Mixed fortunes for the Scots on the DP World Tour in Class of 2022 report cards
The 2022 DP World Tour Tour is done and dusted, having comprised 44 events, history being made as Swede Linn Grant became the first woman to win on the circuit and Rory Mcilroy topping the rankings for a fourth time.
It was another good season for the Scots with four title triumphs in total and lots of other eye-catching performances as five players made it to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and three ended up in the top 20 in the end-of-season standings. Here’s my end-of-term report cards for the ‘Class of 2022’:
Ewen Ferguson
It was a very impressive rookie season for the 26- year-old Bears den man following his graduation from the challenge tour. he finished 17 th in the DP World Tour standings, having won the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the end of March in just his sixth event as a full main tour card holder then backing that up by adding the isps hand a world Invitational presented by aviv clinics in Northern Ireland in August. Just three weeks later, he out on a third title triumph after Englishman Oliver Wilson holed two monster birdie putts on the back nine in the final round to snatch victory from under the Scot’s nose in the Made in Himmerland in Denmark. That effort earned him €330,000 - his biggest pay-day of the-year-and, overall, he banked €1,266,006. His only disappointment will be coming up just short in the Rookie of the Year title battle, but, if this is a taste of what’ s to come, then buckle up because it could be an exciting ride. Grade A
Bob Macintyre (above)
After a quiet first half of the season, he’d dropped outside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking before his game started to click again from july onwards. he missed just one cut in his final 12 events of the year and landed a sweet second DP World Tour title triumph in the DS Automobiles Italian Open, beating US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick in a play-off in a field that also included the aforementioned Mcilroy at Marco Simone Golf Club, where next year’s Ryder Cup will be held. Having backed that up with four successive top-20 finishes, the 26-year-old Oban man ended the season occupying one of the automatic spots in Luke Donald’s team for that match. Eighteenth on this occasion, he’s now finished in the top 25 four years in a row, which is something to be proud of, but, at the same time, he’ll feel a t ad frustrated about his season overall due to the fact he’s currently 70th in the ow gr after finishing last year 55th. Grade B+ Richie Ramsay Was in with a chance of winning the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry in May until he found water with his approach at the last and had to settle for a share of third spot. Bounced back from that disappointment when he won the Cazoo Classic at Hillside in July, roaring with delight after he’ d ho led a birdie putt on the last to clinch his fourth tour title and first since 2015. The 39-year-old then went off the boil for a bit, though still made more cuts than he missed, before ending the campaign strongly by getting in the mix in the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa then securing a top-20 spot in the DP World Tour Championship. He finished 19th on the points table, which, to put into perspective, was his best effort in 14 successive season son the main tour and came just two years after he’d ended up 114th. In a year when he took his career earnings to €9,537,272, he was in the top ten for both driving accuracy and greens hit in regulation. Grade B+
Connor Syme
Ended up 28th in the standings, having finished second twice - the first was in the ca zoo open supported by Gareth Bale at Celtic Manor and the other behind close friend Ferguson in the ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle and recording five top-ten finishes in total. The 27-year-old Drumoig-based player finished the season strongly by securing a tie for 12th behind Jon Rahm in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and, in doing so, joined Ferguson, Macintyre and Ramsay in booking a berth in next year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. Grade B
David Law (left) Another player who enjoyed his best season sitting at the top table, finishing 49th on the points list compared to 92nd when he landed a breakthrough win in 2019. The 29-year-old Aberdonian recorded three top-ten finishes, including one in the Horizon Irish Open that secured his major de but in the 150 th Open at st andrews, where he made the cut. He’s growing in confidence all the time and a second success will be firmly in his sights heading into next season. Grade B Scott Jamieson After a strong start to the season he opened it with a 63 and went onto tie for tenth in the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship before also recordinga high finish in th era salkh aim ah Classic-the 39- year-old Florida based player would have been disappointed to come up just short of making it to Dubai for the season finale. Grade C+
Grant Forrest
Having landed his breakthrough win on scottish soil in the 2021 hero Open, he’ d have been looking to really kick on this year but, apart from getting himself in the mix in the Cazoo Classic and eventually ending up in joint-third behind ram say, it was a disappointing campaign for the 29-year-old East Lothian-based player. Grade C
Marc Warren
The 41-year-old effectively saved his card with one big result, which came as he tied for second behind the aforementioned Grant in the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, and he will certainly be looking to achieve a bit more consistency heading into his 18 th season as a main tour card holder. Grade C
Craig Howie
The Challenge Tour graduate made the cut in exactly half of the 26 events he played in but was unable to produce the one big performance that makes a difference, a tie for 12th in Qatar being his best effort. But, in Category 19, the 28-year-old Peebles man will still get a reasonable amount of starts in 2023. Grade Cdavid
Drysdale
After holding a full card for 18 consecutive season sand 21 in total, the 47-year-old no longer has a seat at the top table after a campaign that saw him hindered by a niggling neck and shoulder injury. He is now reliant on invitations. Grade D
Stephen Gallacher
It was too little, too late as he found some form in the final weeks of the season and, after being unable to successfully negotiate a return to the Q-school, the 48-year-old former Ryder Cup player has also lost his card. Grade D