DPWT Q-School stage 2 mega preview
Course and field analysis, plus selections, for all four events!
As promised, a second preview of the week. This is a quick canter through all four events that make up the second stage of q-school. I’ve kept a fairly straightforward format so that I can produce this without spending hous and hours on it, but hopefully it is informative, and hopefully it throws up some winners. Let me know what you think of a different format for this sort of thing.
Q-school in the current format goes back to 2022, so I’ll look no further back than the last three years for any event. You’ll find all the leaderboards, what statistics exist, and everything else you might need including entry lists on the DPWT microsite for Q-school. 23 or 24 players will make it to the final stage of Q-school (the six-round epic coming in a month) from each site. Huge thanks to Fitzdares for once again being the first, and so far only, bookie to put up prices for these events.
Course (length, par): Desert Springs, 6,735 yard par 72
Location and weather: Almeria – Southern (Mediterranean) coast of Spain. Warm, calm and mostly dry.
Previous events: 2022, 2023, 2024
Previous winners (scores): Jiri Zuska (-20), Jannik de Bruyn (-21), Phillip Katich (-21)
Course notes: Driveable par 4 6th (302 yards), straightforward par 3 2nd and three easy par 5s (3rd, 9th, 13th) make this resort course easier than average. 225 yard par 3 8th the only hole that played more than .04 shots over par last year.
Key attributes: Lots of rocky scrub and cacti either side of narrow fairways mean that accuracy is essential, and total driving has proved to be effective in previous years. We’ve seen high levels of success for US-born players and those with collegiate experience, which probably isn’t a coincidence.
Market leaders: Daniel Rodrigues (14/1),Shubankar Sharma (14/1), Charlie Crockett (16/1), Robin Sciot-Siegrist (16/1), Benjamin Follett-Smith (18/1), George Bloor (18/1), Matti Schwab (18/1)
Other notables: Joel Moscatel, Alejandro Canizares, Luke Schniederjans, Mark Power, Tomas Gouveia
Selections: Luke Schniederjans, Andres Gallegos
Comments: There are a few classy players in this field (the out of form Matti Schwab in particular) and emerging Irish talents Hugh Foley and Mark Power were hard to avoid. In the end, the American experience and the combination of pure quality and decent form at a lower level make Schniederjans and Gallegos appeal. The former has played nicely on the Asian Tour whilst the latter is a PGA Tour of the Americas stalwart. Both are, I think, overpriced. Unusually for Q-school, this is not an event where the top of the market appealed.
Course (length, par): Isla Canela, 7,128 yard par 72
Location and weather: Huelva – South-western (Atlantic) coast of Spain. Warm, calm and dry.
Previous events: 2022, 2023, 2024
Previous winners (scores): Clement Sordet and Max Steinlechner (-27), Philipp Katich (-21), Pieter Moolman and Joel Sjoholm (-26).
Course notes: Par 5 18th plays 0.8 below par and is the easiest hole on any coure this week. All par fours are straightforward along with drivable (331 yard) par 4 6th. Outward 9 is far tougher, especially par 4 2nd and par 3s 7th and 3rd (latter is a very long water carry). Lots of water on a flat, modern course which looks and sounds very Floridian. The least interesting course of the week.
Key attributes: Heavy scoring is essential and power and good putting will be successful.
Market leaders: Bjorn Akesson (12/1), Julien Brun (12/1), Justin Harding (16/1), Roman Kleu (16/1), Mats Ege (18/1), Steven Brown (18/1)
Notables: Fred Biondi, Jiri Zuska, Philipp Katich, Jonas Blixt, Daan Huizing,
Selections: Philipp Katich, Fred Biondi
Comments: Philipp Katich has the truly remarkable record of finishing 1-1-3 (albeit at different courses) during stage 2 Q-school. He’s also won final stage. Impossible to leave him out of a tipping plan. Justin Harding putts well enough to thrive here but just doesn’t hit it far enough in my opinion. Mats Ege very nearly made the team given his form in stage one qualifying but in the end I couldn’t miss out on the price available for Fred Biondi, who has struggled in a season or so as a professional but is not long removed from his NCAA winning season at Florida, which is extremely helpful on this track. His class can see the young Brazillian return a step closer to the big league, where he deserves to be.
Course (length, par): Las Pinaillas, 6,897 yard par 71.
Location and weather: Albacete – inland, South-eastern Spain. Cooler, calm and dry.
