Q-School: Pepperell's Birdie Gala saves DP World Tour card - Germans come away empty-handed

After six grueling rounds and 108 holes, the DP World Tour Qualifying School 2025 at the Infinitum Resort in Spain has come to an end - and as usual, it delivered the full range of emotions. Of the 156 finalists who started, exactly 20 players secured Category 18 eligibility for the upcoming DP World Tour season. The decisive cut settled at 18 strokes under Par.

South African Zander Lombard was at the head of the field, dominating the tournament with an impressive lead. But the most emotional story was written by England's Eddie Pepperell, who came from behind with a dramatic last-second spurt. While these favorites prevailed, there were also those whose hearts were broken: The German-speaking golfers missed out on the leap into the top league altogether.

Zander Lombard outclasses the competition

The history of the Q-School is always led by the medalist. This year it was Zander Lombard, who simply outclassed the field in Tarragona after six days. The South African won the tournament with a final score of 37 strokes under Par and an incredible 13-stroke lead over his closest rivals Aaron Cockrill, Shubhankar Sharma and Connor McKinney (all -24).

Lombard's success is all the more remarkable as he looks back on a difficult time. A complex knee injury (anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus tear) put him out of action for seven months in 2024. "It was a tough year and a half," he said. "From the knee surgery to learning to walk again to trying to find my game again." His victory in the Q-School marks a brilliant new start.

The comeback of the year: Eddie Pepperell shakes himself into shape

The popular Englishman Eddie Pepperell also made headlines. The two-time DP World Tour winner had lost his Tour card in 2024 and returned to the Q-School, dubbed the "Ironman of golf", after a year on the Challenge Tour. The drama culminated in the final round: After a Bogey on hole 12, Pepperell was three shots outside the required top 20 result. But what followed was an act of pure nerve: he finished the tournament with four Birdies in a row.

This pushed him into a tie for 12th place (-19) and secured his card with a buffer of two strokes. The relief was immense, especially as he had missed out on qualifying last year by just one shot after missing an Eagle Putt that was only two meters long. "I'm actually pretty proud of myself," said Pepperell, visibly moved. "It was a tough day [with] a great finish. The game was very tough for a while. I made it difficult for myself. I'm over the moon."

The international up-and-comers and veterans

The group of 20 qualifiers reflects the global nature of the Tour. It includes six players who have successfully completed the entire, grueling journey through all three stages of the Q-School from August to the final. These "Ironmen" include Australian Connor McKinney and Dutchman Mike Toorop. Toorop, who is moving up from the German Pro Golf Tour, was so emotional after the round that he cried for 15 minutes thinking about his ten-month-old son.

Other well-known names who had lost their card also made an immediate return: Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Matthew Baldwin (ENG) and Spaniard Adri Arnaus were among those who, alongside Lombard, successfully converted their routine into renewed tour status.

Bitter end: German golfers come away empty-handed

Despite the participation of Jannik de Bruyn and Philipp Katich in the final stage, the mission was not crowned with success for the German-speaking golfers in Spain: none of them made it into the top 20.

Jannik de Bruyn still had hope before the final round, but fell back on the back nine and finished the tournament with a round of 73 (+2). He struggled with his consistency afterwards: "I can see that I'm a better golfer in all areas during training than I was two years ago, but I can't translate that into results at the moment," he explained.

Philipp Katich also put up a tough fight in the final round. Despite a small upswing on the second nine, a decisive double bogey set him back. He finished the tournament with a round of 70 (-1) and a total of 12 strokes under Par - six strokes behind the required cut. Katich clearly identified his weak point: "It was a fight for survival today. If you're lying on the Fairway, the course is actually a gift," said Katich. Only the Driver turned out to be unreliable.

The tragedy of the narrowly unsuccessful

Two experienced players in particular had to learn the hard way that the Q-School is merciless. Frenchman Alexander Levy, after all a five-time DP World Tour winner, missed the card in 21st place by a single stroke (cut at $18). Like Scotsman Marc Warren (four DP World Tour titles), who also narrowly missed out, his only option for the time being is Category 9 membership of the HotelPlanner Tour.

Outlook: Tough fight for Tour survival

Although the 20 qualifiers will receive playing rights, these are not full playing rights (Category 10), but only the lower Category 18 on the DP World Tour. Due to the constant devaluation of the Q-School qualifiers in recent years, this means a very difficult situation: last season, players in category 18 could only count on 10 to 15 starts in tournaments with relatively low prize money.

Defending the tour card is made even more difficult by the narrower starting fields. The strategic partnership with the PGA Tour, for example, secures American players ten starting places at every tournament. Added to this are the numerous co-sanctioned events, for example with the Asian or Sunshine Tour, where only half of the fields are filled with DP World Tour players. The qualifiers therefore have to work hard right from the start and make the most of their few opportunities to defend their card in the coming season and earn a better category for the season after next.