The final stage of DP World Tour Q-school is taking place at Infinitum Golf in Spain.
Overall, it will include six days of gruelling action, with just the top 20 and ties from the original 156-man field earning a coveted DP World Tour card for the 2025 season.
One player hoping to make the step up to the DP World Tour when the action concludes on 13 November is Joseba Torres, and he has an ace up in sleeve in his caddy this week, Jose Maria Olazabal.
The former Spanish Under-16 champion, who played at Nova Southeastern University, is the nephew of the two-time Masters champion, and he explained to the DP World Tour that his famous uncle has mentored him for a long time.
He said: “I'm very lucky to have my uncle José María Olazabal on the bag.I've practised with him a lot and to have him on the bag with his experience and his knowledge, I'm very lucky. The knowledge he has of how to play the shot, what to do in a certain situation - all the stuff that when you're playing by yourself you don't really deal with very well. With him it's so easy because he tells you exactly what you need to do.”
We caught up with Joseba this week and he revealed Olazábal has been supporting his golf since he was three years old 👶#DPWTQSchool pic.twitter.com/9yTU1D8gQ5November 8, 2024
"He has been with me since I started playing golf when I was three years old. Obviously in a tournament it is different but he has always been with me and he knows what I'm more comfortable with and not. He really knows my game.
"Whatever he says I say 'yes, let's go and do it,' because I really trust him. I know he isn't going to say anything that I don't need to do so I really trust what he says."
There is an unwritten rule that caddies don't wear golf shoes.But when you are a two time Masters Champ, a 23x winner on DP, played on 7 Ryder Cup Teams, and are in World Golf Hall of Fame, you have earned the right to break that rule. Jose Maria on the bag at @DPWTQSchool pic.twitter.com/056RAeTG3mNovember 8, 2024
Even with the 2012 European Ryder Cup captain alongside him, Torres faces a stern test of his abilities.
The first goal is to make the cut after the fourth round, which will see the top 65 and ties progress to the final two rounds for the chance of a shot at the big time. Torres is also up against a field with its fair share of stars including DP World Tour winners Edoardo Molinari, Eddie Pepperell and Ashan Wu and relegated LIV golfer Kalle Samooja.
In contrast, the extent of Torres’ experience of world ranking events so far is four appearances on the Alps Tour.
Torres is under no illusions that he faces a tall order to finish the event with a DP World Tour card. He added: “This is the first time I'm playing this event and I'm going to try to absorb and learn as much as I can from everyone. Being my first time I know it's not going to be easy but if I can learn as much as possible, that's the best part of it, that would be amazing.”
With Olazabal’s assistance, he gave himself a chance after the opening round, where he finished with a two-under 69. He then carded a 73 in the third round to leave him T93, seven shots adrift of a group of players in T20 heading into the third round.
