Laurie Canter says it was a source of immense happiness to see his longtime friend Eddie Pepperell overcome some psychological demons and come through the arduous grind of Qualifying School to join him back on the DP World Tour next season.
The duo have known each other since their days as amateurs, representing England together, with the pair both turning professional in 2011 and since winning two DP World Tour titles each.
But while Canter is poised to claim dual membership on the PGA TOUR for 2026 through his performances on the Race to Dubai Rankings after this week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, Pepperell was battling to regain playing privileges in Spain.
Like many, Canter was keeping across the action from Final Stage as best he could, but there were perhaps not many who were more delighted to hear of his countryman’s inspired run of birdies over his final four holes to ensure his place back on the DP World Tour next season.
The performance by Pepperell, who came through two stages of qualifying, has been met by widespread acclaim, particularly after he missed an eagle putt on the final hole of the six-round event at INFINITUM to fall short by one shot 12 months ago.
Mega. Great to see ❤️ https://t.co/OufaYFf5Ov
— Laurie Canter (@LaurieCanter) November 12, 2025
"It's amazing," said Canter. "I find it particularly impressive given what happened to him last year. Last year he missed by a shot, he double-bogeyed 15 and just missed a putt for eagle on 18.
"I was refreshing my phone last year, and I was doing the same thing yesterday following him.
"I thought to kind of slay that particular dragon, [with] what must have been going through his head, and to finish like that in a do-or-die situation is a pretty special thing, really.
"I think anyone in golf who plays celebrated that and realised it, and from my perspective, delighted to have a mate back on tour."
While it was Pepperell who made the quicker impact in the paid ranks, it is Canter who has enjoyed greater highs in recent years – following up his maiden DP World Tour last year in German with another earlier this season in Bahrain.
Having been outside the world’s top 250 as recently as May 2024, Canter climbed to a career-high 42nd in March, shortly before completing the set of Major Championship appearances at the Masters Tournament.
With five top tens this season on the DP World Tour, the 36-year-old occupies the sixth PGA TOUR card of the ten on offer for non-exempt players.
After opening his week in Dubai, where he now calls home, with a four-under-par 68 at Jumeirah Golf Estates to sit inside the top ten on the leaderboard, Canter was in reflective mood as he recalled his own experiences at Qualifying School, having earned his card through that route in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
"I have a lot of ghosts," he said of the challenge Qualifying School provides. "Eventually I framed it with kind of an opportunity mindset versus can't be threatened by the situation. But it's intimidating.
"I think the hardest part of it is you have a leaderboard, and it will constantly say where 20th place is the whole week. So if you're right at that line, you get this big loss that goes through your system, I've got it; I've lost it; I've got it; I've got it. That's very unique to that tournament in golf.
"There's no other tournament where it's so black and white, and frankly it doesn't matter if you win by 13 or if you scrape home and you're the last to get in. It's the same for everyone and you get the same opportunity.
"And there will be a couple of people every year that it changes their life - generally changes their life.
"It's a really cool thing in our sport, other than possibly snooker is the only other sport I can think of that has a Qualifying School that's so black and white and to have a do-or-die situation."
