotogrande in T11, with the aim of picking up some vital… pic.twitter.com/c2YPuOPGos
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 18, 2024
Santiago Tarrio - 116th
The Spaniard paid a high price for missing the cut in his home event last week, falling eight places and beneath the safety line ahead of this week's showdown in South Korea. Some fine results at the front end of the season kept him well above the line for much of the year but he now needs to rediscover that kind of form to return there.
Ivan Cantero - 117th
Cantero also slid into the danger zone after last week's costly missed cut - his fifth in a row - saw him fall seven places. But the Challenge Tour graduate has enjoyed some magnificent results this year, including joint-third at the ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP in April, and definitely has a good finish in his locker.
Rafa Cabrera Bello - 121st
Four-time DP World Tour winner and Ryder Cup star Cabrera Bello missed the chance to ease the pressure on himself when he missed the cut on home soil at last week's Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters. The Spaniard showed glimpses of what he is capable of with seventh-placed finishes at both the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and the European Open but that was as good as it got. And after only making the cut twice in his past 13 starts, Cabrera-Bello needs an upturn in form.
James Morrison - 122nd
A regular on the DP World Tour since 2010, two-time winner Morrison has not enjoyed the best of seasons but strong performances at the KLM Open and D+D REAL Czech Masters will give him hope he can turn things around.
Adri Arnaus - 123rd
A challenger for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award in 2019 when he registered three runner-up finishes, he continued to challenge for titles before finally getting over the line at the 2022 Catalunya Championship. It has not been plain siling since but a top ten at the Italian Open presented by Regione Emilia-Romagna shows he still has the appetite for the big stage and he will need it this week.
*Players already exempt for 2025 or outside the top 115 but not playing this week are 112 - Ryan Fox, 118 - Jannik De Bruyn, 119 - Sepp Straka, 120 - Masahiro Kawamura.
