Alex Fitzpatrick revealed a change in mindset helped him play his way out of potential card trouble after sharing the second round lead at the Genesis Championship.
The tournament at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club is the final event of the Back 9 on the 2025 DP World Tour, with players fighting to keep their playing privileges for next season.
Only the top 115 in the Race to Dubai Rankings will ensure they have a card for 2026, which was a position that Fitzpatrick was fearful he was in less than three weeks ago.
He was on the bubble in 114th place after the missing the cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but he has bounced back in style with a ninth-placed finish at the Open de España presented by Madrid before coming home in third at the DP World India Championship last week.
Fitzpatrick continued his momentum in Cheonan by supporting his opening 69 with five birdies and one dropped shot on Friday to sit in an eight way tie at the summit alongside South Korean trio Sungjae Im, Minhyuk Song and Junghwan Lee, China's Haotong Li, New Zealand's Daniel Hillier, Spaniard Nacho Elvira and Frenchman Tom Vaillant at six under par.
His recent hot form could lead to him extending his current campaign, with the top 70 in the rankings qualifying for the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship next month.
"I played pretty nicely, to be honest," Fitzpatrick said after his second round. "I drove the ball well, I drove it a lot better than yesterday so I found myself in a few more fairways.
"I think I dropped one shot on the 13th, the par three, just with a wrong club. I felt pretty solid. Just trying to capitalise on the last couple of weeks and keep momentum for the weekend.
"I spoke to a few people when I was in the 114 spot (after the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship) it was about changing my mindset. If you’re in that situation and can play well and get out of it, I feel like contending is nowhere near as hard as trying to keep your card.
"Again, I feel sorry for the guys who are in that situation today, but if I can keep playing the golf I feel like I can play, I’ll keep putting myself in contention.
"It would be really cool to finish where I am today, but there’s still two rounds left with a lot of golf to play. I’ll try and keep the foot down and see where that puts me at the end of the week."
