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Qualifying School 2024: Professional futures at stake with 156 players fighting for 20 cards

Last updated: 04 November 2024

The DP World Tour Qualifying School reaches its conclusion in Spain.

It’s make-or-break time as the DP World Tour Qualifying School enters its final stages in Spain. Here’s everything you need to know about one of golf’s most competitive tests.

Since 1976, Q School has provided a pathway for professional and amateur golfers from across the globe to secure a Tour Card for Europe’s premier circuit – the DP World Tour.

With future livelihoods on the line and just 20 cards up for grabs – 5 less than 2023 – the Q School of 2024 is set to be the most pressurized and competitive yet.

Just to be in with a chance of playing for the privilege, players must come through two 72-hole stages to earn themselves a place in the 156-man field for the final stage at the INFINITUM Golf Resort in Tarragona, Spain – where a grueling six-round marathon decides who has what it takes.

And for those who prove worthy, a springboard to a potentially decorated and lucrative career awaits. Just ask previous alumni. Sandy Lyle, Jose Maria Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie, Jesper Parnevik, Retief Goosen, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Justin Rose are just a few of the star names to graduate from Q School.

How do players make it to the final round of Q School?

Q School’s first stage sees nine European venues host 72-hole strokeplay events, each sending roughly 15 players (depending on ties) through to the second stage in Spain. Here another series of four 72-hole tournaments dictate the 156 players that progress to the final stage of Q School.

To some extent – that was the easy part. Now the pressure ramps up again with the Tarragona field all tackling the Lakes Course and the Hills Course at INFINITUM twice before a cut is made and the top 65 players battle it out for 20 Tour Cards on the Lakes Course.

No less than 252 holes will have been played for those golfers required to compete from the very first stage of Q School who go on to achieve Tour Cards. Of the 156 players in the field for the Final Stage, most have come through the Second Stage, with the remainder fulfilling one of the exemption criteria below:

• DP World Tour members ranked 111th to 145th in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
• Challenge Tour members ranked 21st to 45th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
• Previous DP World Tour winners whose membership has expired in 2023 or 2024.
• Players in 75th or above in the DP World Tour Career Money List as of August 14, 2024.
• Leading three players as of August 14, 2024, to a limit of 20th place in these Orders or Merit: PGA Tour of Australasia, The Japan Golf Tour, The Sunshine Tour, and the Korean Tour.
• Leading entrant as of August 14, 2024, to a limit of 10th place in these Orders of Merit: China Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India.

Are any star names playing in Q School this year?

Quite a few! Current European Ryder Cup vice-captain and stats guru Edoardo Molinari will tee it up at Q School this year along with other former Ryder Cup players Stephen Gallacher, Oliver Wilson, and Chris Wood.

They’ll be joined by a host of DPWT winners including Marc Warren, James Morrison, Matthew Southgate, Kalle Samooja, David Law, Adri Arnaus, and Renato Paratore in what promises to be one of the most fiercely competitive weeks of the season.

Where is Q School played?

For a sixth year in a row, the INFINITUM Golf Resort will host Qualifying School. This year, however, marks the first that DPWT hopefuls will experience the newly upgraded Lakes course following its 800,000 Euro renovation. The Greg Norman-designed layout has been elevated to new heights with pristine new Zoysia grass and reimagined bunkering to guarantee a gripping week of golf with potentially career-defining stakes. Similarly transformative work on the Hills course is set to commence shortly after the conclusion of Q-School.

Joaquín Mora Bertrán, Deputy General Manager of Golf, Beach Club, and F&B at INFINITUM, said: “While our courses are designed to be accessible for novices and Major winners alike, make no mistake – under tournament conditions, they are a serious challenge even for seasoned professionals. Players will have to be at their best to earn a DP World Tour card. We can’t wait to see who rises to the challenge!”

The Lakes and Hills courses will both be used this week. The Lakes – an inland links course – is the longer of the two, with the par-71 track measuring 7,001 yards. The Hills – a typical woodland track – is a par-72, but comes in slightly shorter than the Lakes course, measuring 6,944 yards.

