The DP World Tour Championship produced celebrations for Tyrrell Hatton and Rory McIlroy on Sunday, but one contender left Dubai with a painful reminder of how quickly a season can turn. With PGA Tour membership within reach, Sweden’s Mikael Lindberg watched his opportunity disappear over the final two holes at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Lindberg entered the final round alone in third place, positioned to turn a strong tournament into a career-changing result. He had worked his way into the projected qualifying places for one of the 10 PGA Tour cards available through the Race to Dubai standings.
Instead, Lindberg closed with consecutive bogeys to finish seven under par and miss out on a card, according to Irish Golfer’s Ronan MacNamara. What could have been a breakthrough Sunday ended with a result that will be difficult to put behind him.
Mikael Lindberg Misses PGA Tour Opportunity After Late Bogeys
The stakes extended well beyond the tournament trophy. Through the alliance between the two circuits, the leading 10 eligible players in the final Race to Dubai rankings earn dual membership on the PGA Tour for the following season.
Lindberg had given himself an excellent chance heading into Sunday. The DP World Tour’s final-round preview placed him ninth in the projected race for those cards after a third-round 69 moved him to six under.
The Turkish Airlines Open winner began the week 32nd in the season standings. After Saturday, he was projected to climb to 15th overall, enough to put him inside the qualifying group once already-exempt players were removed.
That distinction made every position on Sunday’s leaderboard significant. A dropped shot could affect both Lindberg’s tournament finish and the season-long points determining his PGA Tour opportunity.
His closing mistakes ultimately left him tied for fifth in the championship. Ordinarily, finishing that high against an elite field would provide plenty to celebrate. This time, the missed opportunity gave the result a much different meaning.
Joe Dean secured the final available PGA Tour card, while Lindberg finished outside the qualifying group. The same afternoon delivered relief for one player and disappointment for another.
Lindberg’s Finish Also Helped McIlroy Make History
Lindberg’s closing holes also mattered in the battle for the Race to Dubai title.
McIlroy finished alone in second at 10 under, enough to overtake Eugenio Chacarra and secure his eighth season-long crown. However, the points calculations meant players chasing McIlroy could still influence the outcome.
The DP World Tour’s recap noted that Lindberg remained part of those late permutations before McIlroy’s championship was finally secure. His trouble at the finish helped remove another threat to McIlroy’s position.
For Lindberg, though, the personal consequence overshadowed his role in that larger drama.
He arrived at the final round with a realistic chance to earn PGA Tour membership through his season’s work. He left with a top-five finish, but without the card that had been within reach.
Two closing bogeys turned an impressive week into a painful near miss.
Golf Pro Suffers Devastating Finish in Dubai With PGA Tour Card at Stake