Nolan admits he's got "nothing to lose" as he chases DP World Tour card at Rolex Grand Final

Galway Golf Club’s Liam Nolan

Liam Nolan has nothing to lose as he bids for his DP World Tour card at this week’s Rolex Grand Final in Mallorca.

The Galway man (25) took advantage of early-season invitations to earn status on the second-tier HotelPlanner Tour and tees it up with a chance to win one of 20 cards on the main tour.

He likely needs to win to jump from 43rd in the rankings into the top 20 who will win tickets to the big league.

But just making the 45-strong field at Club de Golf Alcanada is a bonus.

“It’s a pleasure and honour to be here, having started the year with invites only,” Nolan said.

“To get my way to the Rolex Grand Final, I’d have bitten your arm off for that, so it’s a great opportunity for me to be here.”

Nolan recorded top-four finishes in his first two starts and coupled with invitations secured by Golf Ireland, he improved his HotelPlanner Tour status through the mid-season re-rank.

“It was a dream start to my pro career,” he said. “It did (free me up), but it was still very unknown what I would be playing in until the re-rank, so I was looking at the phone, and then Golf Ireland did a good job of getting me a few more invites before the re-rank.

Whatever happens this week, he’s looking to the future with optimism.

“This year, my main goal was just to learn, and I have done a lot of learning,” said Nolan, whose great play allowed him shelve plans to play the Alps Tour.

“I wasn’t expecting as much golf and managing yourself on the road, so no matter what happens this week, I can take a lot from this year into next year. I’m just buzzing to be here.

“I’ve played with some amazing players this year. It’s such a step up in amateur golf from ball-striking and short-game-wise.

“They all rip it and they all get up and down, and they all hole putts, so it gives you a lot to look at and highlights what you can do better in your own game.

“I thought I was going to be playing this whole season on Alps Tour. I got my card on Alps Q-School after missing the final stage last year by a shot, so I’d prepared mentally for a season on Alps Tour, and then in February, I was preparing for a season out here.

“It’s a privileged position to be in. I’m already a tour ahead of where I thought I was going to be at the end of 2025, so to get to Mallorca, I would’ve done anything for that at the start of the year.”

As for his goals, he’s not getting ahead of himself and simply happy to see his game progress.

“I’m not one for long-term goals, especially in this sport, as week-to-week anything can change,” he said after a season where he made seven of 21 cuts and recorded four top-10 finishes.

“You just really need top five finishes. That’s where all the points are. Missing cuts isn’t the end of the world, as long as you’re striving to contend in as many tournaments as you can.

“You need to be contending as much as you can out here. Top 20s are good, and they keep points ticking, but you need high finishes.”

Getting a card this week will be a big challenge, but he’s under no real pressure at Club de Golf Alcanada.

“I’m in a nice position of having nothing to lose and I’ll just go out there and see what game comes to the tee on Thursday,” he said.

“I’m very lucky and fortunate to be in this position, so obviously, you’re looking at DP World Tour cards, but it’s another opportunity to learn about my game. Hopefully, at the end of the week, I have a DP World Tour card.”

As for the course, he added: “It’s a tale of two nines. The front nine is a very position-based game, and then on the back nine, you can open up the shoulders a little bit more. Plenty of opportunities out there, but also plenty of tough holes, so it’s a good mix.”

He’s not the only Irishman seeking a DP World Tour card as 12 hopefuls - Conor Purcell, Ronan Mullarney, Hugh Foley, John Ross Galbraith, Dermot McElroy, Mark Power, Max Kennedy, Cormac Sharvin, Robert Moran, Paul McBride, Tom Dowdall and David Carey— tee it up at the Second Stage of the Qualifying School in Spain tomorrow.

Tom McKibbin and Graeme McDowell, meanwhile, will be chasing victory in the Link Hong Kong Open and spots in the Masters and The Open next season.

In Kuala Lumpur, 53rd-ranked Leona Maguire plays the third-last event of the season, the Maybank Championship, looking to consolidate her place in the top 60 in the rankings who will qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship