Since 1976, The European Tour Qualifying School has been held at the
end of each season to establish which players, not otherwise exempt,
will gain their playing privileges on the Tour for the following season
through a qualifying competition.
It’s a tough school for one of golf’s most coveted prizes, namely
Membership of The European Tour and a place among the golfing elite.
Along the way, dreams are made and hopes dashed in equal measure. The
Qualifying School is held in three stages - dependent on the
individual's status - at a series of venues in the UK and Continental
Europe. In the region of 1,000 competitors enter the Qualifying School
each year, all aiming for a European Tour card, awarded to the top 25
and ties following the Final Stage. A player progressing through all
three stages will have to play 252 holes under the most intense
pressure.
The leading 25 players (plus those tied for 25th place) will earn
Category 16 Membership of The European Tour for the following season.
