Mark Power secures HotelPlanner Tour status as Lombard wins DP World Tour Q-School by 13 strokes
Mark Power. Picture: LIV Golf
Mark Power secured a HotelPlanner Tour card for 2026 after he finished ten shots outside the qualifying mark in the battle for 20 DP World Tour cards at the Final Stage of the Qualifying School in Spain.
The Kilkenny man (25) arrived at Infinitum in Tarragona with no status on Europe’s second-tier tour.
But after producing a blistering fourth round 66 to make the cut on the number, he added a level par 71 to his fifth round 69 to finish tied for 56th on eight-under and secure membership of the HotelPlanner Tour in Category 13.
It was a successful end to the year for the two-time Walker Cup player, who found form and won the Clutch Tour Championship late in the season.
“The week has been a positive,” said Power, who played 14 rounds over the First, Second and Final stages of the Qualifying School. “A big goal ticked off, having a full run at a season next year.
“Probably ran out of a bit of steam the last few days, but definitely moving in the right direction.”
He would have needed a closing 61 to win a DP World Tour card on a day when Zander Lombard added an eight-under 63 to rounds of 64, 69, 67, 64 and 64 to run out a 13-stroke victor on 37 under.
The South African became one of 20 players to earn DP World Tour playing privileges for next season — ten of them hailing from outside Europe..
Zander Lombard won the DP World Tour Qualifying School by 13 strokes. Picture: Getty Images
Shubhankar Sharma of India, Canada’s Aaron Cockerill and Australia’s Connor McKinney finished in a tie for second on 24 under par.
Lombard, who lost his DP World Tour card last month after a delayed start to his campaign following seven months on the sidelines due to injury, will make an immediate return as he secures his status on Golf’s Global Tour through Qualifying School for the second time in his career.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it is what I came here to do,” he said. “So, unreal. It’s hopefully the springboard for what the season has in store.
“It was a great week. A tough week, a long marathon. It was easy to just sit back and relax and start making a few errors, but my caddie and I were having fun, we stayed focused the whole week and that produced the score we have on the board.
“It’s been a tough year and a half. From knee surgery, learning how to walk again, to trying to find my game the last six months and then really starting to enjoy the game again the last two. It’s been trending and hopefully I can keep this form for the year to come.”
Daniel Rodrigues of Portugal, ranked 2,449 in the Official World Golf Ranking, carded a closing 68 to finish in a tie for fifth on 22 under, alongside England’s Nathan Kimsey.
Joining Rodrigues in coming through all three stages to earn DP World Tour playing privileges were Frenchman Quentin Debove, Argentina’s Andres German Gallegos, Brazil’s Frederico Biondi Figueiredo, American Hunter Logan and Mike Toorop of the Netherlands.
England’s Eddie Pepperell made birdies on the final four holes to earn his playing rights for the 2026 season in dramatic fashion, with countryman and fellow DP World Tour winner Matt Baldwin finishing birdie-eagle to earn a swift return to Golf’s Global Tour.
“I’m pretty proud of myself actually,” said Pepperell. “That was a tough day [with] a great finish.
“I didn’t have too many goals coming into these two weeks. I was just looking forward to playing some golf to be quite honest and hoping that I would play well.
“This week felt like a bit of a struggle at times and never more so than today midway through the round, but I really hung in there. I am delighted.”
Adri Arnaus, another former winner on Tour, made birdies at three of his final four holes to earn his card, while Norway’s Andreas Halvorsen and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana were able to celebrate success at the six-round event.
American Davis Bryant, Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follett-Smith and Gregorio De Leo of Italy came through Final Stage for the second year running.
France’s Alexander Levy and Scotland’s Marc Warren, who have nine DP World Tour titles between them, were among five players to miss out finishing in the top 20 and ties by just one shot.
Final Stage Qualifiers
Zander Lombard (RSA)
Connor McKinney (AUS)
Shubhankar Sharma (IND)
Aaron Cockerill (CAN)
Daniel Rodrigues (POR)
Nathan Kimsey (ENG)
Quentin Debove (FRA)
Davis Bryant (USA)
Benjamin Follett-Smith (ZIM)
Matthew Baldwin (ENG)
Gregorio de Leo (ITA)
Andreas Halvorsen (NOR)
Adri Arnaus (ESP)
Eddie Pepperell (ENG)
Jack Yule (ENG)
Andres German Gallegos (ARG)
Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA)
Frederico Biondi Figueiredo (BRA)
Hunter Logan (USA)
Mike Toorop (NED)
