One of the most exciting subplots on Sunday at the DP World Tour Championship was seeing which 10 players would secure cards on the PGA Tour for the 2025 season, with the fate of the last of those places going right down towards the wire.
Of course, it was decided when the strategic alliance between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour was announced that the 10 best players on the latter’s tour each year not already exempt would earn cards stateside. That has presented opportunities for Matthieu Pavon and Robert MacIntyre to become PGA Tour winners in 2024.
So which players have earned their cards ahead of 2025? Here is a look at the 10…
The top DP World Tour players set to receive PGA Tour cards ahead of 2025
Rasmus Hojgaard
Race to Dubai ranking: 2nd
Rasmus Hojgaard gave Rory McIlroy a good scare on the final day of the DP World Tour Championship. The Dane – who will join twin brother, Nicolai next year – won the Irish Open ahead of McIlroy at Royal County Down in September.
Thriston Lawrence
Race to Dubai ranking: 3rd
Thriston Lawrence’s career-changing victory is coming. The South African made the play-off at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, while he was in the final group on Sunday at The Open Championship. He was the only player who went into the final event of the year with a chance to stop McIlroy winning the Race to Dubai.
Paul Waring
Race to Dubai ranking: 5th
Paul Waring was the surprise winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, with the 39-year-old showing so much heart to get across the line. He was 47th in the Race to Dubai before that victory.
Jesper Svensson
Race to Dubai ranking: 10th
The highlight of Jesper Svensson’s year came back in March as he won the Porsche Singapore Open. The Swede also finished second on three occasions, while he was tied for seventh at the DP World Tour Championship.
Niklas Norgaard
Race to Dubai ranking: 11th
Niklas Norgaard is one of three Danes on the list. The 32-year-old won the British Masters, while he has not finished outside of the top 40 on any of his last eight starts.
Matteo Manassero
Race to Dubai ranking: 12th
What an incredible journey it has been for Matteo Manassero, with the Italian winning on the DP World Tour for the first time in 2010. He was winning on the Alps Tour as recently as 2020, and only secured his DP World Tour card again in 2024 after qualifying through the Challenge Tour. He won in South Africa in March. Perhaps no player will take their decision over their future more seriously than the 31-year-old.
Thorbjorn Olesen
Race to Dubai ranking: 13th
The last of the Danes to be promoted, Thorbjorn Olesen has featured on the PGA Tour this year. But he is down below the top 160 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings. Olesen won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard back in February.
Antoine Rozner
Race to Dubai ranking: 15th
Antoine Rozner was 50th in the Race to Dubai standings after the Andalucia Masters and he probably gave little thought to the idea of earning a PGA Tour card. But the Frenchman will get the chance to emulate countryman Matthieu Pavon next year after three top 10 finishes on the spin to conclude the year.
Rikuya Hoshino
Race to Dubai ranking: 16th
Rikuya Hishono was one of those players holding onto a card after a really strong first half of the year. The Japanese won the Qatar Masters in February while he had a further six top 10s across the season.
Tom McKibbin
Race to Dubai ranking: 18th
It was Tom McKibbin who just squeezed himself in on the final day in Dubai. The Northern Irishman has finished in the top 11 in three of his last six starts on the DP World Tour. Rory McIlroy has backed McKibbin to impress on the PGA Tour already.
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