Which tour pros lost their Tour Cards in the regular season?

The DP World Tour reached its regular season conclusion at the Genesis championship on Sunday 27 October with Byeong Hun An coming through a playoff with Tom Kim to win on home soil in South Korea. The day also marked the last opportunity for players to cement their position in the top 114 places of the Race to Dubai Rankings. The reward for doing so…a shiny new 2025 Tour Card.

And sneaking in at No.114, despite missing the cut, was five-time DPWT winner Ross Fisher. But while the Englishman was letting out Asia’s biggest sigh of relief, others were coming to terms that their professional careers were hanging on a knife edge.

Some of the more established names falling agonizingly short included:

No.115 – Ashun Wu

The 2022 Kenya Open Champion started the week in 113th position, but after finishing bottom of the leaderboard from those who made the cut, fell two places, resigning him to the unluckiest ranking possible.

No.119 – David Law

A strong T22 showing in Korea was still insufficient to lift the Scotsman into the top 114 places required to retain tour status. 13 missed cuts from 28 starts did the damage for Law who now heads Spain to battle for his professional future.

No.120 – Eddie Pepperell

Pepperell’s slow start to the season ultimately cost the two-time DPWT winner . He fell just short despite a season-best T12 at the BMW PGA Championship in September. Three missed cuts in his final five starts sealed his fate though, sending the popular  Chipping Forecast podcast  co-host back to Q School .

“I am not at all daunted by the prospect,” said Pepperell. “In fact, I am quite looking forward to it, to be honest, and having that mindset will help. I am quietly optimistic about it.”

No.127 – Rafa Cabrera Bello

Arguably the highest-profile casualty this year is 2016 Ryder Cup star Cabrera-Bello. The Spanish four-time DPWT winner has struggled for the last two seasons and with 18 missed cuts in 2024, there really can’t be many complaints.

Full results from the first two stages can be found here .

Who has won Q School?

Sandy Lyle (1977), José María Olazábal (1985), Jesper Parnevik (1988), Retief Goosen (1992), Adrián Otaegui (2015), and Sam Horsfield (2017), are all previous Qualifying School Champions. The most recent rollcall of winners include:

Who won Tour Cards from Q School in 2023?

Final stage qualifiers:.

• Freddy Schott
• Filippo Celli
• Sebastian Friedrichsen
• Darius van Driel
• Matthis Besard
• Sebastian Garcia
• Haydn Barron
• Kristian Krogh Johannessen
• Jack Davidson
• Jacques Kruyswijk
• Renato Paratore
• Andrew Wilson
• Kiradech Aphibarnrat
• David Ravetto
• Pieter Moolman
• Garrick Porteous
• Nicolo Galletti
• Joshua Berry
• Benjamin Rusch
• Jonathan Gøth-Rasmussen
• Kristoffer Broberg
• Darren Fichardt
• Jannik de Bruyn
• Pedro Figueiredo
• Søren Broholt Lind
• Nicolai von Dellingshausen
• Lauri Ruuska
• Alfredo Garcia-Heredia
• James Nicholas

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Ross Tugwood is a Senior Digital Writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.

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Schedule announced for 2024 DP World Tour Qualifying School

The 2024 DP World Tour Qualifying School schedule has been announced and includes four new venues, an increase in First Stage opportunities and a return to INFINITUM for its dramatic conclusion, as professionals and amateurs from across the world look to secure their place on golf’s Global Tour.

Hopefuls will compete through three stages, as they look to add their name to a growing list of Major Champions, World Number Ones and Ryder Cup stars that have been produced at Qualifying School since its inception in 1976.

The Qualifying School will visit 15 venues from August to November and will once again conclude with Final Stage at Costa Dorada’s award-winning INFINITUM resort.

All five venues making their Qualifying School debuts will act as First Stage hosts, as the number of First Stage opportunities increases from nine to ten, giving additional players the chance to earn one of the DP World Tour cards on offer.

