What's on This Week - Week 51

WEEK 51 – WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK

As the year winds down so does the amount of golf but not the quality or importance of the tournaments, especially the Q Schools holding Final Stages on the LET and Asian Tour. Plenty at stake also on the DP World Tour in an event that lower category players get a start and can earn valuable ranking points.

LET

Tournament: Q School Final Qualifying

Dates: 16-21 December

Course: Al Maaden Golf Marrakech & The Royal Golf Marrakech

Purse:€10,000

Ozzies in the field: Justice Bosio, Abbie Teasdale, Belinda Ji, Amy Walsh, Steph Bunque, Munchin Keh (NZ)

Just another five rounds of golf to determine who gets to join the LET Next season. The top 20 and ties will earn Category 12 status and those finishing in positions 21-50 get status in Category 16. If you finish outside the top 50 it is Category 19 and in reality, not much chance of getting many starts and it’s back to LETAS.

It will be fantastic if we get some more Ozzies on the main LET next season joining Kelsey Bennett, Kirsten Rudgeley and Madison Hinson-Tolchard. Best of luck to all our Ozzie women.

DP World Tour

Tournament: AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open

Dates: 18-21 December

Course: Heritage La Réserve Golf Links

Purse: USD $1.2M

Ozzies in the field: Austin Batista, Ryan Peake, Connor McKinney, Jack Buchanan

The surprise entry this week is American Ryan Gerard who is chasing world ranking points to climb into the world top 50 before the end of the year to qualify for the Masters. Top fifty on the OWGR on 31 December get into the Masters. Gerard won this year’s Barracuda Championship which is co-sanctioned with DP World Tour so has status to play. Currently at 57th in the world rankings he needs a top 4 finish to get enough points and sneak back into the top fifty. Sam Stevens currently occupies 50th place so will no doubt be an interested observer this week.

Ryan Peake makes first use of his new DP World Tour card following finishing second on the OOM last season. The winner of the OOM in 2024 was Elvis Smylie but as he was already exempt due to his win in the Aus PGA Peake gets the no1 spot and should get plenty of starts this season.

Asian Tour

Tournament: Qualifying School Final Stage

Dates: 17-21 December

Course: Lake View Resort and Golf Club

Purse: USD $15,000

Ozzies in the field: Ben Henkel, Shaun Campbell (NZ), Aiden Didone, Ben Ferguson, Max Ford, Silvester Tan, Michael Pearce, James Mee, Darcy Brereton, Aiden Coull, Brady Watt, Harrison Crowe, Phoenix Campbell, Will Florimo, Todd Sinnott, Brett Rankin.

A gruelling five round test to see who can gain playing status for next season on the Asian Tour. Two Hundred players start the journey in round one and that number will be cut to 140 and ties after 36 holes. Following the fourth round there is a further cut down to the top 70 and ties who will battle it out for the top 35 who will earn a card for next season. In the event of a tie for 1st or 35th place there will be a playoff.

Champions Tour

Tournament: The PNC Championship

Dates: 18-21 December

Course: Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando Florida

Ozzie’s in the field: NIL

Twenty teams of two play a scramble (ambrose) format over two days. To be eligible a player must be a Major winner (including The Players) and can play with a family member who isn’t on any pro tour. Another limited field, no cut, end of season event. Bernard Langer and his son are two time defending champions. No Ozzies in the field.