Heartbreak and ecstasy! The players who lost DP World Tour cards in Qatar…
Ross Fisher kept his DP World Tour card by the skin of his teeth, but which players weren’t so lucky?
It was crunch time at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
Players were fighting for spots in the top 116 of the Race to Dubai rankings which would guarantee their tour cards in 2024.
Sami Valimaki secured his second DP World Tour title by beating Spaniard Jorge Campillo on the first playoff hole at the final regular-season event on the circuit in 2023.
However, eyes were fixed on the bubble at the other end of the spectrum where players were battling for their futures on tour.
One-time Ryder Cup player Ross Fisher finished 116th on the dot having shot a 69 at Doha GC to finish in 36th place.
What an end to an extraordinary season @DPWorldTour. Only myself to blame putting myself in this position. Plenty of opportunities this year but just didn’t take them. So pleased with how I played this week under the pressure. #CBQMasters was a great test and the course was 👌🏻
— Ross Fisher (@RossFisher) October 29, 2023
NOW READ: Edoardo Molinari: Joe LaCava gave Europe ‘fuel’ to win the Ryder Cup
The Englishman hasn’t won on the formerly-named European Tour since 2014 and is currently outside the top 400 in the world rankings.
Angel Hidalgo and Alexander Knappe shared an embrace on the 72nd hole having secured their cards for next year while playing in the same group.
Hidalgo struggled to a disappointing 80 on Sunday, enough to finish 108th in the Race to Dubai.
Knappe cut it thinner by finishing the season in 114th place. The German shot three-under-par to finish next to Fisher on the leaderboard.
Scott Jamieson entered the week ranked 119th and on the cusp of losing his tour card, but the Scotsman carded rounds of 65, 72, 66 and 69 to safely rise to 82nd.
Despite almost making a hole-in-one in the second round and lipping out for a birdie on 18 on Friday, Frenchman Alexander Levy missed the weekend to end his chance of keeping his card.
The 33-year-old, who once cracked the top 50 in the world, has five DP World Tour wins to his name and has already declared he’ll head to Q-school.
“I will go to Q School, for sure. I will give everything I have!”
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 28, 2023
Five-time winner on Tour, @alexlevygolf has the mentality to fight for his card 💪#CBQMasters pic.twitter.com/vqy1zTbFts
NOW READ: Paul McGinley believes a Portmarnock Open could be on the cards
The Final Stage of Q-school takes place at Infinitum Golf in November.
Here are the final Race to Dubai standings of 2023, ahead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next month:
112. Paul Waring
113. Mike Lorenzo-Vera
114. Alexander Knappe
115. Jeong weon Ko
116. Ross Fisher
Cut off
117. Daniel Van Tonder
118. John Axelsen
119. Jeunghun Wang
120. Kazuki Higa
121. Marc Warren
Notable others:
126. Alexander Levy
128. Wilco Nienaber
129. Laurie Canter
139. Soren Kjeldsen
145. Jamie Donaldson
NOW READ: How does the Race to Dubai work?
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
