Kennedy eyes DP World Tour promotion spot after runner-up finish at Fancourt
Max Kennedy is seen on the fourth hole during the second round of the LIV Golf Promotions at Black Diamond Ranch on Friday, January 09, 2026 in Lecanto, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/LIV Golf)
Max Kennedy kept his patience and closed with a bogey-free 69 to tie for second in the NTT DATA Pro-Am and surge to sixth in the race for 15 DP World Tour cards.
The Royal Dublin man (24) went into the third and final round four shots behind leader MJ Daffue in a tie for 10th in the weather-reduced HotelPlanner Tour event at Fancourt Golf Estate.
While South African Daffue (37) held on, closing with an eagle three to shoot 69 on the Montagu Course and win by four strokes on 16-under par, Kennedy’s closing birdie four for a three-under par effort left him a four-way tie for second with American Hunter Logan, South Africa’s Bryce Easton and Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent.
“Good result this week,” said Kennedy, who is looking forward to this week’s Jonsson Workwear Durban Open as he chases that coveted DP World Tour card awarded to the top 15 in the final Road to Mallorca standings.
“Worked on a couple of things last week that paid off. So I was very happy with that.
“I just kept the foot down and stayed aggressive, while not getting too impatient on the greens. “I stayed aggressive, tee to green, and it paid off. “Made a nice birdie on the last there from that sort of mindset. So I was quite happy with that finish and the way I played today.”
Kennedy picked up €23,260 for his week’s work in George, but he was more pleased to go bogey-free and get 145 Road to Mallorca points as he seeks promotion to the main tour next season.
“Yeah, it's always nice when you go bogey-free,” said the former University of Louisville star, who finished 47th in the rankings in his rookie season last year.
“My goal in tournaments is to go have as few bogeys as I possibly can, and going into this week was no different, and I did a really good job of that.
MJ Daffue. Picture: Getty Images
“I didn't do a whole lot well this week, but I didn't do anything wrong. If I keep with that approach for the rest of the year, I think it'll be a good year, and I'm looking forward to getting it underway.
“The goal next week in Durban is the same — Keep the foot down and make sure the short game is good.”
West Waterford’s Gary Hurley shot 73 and Galway’s Liam Nolan a 71 to tie for 27th on seven under, while Conor Purcell’s 72 left him a shot further back in 32nd.
Hermitage’s Rowan Lester, who is a regular on the Sunshine Tour, closed with a 74 to tie for 55th on two-under.
It was a significant victory for Daffue, who returned to South Africa recently to play his way back into form after a frustrating two-year battle with injuries and surgeries.
“I’ve always dreamt of having my son run onto the 18th green after a win,” said an emotional Daffue, whose win earned him a place in the Investec South African Open at Stellenbosch in two weeks.
“And to be honest, there was a time when I wondered if it would ever happen. But today it did.”
He added: “This is so special and to finish off with an eagle was perfect. It was a perfect storm this week where everything fell in place. These outcomes are a result of a lot of things and I’m so grateful.
“I’m going to have to figure out what I am going to do now. I may need to travel a little more, maybe playing in South Africa a little bit more, but also on the HotelPlanner Tour to chase that DP World Tour card.”
Winning one of 15 DP World Tour cards via the HotelPlanner Tour’s Road to Mallorca standings can be life-changing for young professionals, especially financially.
The top 15 graduates are eligible for the Earnings Assurance Programme ($150,000 minimum for 2027), while the top five receive the John Jacobs Bursary.
