Jordan Smith is ready to 'take the handbrake off' at the DP World Tour Championship in his pursuit of dual membership on the PGA Tour.
As part of the Strategic Alliance between the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, the top ten players on the final Race to Dubai Rankings, not otherwise exempt, will earn PGA TOUR membership for 2026.
The player who finishes first on that list will qualify for THE PLAYERS Championship and two early Signature Events in the 2025 season, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational, with that reward set to be claimed by Marco Penge.
Smith, who currently lies 15th on the Race to Dubai Rankings and occupies the tenth and final spot, arrived at Jumeirah Golf Estates with his season-long goal in mind.
But an opening round three-over-par 75 left him on the back foot. After a steady one-under-par front nine, his round was undone with four bogeys, a double bogey, and a single birdie on the back nine.
Speaking to the DP World Tour Green Room after his second round, Smith spoke about his disappointment with how he had handled that pressure on day one over the Earth course
“Yesterday was a really tough day for me,” he admitted in the DP World Tour’s Green Room. “I felt very, very anxious. I put a lot of pressure on myself and was beating myself up a little on the course.”
Friday’s second round offered some relief. Smith steadied himself, hitting more solid shots and climbing modestly up the standings, though he is currently projected to finish 19th in the Race to Dubai Rankings and lies 12th in the race for dual status.
With the margins so slim, it's unfortunate but familiar ground for Smith, who missed out by one place in 2024 and was unable to take advantage of the opportunity in 2023.
“Today was just a full reset,” he said. “I went out there and played the sort of golf I wanted to play. It’s not quite happening for me yet, but there are still 36 holes. A couple of six‑unders will definitely climb me up the leaderboard.”
Despite the disappointment of Thursday, Smith remains pragmatic and knows that he still has a good chance to realise his goal.
“I’m in a really good place for next year," he added. "I’ve kept my card, I’m inside the top 20, and I’m very fortunate compared to the guys at Tour School. But my goal for this year is to get one of those tour cards. If I don’t, I’ll be very disappointed.
“I’m just gonna try and take the handbrake off this weekend and see what happens."
