Aberdonian’s first missed cut in nine events leaves him fretting over full status for 2027 season
David Law’s first missed cut in nine events, which was made more painful after being unable to convert a short birdie putt at the final hole in the second round of the Genesis Championship in Korea, has left the Aberdonian facing an anxious weekend over his DP World Tour status for next season.
As had been the case over the past couple of months, Law battled brilliantly at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan after finding himself in a tie for 100th spot following an opening four–over-par 75 in the final regular event of the season.
Two under for the day through 15 holes and needing to pick up two shots over the closing stretch to get inside the cut mark as one over became the magic number, the 35-year-old was inches away from making a hole-in-one at the short 16th.
He then hit his approach to five feet at the par-4 17th only for that chance to go abegging before seeing his campaign end in painful fashion as a great drive, solid second shot to the second of the green then a good chip to around two feet wasn’t finished off with the birdie he needed at the par-5 18th.
Signing for a second-round 69, Law agonisingly failed to make it through to the final two rounds by a single shot, meaning his fate in the battle for full cards for next season is now out of his hands.
Having started the event sitting 107th in the Race to Dubai Ranking and the top 100 being the Category 10 card cut-off this year, the 2019 ISPS HANDA Vic Open winner has slipped one spot in the projected standings and now can’t do anything himself to change that.
He will have to wait and see how others fare over the weekend and the bad news for Law is that there are a number of players who can still have a bearing on where he finally ends up.
Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa has made the biggest move so far in Korea, climbing ten spots to 96th in the projected positions after reaching the halfway stage in the $4 million event sitting joint-tenth on five under.
Like Law, Italian Matteo Manassero has dropped one place to sit 99th, but the former BMW PGA champion has a chance to go above the Scot after making the cut on one over despite a late wobble.
Englishman Eddie Pepperell, who decided not to play in Korea despite his perilous position, now sits 100th, with American Sean Crocker being one of the big dangermen for those currently just inside the safety zone.
Holding his nerve to make a two-putt par at the 18th in the same group as Law to make it through to the final 36 holes on the mark, he’s up two spots to 101st, with Norwegian Andreas Halvorsen, who is up to 107th, also keeping his hopes alive by reaching the midpoint on one over.
Others to start out on Thursday sitting below Law but now through to the weekend are 2024 Scottish Challenge winner Brandon Robinson Thompson (up to 105th), China’s Ashun Wu (up to 117th), Spaniard Vidal Quim (up to 122nd), Japan’s Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino (up to 125th) and Englishman James Morrison (up to 137th).
The Category 10 card battle is over, meanwhile, for Euan Walker, Daniel Young and Cameron Adam after they all made early exits. Walker, who missed out by a shot after running up an untimely double-bogey 7 on his back nine, has slipped two spots to 123rd in the projected standings and needs to finish in the top 125 to secure a Category 18 card.
Adam, who sits 132nd following the final blow of his rookie campaign after earning a seat at the top table as last year’s Global Amateur Pathway winning, is guaranteed a Category 19 card, but, along with 149th-placed Young, he will now turn his attention to the Second Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain next week.
Others facing one of the toughest tests in golf include nine-time tour winner Pablo Larrazabal and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, the 2015 Paul Lawrie Match Play champion at Murcar Links. “Dreams come true and I made my dreams here,” said Larrazabal in a social media post of losing his card for the time being. “I will give my everything to come back stronger next season if I have my chances.”
Away from the worrying time for some players, South African Casey Jarvis and Frenchman Antoine Rozner share the halfway lead on ten under par, sitting three shots clear of a group that includes Ryan Fox, The Open champion, in Korea.
After a second-round 66, Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra sits in the top 15 on four under, with Scott Jamieson, the sole Scot still standing, three shots further back in a tie for 39th.
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