The agony and ecstasy of golf played out at the Genesis Championship as five players extended their seasons and booked their places at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
There was plenty to play for all over the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, with the top 70 available players guaranteeing their place in the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs.
When the dust settled on a hectic Sunday in South Korea, five players had made their way into the magic 70 right at the very death. Here, we take a look at them.
Casey Jarvis - T6 - 77>59
The South African has been rewarded for a Herculean effort in his first full season on the DP World Tour by sealing his place in the final two events of the campaign. He arrived in Japan for his 33rd start of the season and tenth in 11 weeks but showed little sign of fatigue as an opening 67 laid the platform for a result that has put him closer to the top 50 and the DP World Tour Championship than the top 70. A Challenge Tour graduate, he even chose to play on that circuit in his homeland during a DP World Tour down week in February and should he make it to Jumeirah Golf Estates, he will have played 36 European Tour group events over the season. He said in Incheon he was looking forward to heading home to South Africa on Monday regardless of his result and he will now have a few days' rest before going back into battle.
Francesco Laporta - T6 - 84>60
Another Challenge Tour graduate, the Italian has come good at the right time considering he was fighting to save his card when he missed the cut at the Barracuda Championship in July. Fast forward ten events, two top tens, just one missed cut (by a single shot) and 60 increased ranking places later and he is headed to Yas Links. He only broke 70 once in Korea but his second round 65 was the lowest round of the day and he even led at one point on the final day after four birdies in ten holes before slipping back with three bogeys.
Brandon Stone - T9 - 73>64
The third Challenge Tour graduate on our list, Stone is another player who found his form at the right time after missing eight of his first ten cuts. A three-time winner and Rolex Series champion, Stone secured a fourth top ten of the season at the FedEx Open de France before finishing 17th at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters to keep himself right in the mix. A third-round 66 in Incheon was the highlight of his week as he made it 22 places gained in three weeks on the Race to Dubai and he will now go hunting a first appearance at the season finale in four years.
Nicolai Højgaard - T9 - 78>67
Højgaard arguably had the most to fight for on the Play-Off bubble last week as he is a man with a title to defend in Dubai. He will need another good week in Abu Dhabi to crack the top 50 and make it to the Earth Course but he has kept himself very much alive with three closing top tens from his seven appearances on the Back 9. His finishing 66 in Korea came at just the right moment and he was delighted with his week. "I just really wanted to get to the Play-Offs. Today I played a really good round under the gun and I'm just really pleased with it," he said.
Gavin Green - T14 - 74>69
The Malaysian started his season with a top ten at the Joburg Open and when he secured a top five in India, he looked well on his way to a Play-Off spot. But he has not really challenged since, despite making plenty of cuts, and found himself back on the outside looking in. He was never in contention for a win in Korea and looked like he would come up short in his eighth appearance on the Back 9, following three rounds of 70 by sitting level par in round four after 13 holes. He then birdied four of his last five to incredibly seal his place in the top 70 by less than ten points.
