Adrian Meronk is one of those primed to claim a prized PGA Tour card for next season through the newly created access programme from the DP World Tour (where the 10 leading players on the order of merit not already exempt will gain tour cards stateside), but the two-way nature of transatlantic travel will be embellished with a new initiative between the two tours aimed at attracting players the other way.
Under a new arrangement, the strategic alliance between the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour will next season see two new membership categories created to encourage more Americans to play on the European circuit: full membership on the DP World Tour will be available to players who finish 126th to 200th on the 2022-2023 FedEx Cup points list, while affiliate membership will be available to any other PGA Tour member when participating in any Race to Dubai ranking tournament in 2024.
This list will see players accrue Race to Dubai points and, based on their points, can see them potentially qualify for (a) the DP World Tour play-offs in 2024 and (b) the season-ending bonus pool in 2024 if they have played four or more counting tournaments outside the Majors, in line with the current DP World Tour member regulations.
Keith Pelley, chief executive of the DP World Tour, said: “Our Ten Cards initiative will give the opportunity for DP World Tour members to excel on the PGA Tou next season and this new membership opportunity announced today will give PGA Tour members the chance to do exactly the same on our Tour. I am excited at the possibilities.”
The bird-shaped obsession that drives James Crombie, one of Ireland’s best sports photographers
Leona Maguire slips back the field in CME Group Tour Championship second round
Golf lowdowns: Leona Maguire looks to turn fortunes around at LPGA Tour Championship
Dave Hannigan: Behold a version of golf that’s fun and weirdly cool - but still ludicrously expensive
Meronk, incidentally, is already assured of getting his full PGA Tour card through the alliance. The Pole, a three-time winner on the DP World Tour this season, is currently third on the Race to Dubai points ranking.
Leona Maguire back in action
Leona Maguire only has a handful of tournaments pencilled into her late-season diary, with this week’s inaugural Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur – the only event she has entered on the LPGA Tour’s Asian Swing – marking the Solheim Cup star’s return after a two-week break.
The Cavan golfer is currently 17th in the LPGA Tour order of merit and has a number of big-money tournaments to close out the year: the limited-field Maybank in Malaysia has a purse of $3 million, next month’s The Annika tournament has a purse of $3.25m while the CME Group Tour Championship in Florida has a prize fund of $7m.
Maguire has already broken through the $1 million in earnings this year – having also achieved the feat last season – but will be eyeing a move up the order of merit as she chases a second win of the season in Malaysia, having won the Meijer Classic back in June.
This week’s event has a limited, no cut field of 78 players with Stephanie Meadow playing for the third straight week in what will be a four-week stint, as the Northern Irish golfer is also in the field for next week’s tournament in Japan.
Word of Mouth
“As much as it is great being on the Alps Tour, tons of nice people, I’m glad to be off the Alps Tour and move on to the next step” – Galway’s Ronan Mullarney after topping the developmental Alps Tour order of merit, giving him a full Challenge Tour card for the 2024 season.
By the Numbers: 16
The United States – with a trio of Walker Cup players: Nick Dunlap, David Ford and Gordon Sargent – lived up to the favourites’ tag to win the Eisenhower Trophy for a 16th time, and first since 2014, following an 11-shot winning margin over runners-up Norway and Australia in Abu Dhabi. Ireland finished eighth in the men’s world amateur team championships.
This week, it is the turn of the women in the Espirito Santo Trophy where Sara Byrne, fresh off a collegiate win in the US last week, Beth Coulter and Áine Donegan comprise the three-player Ireland team in the women’s world amateur team championship.
On this day: October 24th, 1976
Finally, Mac McLendon – a 6′2″ inches native of Georgia – managed to rid himself of final round travails to claim his first individual win on the PGA Tour when he captured the Southern Open in his home state, closing with a 68 for a six-under-par total of 274.
McLendon’s only previous win on the US circuit had come two years earlier in partnering Hubert Green to the Walt Disney World National Team championship.
As it happened, Green was McLendon’s closest purser at Green Island Country Club, ultimately coming up two shots shy of his friend. “I’m real proud of the way Mac played today,” admitted Green of McLendon who had suffered a couple of last round collapses earlier in the season.
McLendon enjoyed a five strokes lead through the turn and managed to keep ahead despite Green and Jerry McGee, who finished third, three strokes adrift, making inroads down the stretch.
X-Twitter Twaddle
A largely frustrating two weeks in Spain comes to an end, with one positive; I’ve retained my playing rights for next season at least. Still another crack at it in Qatar, so (hopefully) I can find some good stuff – Eddie Pepperell after his tied-43rd place finish in Sotogrande (earning him €19,505) moved him to 99th on the Order of Merit to guarantee his tour card again for 2024.
Shot 68 for tied 7th, three back. Game is in good shape but I just couldn’t make up for the slow start to the week @ChampionsTour @DeccGolf – Pádraig Harrington, who was three shots outside of a playoff (won by Harrison Frazer) in the Dominion Energy Classic on the Champions Tour.
Very sad news with the passing of Ivor Robson & thoughts to his family. I’ve never seen someone take pride in their job like he did. One of the coolest moments of my career was having him announce me on the tee as the US Open champ & also the Scottish Open after I won at Pebble – Graeme McDowell on the passing of Open starter announcer Ivor Robson.
Know the Rules
Q In strokeplay, a player’s ball comes to rest against a rake in a greenside bunker that transitions into a red penalty area. The player marks the position of the ball by pressing a tee into the sand, removes the rake, and the ball rolls into deep water in the red penalty area and cannot be retrieved. What is the proper procedure for the player to follow?
A The proper procedure for the player in such a situation is to place another ball on the spot where the original ball lay without incurring any penalty.
In the Bag
Adrian Meronk – Andalucia Masters
Driver – Ping G430 MAX (10.5 degrees)
3-wood – Ping G425 MAX (14.5 degrees)
Hybrid – Ping G425 (19 degrees)
Irons – Ping iBlade (4-PW)
Wedges – Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50, 54 and 58 degrees)
Putter – Ping Valut 2.0 Ketsch
Ball – Titleist ProV1
