The DP World Tour regular season came to an end last week, setting the stage for the eagerly anticipated DP World Tour Playoffs (starting in Abu Dhabi next week).
This has been a monumental season for European golf, with Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup side triumphing over USA- and common decency- to become the first Ryder Cup side to win on foreign soil since 2012. In that spirit of celebration, I want to signal out the top five stories of this year’s DP World Tour regular season (not including the Ryder Cup frivolity).
5. Tommy wins in India
This season marked Tommy Fleetwood’s true coming of age. The slender Southport product redeemed a career of near misses with his stunning victory at the Tour Championship, usurping Scottie Scheffler to become the FedEx Cup champ. His qualification for the DP World Tour Playoffs hung in the balance when he decided to tee it up at the inaugural edition of the DP World India Championship. But he produced yet another virtuoso tee-to-green performance, leaving driver out the bag to win by two strokes on a pernickety layout. It was a splendid victory that not only secured Tommy’s playoff spot but helped redefine him as a serial winner who could threaten in majors to come.
4. Bobby Mac delivers in front of expectant fans
A week after the Bethpage debacle, Robert McIntyre and some of his Ryder Cup cohorts descended on the Alfred Dunhill Links for a well-deserved victory lap. MacIntyre- who narrowly missed out at Oakmont earlier this season- delivered the goods in front of his home fans, beating Alfred Dunhill links aficionado Tyrell Hatton by four strokes. In the process, the affable Macintyre became the first Scot in over 20 years to claim the Alfred Dunhill Links title, reinforcing the notion that he is an Open champion in waiting.
3. Jordan Bumberg eagles final hole to retain tour card
Last week’s Genesis Championship featured one of those moments that will forever be etched into DP World Tour folklore. In underdog scenes ripped out of a golfing Rocky script, American Jordan Gumberg did the unthinkable, pitching in for eagle at the 18th to secure his European playing privileges. The shot catapulted him to T7 in the standings, ensuring that he would end the season in that highly coveted 110th spot in the Race to Dubai standings. The American- who started the week ranked 127th in the standings- will remember that moment for the rest of his life.
2. The Rise of Marco Penge
I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the redemption arc of Englishman Marco Penge. Penge endured a tough end to his 2024 campaign, barely managing to keep his tour card before running into some disciplinary trouble. In December, the Englishman was found guilty of betting on golfing events and was banned for three months. But he clearly worked on his game in the downtime and returned to action a completely different player, winning three times on this year’s tour. He has been demonic from tee-to-green, ranking 2nd to Rahm on tour in SG: Tee-to-Green. His latest victory at the Open de Espana secured his place at next season’s Masters and Open Championship, vaunted him to a career-high ranking of 30th in the world. Currently sitting 2nd in the Race to Dubai standings, Penge still has an outside shot of dethroning current race leader Rory McIlroy.
1. Rory completes career Grand Slam
Speaking of which, there was never going to be another No.1. European heavyweight Rory McIlroy finally clocked the game of golf, beating the evergreen Justin Rose in a playoff to don his first green jacket. Rory did it in pure Rory fashion, almost snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. He double-bogeyed the 1st and then ran into catastrophe at the par-3 13th, duffing a wedge into the water to signal a potential collapse. He regrouped but missed a knee-knocker for victory on the final hole of regulation play. McIlroy managed to exorcise Reagan-level major demons, holding off Rose to become just the 6th man to complete the career slam.
