Elvis Smylie leaving no stone unturned in Order of Merit chase
Elvis Smylie in action at the Heritage – image PGA of Australia
Current PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader, Elvis Smylie, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure he completes the 2024/2025 season on top as the benefits of doing so are significant.
Already a member of the DP World Tour courtesy of his win in the jointly sanctioned BMW Australian PGA Championship, Smylie will earn start at the Open Championship and the USPGA Championship if he remains ahead of the pack after the remaining two events of the schedule.
Smylie is at the Heritage Golf and Country Club for this week’s Heritage Classic ahead of next week’s National Tournament at the National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula although if he wraps the Order of Merit title up this week then he may not play next week.
While mathematically possible for Smylie to be caught it would require the most amazing set of circumstances for him to be headed.
Recent New Zealand Open winner, Ryan Peake would need to win both the remaining events and Smylie would have to essentially miss the cut, both scenarios remotely possible but highly unlikely.
Currently, Peake is 372.17 behind Smylie and with a total of 380 points available should Peake win both, then he could catch Smylie but Smylie would still need to earn no points and, given the quality of player he is, then it is almost impossible to imagine.
For Peake however whatever the outcome of the remaining two events he has secured his playing rights on the PGA Tour and Asian Tours, has a start at the Open Championship and in all likelihood will secure one of the three DP World Tour cards available for next season so to say the least his life has changed immeasurably since his fairytale win at the New Zealand Open Presented by Sky Sport.
There is still a race on for the third of the three cards available for the DP World Tour with Jack Buchanan and Anthony Quayle still in the running should they have a great finish to the season over the next two weeks.
Order of Merit as at March 16th
