Dubai-born talent Rayhan Thomas would prefer to play on the DP World Tour over the Korn Ferry Tour if he can qualify for both tours through Q-School.
The 24-year-old has made a strong start to his career since turning professional on June 1, finishing in the top 10 at the Asian Tour International Series in Morocco before winning his first professional title at the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Coimbatore Open.
The win in Chettipalayam, India, earned him a spot in the PGTI next season, but Thomas has his sights set higher and higher.
On September 17, he will begin his quest for a DP World Tour card through the first phase of the tour's qualifying school training. Only the top 15 to 20 players will qualify for the second phase in Spain.
If Thomas makes it to the final stage, he will be one of 156 competitors competing in six grueling rounds to qualify for the 2025 Race to Dubai.
Each player will play two rounds on INFINITUM's Lake Course and Hill Course, and then the top 65 players and ties will play the final two rounds on the Lake Course.
After six rounds, the top 20 players and the tiebreakers will qualify for the 2025 DP World Tour.
In addition to trying to earn a spot on golf's global tour, Thomas will return to the United States to try to earn a PGA Tour card, having spent four years at the University of Oklahoma.
If he can make the final rounds at TPC Sawgrass-Days Valley and Sawgrass Country Club, he'll have a shot at a PGA Tour card, which would allow him to play weekly against the likes of Rory McCrory, Scottie Scheffler and others.
The top five finishers and ties in the final stage will receive PGA Tour cards for the 2025 season, while the next 40 finishers and ties in the final stage will receive exemptions through multiple shakeups in the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season.
All remaining players who advance to the final stage will receive conditional status to play on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour and will also receive exemptions to play on the Latin American Tour during the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas season.
While a PGA Tour card is the ultimate goal, Thomas acknowledged he’s more likely to earn Korn Ferry status or DP World Tour membership, with the latter taking priority if he earns both.
“I’d probably go for the DP World Tour card,” Thomas said when we met for a chat at the Emirates Golf Club.
“The prize money is slightly bigger and there are more opportunities. The top 10 players in the Race to Dubai (who were not previously exempt) are now eligible on the PGA Tour and this will provide me with the opportunity to achieve this goal.
“When I was about nine or ten years old, the DP World Tour was the tour I wanted to play on. In recent years, it has become a feeder tour to the PGA Tour, but this provides a great opportunity for players.”
Thomas' performances in Europe and the United States will determine whether he will play in the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January. It is not certain at this time, but if he receives an invitation, he will likely return to the Asian Tour at the Thailand International Series in October.
