Sunday 27 October 2019 21:23, UK
The regular Race to Dubai season reached an enthralling climax at the Portugal Masters, with several players leaving it late to secure their playing privileges for next season.
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Only the top 115 in the Race to Dubai standings after 72 holes at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course retained their European Tour cards for 2020, with those below that mark and not already exempt facing an uncertain golfing future.
Steven Brown made the biggest move of the week by registering his maiden professional title, despite arriving at the event without a top-10 all season, lifting the Englishman from 150th on the Race to Dubai to 69th in the standings.
Brown is now eligible to tee it up at the Turkish Airlines Open in a fortnight's time, only automatically available to the top 70 in the season-long standings and the first of three consecutive Rolex Series events at the end of the season.
The 32-year-old is one of five players to move inside the top 115 during an eventful week in Vilamoura. We take a look at those who will be back on the European Tour in 2020 and the players facing a trip to Qualifying School next month to avoid dropping down onto the Challenge Tour…
Justin Walters started the week 121st in the standings but jumped up 42 places with a tied-second finish, with the South African visibly emotional after a final-round 66.
Walters kept his card at the same venue in 2013 just weeks after his mum's passing, with history repeating itself as the 39-year-old struggled through injury in the summer and lost his father in August.
"I left it all out there," Walters said. "If you'd have given that to me at the beginning of the week I'd have run away with it, I'll hold my head up high."
Compatriot Brandon Stone finished alongside Walters on 16 under to leap from 148th to 97th, although he was already exempt for next season after his victory at the 2018 Scottish Open.
Three-time European Tour winner Jeunghun Wang rose 18 places to 101st after a final-round 69 saw him end the week in tied-sixth, while Jack Singh Brar got up to 109th after closing the week with a five-under 66 on Sunday.
Midway leader Oliver Fisher (104th) guaranteed his playing rights despite a one-over 72 dropping him to tied-eighth, with Haydn Porteous (112th) clinging on to his card after bogeying three of the final five holes of his five-over 76.
A tied-21st finish saw Hugo Leon agonisingly end the season in 116th spot - up four places from 120th - and narrowly fail to secure his card, with a penultimate-hole double-bogey closing a two-over 73 for Min Woo Lee and dropping the Australian from 110th to 117th in the standings.
Four birdies in the final five holes lifted Niklas Lemke to tied-56th but saw the Swede slip seven places to 118th, while Clement Sordet and Lee Slattery both dropped out of the top 115 after missing the cut
2017 British Masters champion Paul Dunne also suffered an early exit - a 12th missed cut in 14 starts - to fall to 124th, with former Ryder Cup star Jamie Donaldson dropping three shots over his final three holes to end the week tied-31st and drop to 131st.
The European Tour season continues this week at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 2am on Sky Sports Golf.
