Scottish golfer secures spot in Dubai season finale due to absence of Ryder Cup duo

Connor Syme will be flying the Saltire along with Bob MacIntyre and Ewen Ferguson in the DP World Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai despite narrowly missing out on a top-50 spot after the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

In an event won by Englishman Paul Waring, Syme finished joint-65th, dropping two spots to 51st in the Race to Dubai in the process and sitting below the provisional cut-off for the season finale, starting on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Thursday.

However, due to neither 21st-ranked Ludvig Aberg or Jon Rahm, who sits 38th on the points list, teeing it up in Dubai, the actual cut-off will be 52nd, meaning both Syme and Italian Francesco Laporta will be teeing up in the $10 million Rolex Series event.

After finishing joint-19th in Abu Dhabi, where he signed off with a 69 for a 17-under-par total, MacIntyre will head into the Dubai tournament still sitting in ninth spot in the standings despite both winner Waring and runner-up Tyrrell Hatton jumping above him.

Connor Syme in action during the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links | Kate McShane/Getty Images

They both moved into the top ten at the expense of Italian Matteo Manassero and Swede Jesper Svensson as they slipped to tenth and 11th respectively.

Ferguson, who finished two shots behind MacIntyre in a tie for 23rd after a last-day 67, remained in 32nd spot in the rankings, with the top 25 at the end of the season securing spots in next year’s The Open at Royal Portrush.

Waring, meanwhile, not only has one of those berths booked but a PGA Tour card as well after the 39-year-old jumped 43 spots to fifth after landing the biggest win of his career.

Holding off last-day charges by both Hatton and Rory McIlroy as they closed with matching 64s, Waring finished birdie-birdie to card a 66 and win by two shots with a 24-under-par total.

“It was quite an easy day really, wasn’t it?” said Waring, who recorded a second win on the circuit on his 332nd appearance, of surprising himself about how he managed to finish off the job after moving into the lead after a course-record 61 on Friday then battling to a 73 in the third round.

“It just means so much,” added the Dubai-based player. “To actually keep control of myself in the way that I did today I’m really proud of myself.”

McIlroy, who is bidding to win the Harry Vardon Trophy for the sixth time, which would move him level with Seve Ballesteros, increased his lead at the top of the points list after finishing just ahead of Thriston Lawrence after the South African also signed off with a 64.

Englishman Paul Waring shows off the trophy after winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship | Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

“Yeah, I do feel in a good position,” said McIlroy. “I saw Thriston making a charge today, and I was keeping one eye on the leaderboard and looking at what he was doing. I saw he posted 20.

“Obviously I wanted to birdie the last, anyway, but I know that birdie obviously gives me that little bit extra of a cushion going into next week. Every shot counts at this moment in time.”

Having dropped one spot to 54th after finishing joint-65th, Calum Hill’s season is now over and the same goes for Grant Forrest, who slipped to 56th following his tie for 59th.