Previous events: 2023, 2024
Previous winners (scores): Denwit (David) Boriboonsub (-22), Connor McKinney (-12).
Course notes: Seve Ballesteros designed flat course with ponds and river providing most of the challenges. In my view, the pick of the courses. 497 yard par 4 11th is the toughest hole on the course, all par 3s have trickes (especially 209 yard 12th and 173 yard 7th). Two par 4s are driveable for some (345 yard 16th and 350 yard 8th) and these and the three par 5s are the easiest holes. 14th and 9th both played more than half a stroke under par last year. Back 9 generally more challenging than outward.
Key attributes: This has tended to throw up talented players with a decent record in final stage qualifying and beyond (the likes of Oliver Lindell, Rasmus Neergard-Petersen, Joe Dean and Dan Erickson have picked up top tens here). Defintiely a course to watch. Quality iron play appears to be key and a little length helps, but approaches will define the winner.
Market leaders: Pablo Ereno Peres (9/1), Brandon Wu (10/1), Harrison Eddycott (11/1), Matthias Besard (12/1), Albert Boneta (14/1), Lorenzo Scalise (16/1) Jacobo Vecchi Fossa (18/1).
Other notables: Gregory Bourdy, Pierre Pineau, Barclay Brown, Danny List.
Selections: Harrison Endycott, Jacopo Vecchi Fossa
Comments: This is a good field but Harrison Endycott is good enough to be competitive in lesser PGA events and can outclass this field at a managable price. Went nicely, especially on approach,in the Utah Bank event last time out. Jacopo Vecchi Fossa is a coming force with an excellent record on the Alps Tour and is certainly going to go well on the HPT in 2026 but could readily grab a DPWT card with a good week. Despite hoping for a longer price I’m satisfied with what’s available.
Course (length, par): Fontanals, 7,088 yard par 71.
Location and weather: Girona, hilly inland North-eastern Spain. Cooler, dry, calm.
Previous events: 2023, 2024
Previous winners (scores): Haydn Barron & Jakub Hrinda (-18), Hamish Brown (-13).
Course notes: Straightforward par 5s, average 4.53 (6th), 4.66 (13th) and 4.68 (10th) in HPT visit this spring. Par 4 2nd (502 yards) and 14th (409 yards) trickiest holes on the course.
Key attributes: Not about pure power but definitely a course where length helps and par 5 scoring is essential. Making lots of birdies matters as bogeys will come for almost everyone.
Market leaders: Eddie Pepperell (12/1), Zander Lombard (12/1), Luis Masaveu (12/1), Borja Virto (14/1), Callum Farr (14/1), Adam Wallin (16/1), Joseph Pagdin (18/1), Patrick Newcomb (18/1).
Other notables: James Ashfield, Dominic Clemons, Martin Trainer, Will Besseling
Selections: Luis Masaveu, Jerry Ji
Comments: Also hosted the 2025 Challenge de Espana, won by Clement Charmasson (-17). Luis Masaveu (3rd in that) and Benjamin Rusch (5th) in the field here. My preview and course thoughts are also archived. Masaveu was 2nd after round one last year and qualified in 15th, before shining here in the Challenge Tour event. He can’t be left off the staking plan, and with a number of the bigger names here quite short from the tee, Zander Lombard was fancied but he needs to putt much better than he has on the DPWT this year to justify the price available. Instaed, I’m taking a flier on Jerry Ji, who has been lights out on the Alps Tour recently. One of the less noted successes from Europe, the Dutchman spent five years at the University of Illinois and met with significant success, and recently finished fourth in the Alps Tour Grand Final, alongside fellow selection Vecchi Fossa, with a sparkling 64 in the final round. He’s in form and overpriced.
Selections
Desert Springs
Luke Schniederjans, 25/1
Andres Gallegos, 25/1
Isla Canela
Philipp Katich, 25/1
Fred Biondi, 20/1
Las Pinaillas
Harrison Endycott, 11/1 win only
Jacopo Vecchi Fossa, 18/1
Fontanals
Luis Masaveu, 12/1 win only
Jerry Ji, 40/1
All picks are 1pt e/w unless stated (2 points win for Endycott and Masaveu), 1/4 odds 5 places, Fitzdares.
You can have all sorts of fun with these picks. I’m going to have a pair of e/w yankees (on the shorter-priced picks grouped together and the longer-priced also combined) but do as you please!