DPWT Second Stage Recap

Desert Springs Resort

Desert Springs Golf Club, Almería, Spain

Medalist

Jannik De Bryuyn- The 24-year-old from Germany with three top-15 finishes on the Challenge Tour this season topped the leaderboard at 21-under par, earning €2,870.39. 

Notable names to get through

Nicolo Galletti - The Arizona State grad cruised through with a four round total of -18. Galletti won the 2022 Arizona Open at Mesa Country Club, played 10 events on PGA Tour Canada this summer, and finished 3rd at the ATB Classic.

Callum Mcneill- McNeill dreamed of playing on Tour while working in a pro shop. When 14-time PGA Tour winner Hal Sutton told McNeill he thought McNeill could make it, everything changed. McNeill quit working in the shop and began working on his game with Sutton. The work is paying off as McNeill shot 10-under to advance to the final stage. 

Oliver Fisher- It’s been an inconsistent couple years for the 35-year-old Fisher, who has spent time playing both DPWT and Challenge Tours. After advancing to the final stage by surviving an 8-for-5 playoff, Fisher has a chance to return to DPWT next season.  

Clutch performances

Erik Flores- The 36-year-old American got off to a slow start but rallied with 67 and 66 in the final two rounds to reach 10-under and advance to the final stage. 

Rhys Enoch- The 35-year-old Welshman has spent most of his career on the Challenge Tour with a maiden win at the 2019 D+D REAL Slovakia Challenge. His best finish this season was a T-5 at the Irish Challenge. Enoch posted four rounds under par, saving his best for last: a 68 to move to 9-under and avoid a large playoff by one stroke. 

Heartbreak 

Garrick Porteous - The Challenge Tour winner had a difficult year only cracking the top-25 once. He posted a brilliant final round 67 to get into an 8-for-5 playoff, but was one of the three who failed to survive. 

Ross McGowan- The 2020 Italian Open champion was once ranked in the top 100 in the OWGR. The 41-year-old played only nine events on the Challenge Tour this year, with a season-best 2nd place finish at the British Challenge. The Englishman finished the four rounds at 3-under par, missing the playoff by 5 strokes. 

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Golf Las Pinaillas

Golf Las Pinaillas, Albacete, Spain

Medalist

Connor Mckinney- The 21-year-old Australian finished 2nd at the first stage before posting 12-under to nab medalist honors and €2,870.39. Mckinney played in The Open Championship this summer at Royal Liverpool but missed the cut by seven shots. 

Notable names to get through

Patrick Newcomb- Newcomb finished 89th on the KFT season-long points race this year, narrowly missing out on conditional status for 2024. The two-time PGA Tour Canada winner advanced to the final stage with a final round 69, avoiding the 4-for-3 playoff by a single shot.

Zhengkai “Bobby” Bai - The 26-year-old from China gained DPWT and KFT status early in his career and has played a hectic schedule around the globe. His best finish came on the Asian Tour this summer at the Thailand International Series event where he placed 15th. 

Clutch performances

Braden Thornberry- Thornberry, the former Ole Miss star, Walker Cup member and 2017 NCAA Individual Champion, is on the craziest DPWT Q-school ride yet. Thornberry narrowly missed earning a PGA Tour card through the KFT in 2021 and lost his KFT status the following season. In the opening round of DPWT Q-school, Thornberry shot 81 and was in third-to-last place. He battled back with 67 and 66 in the second and third rounds, closed with 69 and advanced through a playoff to qualify for the final stage. 

Heartbreak

Lucas Bjerregaard- The 32-year-old Bjerregaard finished 13th in the 2018 Race to Dubai and holds two DPWT wins. It’s been a difficult year for him on the Challenge Tour, where his best finish was a T-10 in 26 starts. Bjerregaard shot even par over 72 holes, missing a playoff for the final stage by one shot.

Paul Dunne- The notable Irishman and 2017 British Masters Champion failed to advance to the final stage shooting +2 over four rounds. 

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Isla Canela Links

Isla Canela Links, Huelva, Spain

Medalist

Phillipp Katich- Katich played mostly on the Pro Golf Tour–a feeder to the Challenge Tour–in 2023, where he had a runner-up finish. He did have a few starts on the Challenge Tour where his best finish was T18. His season led to a medalist honors performance at second stage where he nabbed €2,870.39 and a spot in the final stage.

Notable Names

James Nicholas- Nicholas has been on a heater this year advancing to the second stage of KFT Q-school and now getting through both stages of Euro Q-school. Nicholas, 26, has 39 career KFT starts. 

Tyler Collet- The club pro from Florida played steadily and finished T-13 to easily advance. Collet has played in two PGA Championships and has been the South Florida PGA Section Player of the Year in both 2022 and ‘23. 

Hugo Townsend- Son of two-time European Ryder Cup member Peter Townsend, Hugo will play in his first final stage this week. The two-time Mountain West Player of the Year built a stellar resume at Boise State before playing his final year at theUniversity of Mississippi. 

Clutch Performances

Oliver “Ollie” Roberts- A final round 66, one of the best rounds of the day, earned the 30-year-old a spot in a 6-for-4 playoff where he survived. The longtime pro has chased his dream on numerous tours including the China Tour, Tartan Tour and Outlaw Tour. 

Heartbreak

Benjamin Rusch- A triple bogey on the fifth hole of the final round led to an even par 72, knocking Rusch into the 6-for-4 playoff. The Challenge Tour veteran, who has 119 career starts on the feeder tour, made a bogey in the playoff and will have to hope his alternate status will get him a spot at final stage. 

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Fontanals Golf Club

Fontanals Golf Club, Girona, Spain

Medalist

Hamish Brown- A third round 63 helped the Dane earn medalist honors and €2,870.39. Brown played on the Challenge Tour this year, making 11-of-18 cuts and finishing 83rd on the Order of Merit. Brown was one of five Danish players to make it through to the final stage at this site. 

Notable names to get through

Søren Broholt Lind- Mark Baldwin played with Lind in a pro-am at the Genesis Invitational in 2022 and Lind also helped Baldwin find clubs at last year's DPWT Q-school, when an airline lost Baldwin's clubs. Lind opened with a three-over 74 but shot back-to-back 67’s in the final two rounds to easily advance.

Evan Harmeling-  The Princeton grad and Korn Ferry Tour winner shot a final round 68 to get to the final stage by two strokes. 

Matt Oshrine- Through 36 holes, Oshrine was six-over and well down the leaderboard. In the third round he made ten birdies and shot 62, the best round of the week, to rocket up the leaderboard. He followed with a final round 68 to finish T-15 and earn a spot in the final stage. 

Clutch Performances

Hans Ronneblad- Like Oshrine, Ronneblad, who played college golf at Texas Tech, found himself well off the projected number through 36 holes. In the final 36 holes, he made 11 birdies, shot 65-68 and survived a 7-for-4 playoff to punch his ticket to the final stage. 

Heartbreak

Alexander Wennstam Holmqvist- An opening nine of 39 in the final round was too much to overcome. Holmqvist finished with a 74 to fall into the 7-for-4 playoff where he made a bogey, failing to advance.