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.
