The Cost of DP World Tour Q School
Every Monday, I write a newsletter breaking down the business in golf. Welcome to the 50 new Perfect Putt members who have joined us since our last newsletter. Join 7,533 intelligent and curious golfers by subscribing below.
Today At A Glance:
I chatted with two of the 36 Americans playing in the second stage of DP World Tour Q School this week. We talked about the money and process of trying to earn a DP World Tour card.
Read Time: 6 minutes
Today’s newsletter is powered by Pinehurst.
A day in Pinehurst is unlike any day – anywhere — in golf.
At Pinehurst Resort, a day can be spent on the U.S. Open’s first Anchor Site and Donald Ross’s famed masterpiece, Pinehurst No. 2. The 2024 U.S. Open will be the fourth played at Pinehurst in the last 25 years, setting the stage for four more championships to return to the hallowed site over the next two decades.
Another day can be enjoyed on Gil Hanse’s breathtaking design of Pinehurst No. 4, and later on one of his most inspired layouts, the rollicking Cradle short course. Seven other masterful designs still await, including the serene Pinehurst No. 8. And just down the road, Tom Doak is creating a 10th Pinehurst course, set to open in April of 2024.
But days at Pinehurst don’t end on the golf course — there’s the barbecue and craft beer at Pinehurst Brewing Company. There’s the stylish bourbon bar, the North & South. Extend evenings with friends around fire pits. Retreat to fully renovated, historic hotels. There’s a reason the locals always say, “It’s a beautiful day in Pinehurst.”
Hey Golfers —
The second stage of DP World Tour Q School begins this week at four locations across Spain. Over 320 golfers will try to advance to final stage in two weeks.
Thirty-six of the golfers trying to advance to final stage are Americans. Interestingly — only one American finished inside the top 100 in this year’s Race to Dubai rankings on the DP World Tour.
Brooks Koepka provided the most recent blueprint of an American going to Europe to play and eventually earn a PGA Tour card and win five majors.
2012 — Challenge Tour
2013 — DP World Tour & Challenge Tour
2014 — DP World Tour
2015 — PGA Tour
I chatted with two American golfers last week to better understand the money and process of DP World Tour Q School.
Before we dive in, are more Americans playing in DP World Tour Q School than before?
Twenty-eight Americans played in second stage last year — meaning an increase of 28% this year. The DP World Tour does not provide results beyond last year. But the overall sentiment is yes — more Americans are playing in DP World Tour Q School.
And it makes sense for two primary reasons.
Playing status
Pathway to PGA Tour from DP World Tour
Graysen and Tyler have two wildly different paths to where they are today.
Graysen played golf at Auburn and earned status quickly on PGA Tour Latinoamerica after graduating from college. Graysen has played three seasons on PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
2021 — $7,658 in earnings
2022 — $10,293 in earnings
2023 — $3,068 in earnings
For reference — Graysen finished 52nd on the points list in 2022 and made $10,293. He lost $15,000 on the year after his expenses.
Graysen played in the first stage of PGA Tour Q School a couple of weeks ago — he missed advancing to second stage by one stroke. And he advanced on the number in first stage of DP World Q School.
The entree fee for DP World Tour Q School is $3,200 — each additional stage a golfer qualifies for does not require an entry fee.
Add in flight, hotel, rental car, and food; it cost Graysen $6,000 to qualify through first stage in Austria. Second stage will cost him around half of first stage since he does not have to pay an entry fee. To this point — Graysen will have around $9,000 invested into DP World Tour Q School.
Add in his entry fee and costs for PGA Tour Q School, and he has around $15,000 invested into Q Schools this year.
Tyler went to Eastern Kentucky — he did not play on the golf team, instead enrolled in the PGM program. After graduation, he moved to Florida to take an assistant job. He worked as a full-time assistant for several years until this past May — he is going all in on playing.
Tyler has played in four events on the PGA Tour — including two PGA Championships. And he has two guaranteed starts on the PGA Tour in 2024.
Over the last two years, Tyler has won ten professional events.
Tyler also played in the first stage of PGA Tour Q School — spending over $7,000 in entry fees and expenses.
His expenses for first and second stage of DP World Tour Q School are very similar to Graysen's.
Neither Graysen nor Tyler have status on any tours next year. Here is what is at stake.
If they make it through second stage — they will stay in Spain and make the ten-hour drive across Spain to final stage the following week.
Twenty-five DP World Tour cards are available at final stage. Depending on where a golfer finishes — they will receive conditional status on the DP World Tour and full Challenge Tour status.
Advance to final stage — and they will likely have some status heading into 2024.
The DP World Tour does provide a purse in each of the stages of Q School — an added bonus. The top five places were paid out, and first place in stage one paid out $2,600.
Tyler has a wife and an 11-month-old old. When I asked him if he earned a Challenge Tour card, would he take it? He answered with a resounding yes.
While it doesn’t happen often — Americans do play on the Challenge Tour. Nearly 300 golfers earned points on the Challenge Tour this year — including nine Americans — 3%.
For context — here is what Challenge Tour players have made this year.
1st — $184,800
50th — $52,800
100th — $23,700
Money on the Challenge Tour isn’t as good as the Korn Ferry Tour — but it’s status. And it provides a pathway to the DP World Tour.
And that is what these guys are playing for right now — status on some tour.
Have yourself a great Monday. Talk to you next week!
Your feedback helps improve Perfect Putt. How did you like this week's newsletter?
If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, please share it with your friends!
Are you interested in partnering with Perfect Putt? Click the button to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.