ISLE OF WIGHT GOLFER TIPPED TO SECURE DP WORLD TOUR CARD

Isle of Wight golfer Brandon Robinson-Thompson has been tipped to secure a coveted DP World Tour card at the end of the 2024 Challenger Tour season. Kit Alexander has been part of the Sky Sports’ commentary team on the tour for the last two years, so is well placed to predict which players he expects to shine this time around. The season comprises 29 tournaments staged across three continents in 18 different countries, and culminates with a final shoot-out at the Club de Golf Alcanada in Mallorca. Each player who participates in Road to Mallorca events will have the opportunity of securing a promotion to the DP World Tour at the end of the year. The tour starts in South Africa before heading to India and Abu Dhabi. Tournaments in Europe then take centre stage before a couple of back-to-back events in China. After 28 tournaments have been completed, the top 45 players in the rankings will line-up in the season finale in Spain where 20 DP World Tour cards will be up for grabs. Alexander believes Robinson-Thompson has an excellent chance of being one of the players who jumps up a level following his impressive performances last season. “I was really impressed with what Brandon Robinson-Thompson did in 2023,” Alexander said. “He finished 22nd from only 12 events last year after getting hot on the Clutch Pro Tour. “He made the cut at The Open and then won the Irish Challenge the week after in his first Challenge Tour start. I just think he’s a really interesting character as well. You’re never going to be bored watching him. “Beneath the swagger, he’s a competitor too and he’s gritty. I’d be surprised if he’s not in and around the top 20.” Having caught Alexander’s eye with his exploits last summer, the pressure is now on Robinson-Thompson to prove that the hype is justified. His two-shot victory in the Irish challenge was a noteworthy high point, particularly as he had been written off by online bookmakers heading into the event. He was still being overlooked by Irish golf betting sites as he started the final round two shots off the lead, but upset the odds by shooting 67 to claim a memorable victory. Robinson-Thompson initially turned professional in 2018 before spending time developing his game on tours in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. He played 11 events after getting his break on the Challenger Tour, and played well enough to secure a place in the end-of-season finale in Mallorca. Robinson-Thompson finished tied for fourth in that tournament to narrowly miss out on securing a place on the DP World Tour. However, with that experience under his belt and a full schedule of events ahead of him, Robinson-Thompson is one of the favourites to end the season as one of the top 20 players. His preparations for the upcoming campaign have gone well, with the 31-year-old recently finishing joint second in a three-day open event at the Mayfair Country Club in Florida. Robinson-Thompson ended the opening day in 23rd position after shooting 70, before firing himself into contention with an eight-under-par 64 on day two. While a final round of 69 was not quite enough to secure top spot, Robinson-Thompson demonstrated that his game is in excellent nick. Now ranked inside the top 400 in the world rankings, Robinson-Thompson is well on his way to making a significant impact in professional golf. A strong season on the Challenger Tour would unquestionably lay the foundations for him to make further progress up the standings over the next few years.