The Spanish duo of Jose Luis Ballester and Rocco Repetto Taylor shared victory at the Final Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School as 20 players earned their DP World Tour cards for the 2027 season at INFINITUM
The pair carded matching rounds of six under par 65 to reach 32 under par for the week, one shot ahead of Australia’s Cameron John who secured his graduation with a 66 on the final day.
Ballester will be playing his first full season on the DP World Tour, while Repetto Taylor returns to golf’s global Tour at the first opportunity after finishing 152nd on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World last month.
ESPANIA GOLFERS SHARE LEAD HONOURS IN QUALIFYING …
Bravo Jose Luis BALLESTER & Rocco REPETTO TAYLOR lead the way into season 2027 @DPWorldTour
See: https://t.co/A54ahra585
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— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) November 11, 2026
“It’s super exciting and I am super proud of the job that myself and my caddie did throughout the week,” said Ballester, a winner on the Asian Tour and a former US Amateur champion.
“I’ve been fortunate to compete on the DP World Tour before and have done all right.
“I know I can do much better than what I have already but I am excited to have that full year, that full calendar to again prove to myself what I am capable of.”
Repetto Taylor added: “I think all the pressure that I didn’t feel during the week, I felt today.
“I hit some crazy shots and just to be able to bounce back from those bad swings, it feels so so good.
“I feel like I am getting to a stage [of his career] where I can take more and more, handle those moments of pressure as best I can.
“I am very excited to get back on the DP World Tour and see what I have learned.”
Ivan Cantero fired a bogey-free 64 to finish tied fourth alongside England’s Tom Lewis, who only got into the field after winning a play-off at Second Stage earlier this month to be an alternate.
David Nyfjall closed out his week with a bogey-free 65 to finish on 29 under par to secure playing status on the DP World Tour for the first time after coming through all three stages.
Joining Nyfjall in coming through all three stages to earn their DP World Tour cards were France’s Paul Beauvy, Jansen Preston of the United States and Germany’s Philipp Katich who shot a bogey-free 62 and only made Monday’s 72-hole cut on the number.
“I really didn’t think I had a chance today,” said Katich.
“I actually can’t believe it. It was a big goal of mine to play in Australia [at the start of the season], now I can play the whole season on the DP World Tour which is even better.”
As ever with Qualifying School, there were storylines aplenty on the final day in Spain, with Niklas Lemke going six under for his final six holes to card a 64 and finish inside the top 15 and ties on the number to graduate for the fifth time he has played at Qualifying School.
There are four former DP World Tour winners who finished inside the graduation spots, with Lewis joined by Ryder Cup Europe Vice Captain Edoardo Molinari, South Korea’s Byeong Hun An and John Catlin of the United States.
Scotland’s Ryan Lumsden carded a third 68 of the week over the Lakes course to earn his DP World Tour card for the first time, and England’s Ben Schmidt earned his playing rights for the second time in three years via Qualifying School.
Disappointingly, Spain’s Padlo Larrazabal posted closing rounds of 72 and 69 to finish T53rd at 19-under though Pablo will be back.
Final Stage Qualifiers
Jose Luis Ballester (Spain)
Rocco Repetto Taylor (Spain)
Cameron John (Australia)
Ivan Cantero (Spain)
Adam Blomme (Sweden)
David Nyfjall (Sweden)
Byeong Hun An (South Korea_
Jannik de Bruyn (Belguim)
Ryan Lumsden (Scotland)
Paul Beauvy (France)
Tom Lewis (England)
Marcus Helligkilde (Denmark)
Albin Bergstrom (Sweden)
Niklas Lemke (Sweden)
John Catlin (USA)
Ben Schmidt (England)
Edoardo Molinari (Italy)
Jansen Preston (USA)
Philipp Katich (Belguim)
Matteo Cristoni (Italy)
