Rayhan Thomas came close to securing full playing rights for next season on the DP World Tour, but walked away with eligibility for the Challenge Tour
Dubai-based Indian national Rayhan Thomas, came agonizingly close to earning his full playing rights for the 2025 DP World (European) Tour at the Qualifying Tournament Final Stage held in Tarragona, Spain, but finally had to be content with earning Challenge Tour playing status.
Rayhan Thomas finished 33rd in the six-round Qualifying Tournament with a total of 16-under-par, just two strokes away from the top 21 spots required to earn full playing rights on the 2025 DP World Tour. The 25-year-old, who celebrated his birthday on the final day of the qualifying event, delivered a final round of three-under-par, recovering from an inconsistent front nine. Despite the disappointment, his performance earned him €1,300 in prize money and assurance of status on the European second-rung Challenge Tour next season. Reflecting on his near miss, he said, “I missed my full card by two shots, but I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
Thomas will now shift his focus to the PGA Tour Qualifying Event’s Second Stage in Savannah, Georgia, beginning November 19. He completed four years playing US college golf on the famous Oklahoma State University team and joined the pro ranks half way through the year, enjoying some immediate success on the Asian Tour and also came across for a week to India where he won the Coimbatore Open in his only ever appearance in this country.
Former Delhi native Saptak Talwar, who has been in the USA for the past several years, concluded the tournament with a two-under 69 in the final round to finish 68th at nine-under-par. While outside the qualifying bracket, Talwar is also eligible to play on the Challenge Tour with this finish.
Angad Cheema, the only Indian from PGTI who attempted to qualify for the European Tour, failed to progress past the 72-hole cut. Cheema finished tied 104th at four-under-par, missing the final two rounds of competition, but could still end up with a few starts on the Challenge Tour.
Italian veteran and former Ryder Cup player Eduardo Molinari, who suffered poor form in Europe during 2024 and had to go back to qualifying, secured top honors at the qualifying event with a 29-under-par total, while Jean Bekirian of Armenia made history by becoming the first from Armenia to earn a DP World Tour card, finishing 10th.
