Max Kennedy believes that missing out on a DP World Tour card at Q-School is a blessing in disguise but his number one goal for 2025 is to win the Road to Mallorca Rankings and secure promotion to Europe’s top tier.
The Royal Dublin man played the Final Stage of DP World Tour Q-School as an amateur last November and embarked on a sensational run with a final round of 64 to agonisingly miss out on a full card by one shot. While he will get the odd start on the DP World Tour, he has full status on the HotelPlanner Tour for his maiden campaign in professional golf.
The going has been tough for Kennedy so far who missed three cuts in a row to start the season. But he did manage to stop the rot and clinch a top-20 finish at the NTT Data Pro-Am at Fancourt Golf Estate.
It was another learning week for the 23-year-old who trailed Wilco Nienaber by ten strokes at the halfway point despite opening with rounds of 67 and 69. After following that with weekend rounds of 70 his 13-under total was fourteen shots behind the South African demonstrating just how steep the leap from amateur golf to professional golf is.
“I saw it as a blessing in disguise if anything, because going straight to the tour from amateur golf is a big leap so to have one year on the HotelPlanner Tour and to dip my toes in a couple of events on the DP World Tour will be good it will be a good stepping stone into the future,” said Kennedy who turned professional at the start of the year.
“I want to get my DP World Tour card, finish number one on the ranking and move towards that goal.”
Kennedy showed a different side to his game over the weekend where he had to rely on his short game to grind out scores.
“It was definitely different to the first two rounds. Today I didn’t really hit my irons too well, the first two days were a lot better, but I was able to get it up and down in a lot of places and scrap out a good score.”
The NTT Data Pro-Am was played across the Fancourt Links, Montagu and Outeniqua courses and Kennedy thoroughly enjoyed the different tests that each course provided.
“It’s unbelievable, first time I’ve been here, I heard a lot about it before and it’s definitely lived up to everything I heard so it’s a real treat to play it.
“It’s good it gives you a good insight to the game and lowers your expectations because the game isn’t that easy. I’ve liked it and we’ve had a lot of fun.”
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