DP World Tour qualifying school: Dates, venues and more explored

DP World Tour qualifying school, otherwise known as Q-School, is the most straightforward way to break into the European Tour. There is a Q-School for the PGA Tour as well, and it has has featured some of the best future stars coming through it. This year, golfers from around the world will come together for a chance to break through. Here's everything you need to know about it.

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Complete guide to DP World Tour Q-School

Here are all the dates and venues for Q-School. Some of the first stage has already concluded, but the second stage hasn't yet begun.

First Stage

• The Players Club, Bristol, England - August 27-30
• Golf Nazionale, Sutri, Italy - August 27-30
• Millennium Golf, Paal, Beringen, Belgium - September 3-6
• Huddersfield Golf Club, Huddersfield, England - September 3-6
• Arlandastad Golf (Masters Course), Rosersberg, Sweden September 10-13
• Golfclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf, Ebreichsdorf, Austria September 11-14
• Donnington Grove Golf Club, Newbury, England - September 17-20
• Horsens Golfklub, Horsens, Denmark - September 24-27
• Golf de Léry Poses, Poses, France - September 24-27

Second Stage: October 31 - November 3

• Desert Springs Resort, Almeria, Spain
• Isla Canela Links, Huelva, Spain
• Golf Las Pinaillas, Albacete, Spain
• Fontanals Golf Club, Girona, Spain

Final Stage: November 8-13

• INFINITUM Golf Resort (Lakes & Hills Courses), Tarragona, Spain

Several top golfers have progressed through this system to make it in pro golf on the DP World Tour over the years. Jose Maria Olazabal, Jesper Parnevik, Gordon Brand Jnr, Sandy Lyle, and Retief Goosen all did so.

So did eight-time European number one golfer Colin Montgomerie. Former US Open champion and Olympic medalist Justin Rose, three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, and European star Miguel Angel Jimenez all made it through Q-School as well.

Padraig Harrington came through the DP World Tour Q-School (Imagn)

Final Stage Qualifiers from last year include:

• Freddy Schott
• Filippo Celli
• Sebastian Friedrichsen
• Darius van Driel
• Matthis Besard
• Sam Jones
• Tom Lewis
• Sebastian Garcia
• Haydn Barron
• Kristian Krogh Johannessen
• Jack Davidson
• Jacques Kruyswijk
• Renato Paratore
• Andrew Wilson
• Kiradech Aphibarnrat
• David Ravetto
• Pieter Moolman
• Garrick Porteous
• Nicolo Galletti
• Joshua Berry
• Benjamin Rusch
• Jonathan Gøth-Rasmussen
• Kristoffer Broberg
• Rhys Enoch
• Darren Fichardt
• Jannik de Bruyn
• Pedro Figueiredo
• Søren Broholt Lind
• Nicolai von Dellingshausen
• Lauri Ruuska
• Alfredo Garcia-Heredia
• Joe Dean
• James Nicholas

Some of these players, like Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Tom Lewis, have gone on to have success in just their first season following their trip through DP World Tour qualifying school. More will follow suit after they go through the grueling weeks-long process that began in late August.

The Q-School was first introduced in 1976. Both professionals and amateurs can earn the chance to secure membership cards for the DP World Tour for the next season. Their performance then determines if they keep it, but the qualifying school is how they get in.