Rory McIlroy was full of praise for the DP World Tour's 10-card pathway to the PGA Tour. However, veteran Ian Woosnam wasn’t having any of that.

Back in 2022, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour signed a new 13-year operational agreement. As a part of that, the top-10 finishers on the DP World Tour each season would earn PGA Tour cards. 

“Amazing that the DP [World] Tour loses the very best 10 players every year and weakening the DP Tour,” Woosnam tweeted. Losing players like that takes away the tour’s overall competition, which can make events less exciting for fans and sponsors.

According to Bunkered, the agreement came at the backdrop of LIV Golf’s formation, and both the tours reaped its benefits. There was an increase in the PGA Tour’s investment in the European Tour, which, in turn, increased the prize money of DP World Tour events.

“How does the DP Tour bring in sponsorship for tournaments when losing them players? What really is the DP Tour now? I see it has a feeder tour for the PGA Tour Wow,” he added.

Losing top talent inevitably reduces the star power of the European Tour. However, the ultimate contest for a PGA Tour card fuels competitiveness in the Race to Dubai, the year-end championship.

Kristoffer Reitan earned his PGA Tour card by being in the top ten of the 2025 Race to Dubai standings on the DP World Tour, and so played and won at Truist. McIlroy’s claim of “meritocracy” being rewarded by the pathway was backed by the latter.

Another player to get a card was Jordan Smith, who also shared a few words about the pathway.

Jordan Smith On The Pathway

England’s Jordan Smith finished among the top 10 non-exempt players in the final 2025 Race to Dubai standings, earning his PGA Tour card, according to Golf Digest.

While speaking to Bunkered, Smith said, “You can say your 10 best players are going over there, but at the same time, it opens up for you to have PGA Tour players coming over to our tour, making stronger events.”

Smith also claimed that there’s always been a pathway between the two tours and players like “Westwood, Stenson, Sergio play well in Europe and then play the PGA Tour.”

With Reitan winning the Truist Championship and Smith delivering strong performances, the success of Reitan and Smith suggests that the pathway is providing tangible rewards for European players.

What are your thoughts on the ten-card pathway? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Rudra Dubey