Golf Nazionale in Italy will make its Qualifying School bow fresh from hosting the Junior Ryder Cup last year. There are debuts on the schedule too for Golf de Léry Poses in France, Huddersfield Golf Club in England and Horsens Golfklub in Denmark.

Second Stage will take place across Spain, with the same four venues returning to the schedule; Desert Springs Resort in Almeria, Isla Canela Links in Huelva, Golf Las Pinaillas in Albacete and Fontanals Golf Club in Girona.

Mike Stewart, DP World Tour Qualifying School Director, said: “We’re excited to be able to share the full schedule for the 2024 DP World Tour Qualifying School, and we’re delighted to welcome our five new host venues.

“Increasing First Stage opportunities from nine to ten is an important change for 2024, as we hope to give more players the opportunity to clinch one of the coveted DP World Tour cards that are up for grabs.

“All 15 venues will provide a true test to those teeing it up and those that do come through the three-stage process will be ready to compete on the DP World Tour in 2025.

“INFINITUM has provided the perfect setting for Final Stage over the past five years, and we’re looking forward to returning there for a sixth time. It is a truly first-class venue and we’re grateful for their continued help and hospitality. It is a true highlight of our schedule.”

Joaquín Mora Bertrán, Deputy General Manager of Golf, Beach Club and F&B at INFINITUM, said: “We are delighted to welcome one of golf’s most exciting events back to INFINITUM.

“This is a very exciting time for INFINITUM, with major investment across the entire resort making the experience for visiting players, DP World Tour hopefuls and our members and residents even better.

“Earlier this year, we announced major improvements to the Lakes, and we are excited to see how the players react when they take on the renovated course – along with the equally enjoyable Hills - in November.

“Part of what makes INFINITUM the perfect stage for Qualifying School is the line-up of amenities on offer for golfers of all levels, from the new Callaway Fitting Studio to the nine-hole Ruins course where players can hone their skills.

“We look forward to working with the DP World Tour once again to make sure this unique event is as unforgettable as ever.”

The Final Stage of Qualifying School will take place at INFINITUM from November 8-13, 2024, where 156 players will compete over six rounds.

Each player will play two rounds at the Lakes Course and the Hills Course at INFINITUM, before the top 65 and ties play the final two rounds at the Lakes Course.

After six rounds, the leading 20 players and ties will earn DP World Tour playing privileges for 2025. This number has been reduced from the leading 25 players and ties that were awarded playing privileges last year as part of an overall review of DP World Tour playing categories.

Entries for the DP World Tour Qualifying School will open in June, with an official date yet to be confirmed.

A full list of this year’s dates and locations are as follows:

FIRST STAGE

August 27-30

The Players Club, Bristol, England

Golf Nazionale, Sutri, Italy

September 3-6

Millennium Golf, Paal, Beringen, Belgium

Huddersfield Golf Club, Huddersfield, England

September 10-13

Arlandastad Golf (Masters Course), Rosersberg, Sweden

September 11-14

Golfclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf, Ebreichsdorf, Austria

September 17-20

Donnington Grove Golf Club, Newbury, England

September 24-27

Horsens Golfklub, Horsens, Denmark

Golf de Léry Poses, Poses, France

SECOND STAGE

October 31 – November 3

Desert Springs Resort, Almeria, Spain

Isla Canela Links, Huelva, Spain

Golf Las Pinaillas, Albacete, Spain

Fontanals Golf Club, Girona, Spain

FINAL STAGE

November 8-13

INFINITUM Golf Resort (Lakes & Hills Courses), Tarragona, Spain

DP World Tour Partners

What is European Tour Q School?

Find out how to qualify for the European Tour.

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In order to secure a spot in the world of professional golf, you must pass Q school. This term was coined in the 1970s after the birth of the first school for the European Tour.

By Kylie Winkler

In order to secure a spot on the European Tour, you must first pass qualifying school. This term was coined in the 1970s after the birth of the first school for the European Tour.

The school determines whether or not players are eligible to make it to the tour. It is arguably one of the toughest golf examinations and has been faced by tens of thousands of players.

