By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
David Law is heading to the DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain in a fortnight’s time after agonisingly coming up short in his bid to climb into the safety zone at the end of the regular phase of the season.
Maintaining the good play he’d produced in the final few weeks of the campaign, the 33-year-old signed off with a bogey-free four-under-par 68 in the Genesis Championship at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
Posting a nine-under-par total to finish joint-22nd behind home winner Ben An, the effort lifted Law from 130th in the Race to Dubai Rankings to 119th - just five places from safety in the season-long card battle.
It means the Aberdonian, who has held a DP World Tour card since 2019 and won the ISPS Handa Vic Open in his rookie season, will now have to visit the Qualifying School to retain a full playing status.
Law, who will be buoyed by making the cut in seven of his last eight events and finishing in the top 30 in the last three, will join Stephen Gallacher at Infinitum Golf in Tarragona after the European Junior Ryder Cup captain finished 184th in the standings.
The Second Stage takes place at four venues around Spain next week, with 13 Scots, including Sandy Scott, Graeme Robertson and Sam Locke, aiming to be involved in the Final Stage as well.
Englishman Marco Penge, last year’s Road to Mallorca Rankings on the Challenge Tour, jumped from 115th at the start of the event in Incheon to 110th after finishing alongside Law.
Compatriot Ross Fisher secured the final card spot after surviving an anxious wait following a missed cut, but Eddie Pepperell will be joining Law at the Qualifying School after having to settle for 120th following a climb of four spots.
Connor Syme (49th), Calum Hill (53rd) and Grant Forrest (54th) have also qualified for the Abu Dhabi event, which will involve the top 70 players, with the top 50 after that then playing in the season finale in Dubai.
After missing the cut in Korea, Richie Ramsay’s season is over, slipping two spots to 81st, and it’s the same for Scott Jamieson, who remained in 85th position after finishing joint-49th.
After a thrilling last-day battle, An beat compatriot Tom Kim at the first extra hole to land a first DP World Tour win since making his breakthrough on the circuit in the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
"It's great,” said world No 36 An, who closed with a 67 that included four birdies in the last six holes to finish on 17 under. “It's been too long (to win) on the main tour.
"All I tried to do is show some great golf in front of the home fans. It's been a while since I've played in front of them. It feels amazing.”
Elsewhere, Scottish No 1 Gemma Dryburgh finished just outside the top 60 in the LPGA’s Maybank Championship, won by China’s Ruoming Yin in Kuala Lumpur.
Seven Scots retained cards, led by Genesis Scottish Open champion Bob MacIntyre and BMW International Open champion Ewen Ferguson. Currently sitting ninth and 32nd on the points list, they will be teeing up in both of the new Play-Off events - the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship.
