DP World Tour update: Longtime pro Julian Guerrier takes huge step toward first TOUR card

France’s Julien Guerrier, 39, has played professional golf for nearly 20 years, and the journey hasn’t been easy. Before last week, he had won on the Challenge Tour, Alps Tour and French Tour, but not yet on the DP World Tour.

That changed at last week’s Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters, where Guerrier outlasted Jorge Campillo in a nine-hole playoff for his first DP World Tour title. Not only did Guerrier get the proverbial monkey off his back – he had made 229 DP World Tour starts prior to his victory – but the wily veteran is now on the precipice of his first PGA TOUR card.

The top 10 on the season-long Race to Dubai standings, not otherwise exempt, will earn dual membership on the 2025 PGA TOUR. With his dramatic victory in Spain, Guerrier leapt to No. 12 on the Race to Dubai Rankings – PGA TOUR Eligibility, just 41 points behind Tom McKibbin for the final spot.

Just three events remain in the DP World Tour schedule, starting at this week’s Genesis Championship in South Korea and followed by the two-event DP World Tour Playoffs – the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (Nov. 7-10) and DP World Tour Championship (Nov. 14-17). The top 70 on the Race to Dubai after the Genesis Championship will qualify for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and the top 50 after Abu Dhabi will qualify for the DP World Tour Championship.

The Race to Dubai Rankings – PGA TOUR Eligibility will be finalized after the DP World Tour Championship, and Guerrier’s late push for a spot in the top 10 won’t come easy. But he has a chance.

Nearly two decades ago, Guerrier’s stock in the game looked quite high. He won the 2006 British Amateur to earn spots in that year’s Open Championship and the 2007 Masters, and he finished third on the 2008 Alps Tour to graduate to the Challenge Tour, where he earned his DP World Tour card the following year. Progress hasn’t always been linear for the native of Évreux, France, who has bounced between the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour and battled injuries.

But after his emotional victory in Spain, things are trending upward – perhaps at an opportune time.

“It’s been a really long time,” Guerrier said Sunday. “It’s a long wait, and I’m very happy.”

With a tie for fourth at the Andalucia Masters, Jordan Smith moved inside the top 10 on the Race to Dubai Rankings – PGA TOUR Eligibility; the 31-year-old Englishman now stands No. 8. Smith has won twice on the DP World Tour, most recently at the 2022 Portugal Masters, and has competed in 10 major championships – highlighted by a tie for ninth at the 2017 PGA Championship.

South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who finished fourth at this year’s Open Championship, leads the Race to Dubai Rankings – PGA TOUR Eligibility with three events remaining, followed by Rasmus Højgaard, Matteo Manassero, Niklas Norgaard, Jesper Svensson, Rikuya Hoshino, Sebastian Soderberg, Smith, Romain Langasque and McKibbin.

Click here for the Race to Dubai Rankings – PGA TOUR Eligibility standings.

Højgaard, who finished No. 11 on last year’s Race to Dubai Rankings – PGA TOUR Eligibility, tied for fourth at the Andalucia Masters to take the No. 2 spot with three events remaining.

The current bubble boy McKibbin, who stands 22 points ahead of No. 11 Thorbjørn Olesen, grew up at the same home club (Holywood Golf Club in Northern Ireland) as world No. 3 Rory McIlroy. Guido Migliozzi, Angel Hidalgo Portillo and Dan Bradbury stand Nos. 13-15, respectively.

This marks the second year where the top 10 on the Race to Dubai, not otherwise exempt, will earn PGA TOUR membership. Two members of the inaugural class, Robert MacIntyre and Matthieu Pavon, have won on TOUR in 2024.