Related: How to become a PGA Professional

The European Tour Q school consists of three stages, each of which is made up of various tournaments. Over the years the school has expanded from a 72-hole test to a 252-hole examination.

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LUMINE WILL HOST THE 2017 Q SCHOOL - Check out what the players think of the course below

The first qualifying stage is held in different countries around Europe. There are eight tournaments that are each played over four rounds.

The second stage of the European Tour qualifying school is only four tournaments, each of four rounds. This stage of the school takes place at different courses in Spain.

Continues below

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For the school’s third stage, a single tournament is played over six rounds. Referred to as the Final stage, it takes place this year at Lumine GC for the first time after nine years at TPC Catalunya.

After all stages have concluded, the leading 25 players, and those who are tied, are granted category 17 membership to the European Tour and category 5 membership of the Challenge Tour.

Even after completing the difficult school, they do not have immediate access to the more prestigious stops on the tour.

Unless several players in higher categories are unable to make it, the European Tour Q school grads can’t attend. They instead are given access to other number of events on the European Tour.

Those who make the cut after the 72-hole course are given a category 7 status while those who don’t make it are granted category 12. If a player does not make it past the final stage, there still is the possibility to gain a membership with limited tournament access.

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The early stages of European Tour Q School is start of a long road for longshots

KELSO, Scotland -- Much as we might sometimes think the exact opposite, professional golf isn’t all about Ryder Cups, major championships and cozy on-air chats with Jim Nantz and Dan Hicks. Behind the endlessly glamorous existence of your household names there sits another dimension, a world occupied by thousands of dreamers yearning for a place at the game’s top table.

Located in the heart of the beautiful Scottish Borders region, the Roxburghe near the market town of Kelso is one of the most picturesque courses in the land that gave golf to the world. This week it is also one of eight venues for the first of the three stages that make up the European Tour Qualifying School. And, in what is an increasing trend, as many as 80 Americans will be teeing up over the next month in Scotland, England, Germany, Austria, Portugal, France and Italy in an effort to make it onto the world’s second-biggest circuit.

No one said it was going to be easy though, quite apart from the financial commitment of the €1800 entry fee. Starting from stage one, a player will have to compete as many as 14 rounds of golf in order to gain playing privileges for next season. As something of a consolation prize, those who make the 72-hole cut at November’s six-round final stage but do not qualify for full cards will be eligible to compete on the second-tier Challenge Tour in 2017.

All of which currently seems a ways off to all concerned, including one of those four-score Americans, Nathaniel James. The 30-year old Washington and Lee graduate, a veteran of the Adams Tour, the FairWay Tour and other assorted minor-league venues is making his third successive visit to the Roxburghe, having failed to advance in his previous two starts. He is nothing if not persistent though, as his rather unorthodox life in professional golf makes clear.

After a successful college career both on and off the course, James took the decision to commit to law school after graduation. Three years after that, he was working in a Forth Worth law firm. After three more years in a suit, James had been away from competitive golf for six whole summers. The urge to play was still there though. And, in the classic manner of all frustrated players, gazing out of the office window at the sunshine eventually made up his mind.

“I knew I was never going to be a lawyer my whole life, so I began exploring other options with my wife,” says James, who opened with a round of 70, two under par. “Playing golf for a living has always been my dream and thankfully I have had the support of my family and friends along the way. I turned professional in August 2014. My first event was actually the European Tour qualifying here at the Roxburghe.

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“Since then I’ve played a lot of mini-tours and Monday qualifiers. I’ve bounced around a lot, waiting for the opportunity to break through to the next level. That’s why I’m here. Getting all the way to the European Tour is too much to think of right now though. It’s one shot at a time, one round at a time. For me, it is just a privilege to be here. For a long time I never thought this would be my story. I don’t want to be looking back when I’m older wishing I had tried but never having done so. I really believe this is where I’m supposed to be.”

The latest chapter in James’ convoluted and as yet unfulfilled story will be written this week, at a place a long, long way - physically, mentally and geographically - from where he ultimately wants to be. In that at least, the only litigator in the 89-man field at the Roxburghe is the same as everyone else.

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