In what amounts to a mini tournament within a tournament, the top 10 players on the final Race to Dubai points list, who don't already have playing rights on the PGA Tour, will be offered a PGA Tour card and a chance to play with golf's elite in 2027. Jarvis currently sits in fourth spot and fellow GolfRSA National Squad graduate Jayden Schaper is eighth – both should be confident that they will be moving Stateside next year.

A little further down the Race to Dubai points list are Hennie du Plessis (18th) and Shaun Norris (20th), both with a real shout of earning their PGA Tour cards. Given that England's Joe Dean (14th) is currently projected to earn the tenth and final card, a strong finish could see either of the South Africans sneak into the top 10 and join Jarvis and Schaper on the US Tour.

Characca's route to the apex of European golf has been an unusual one. Following a successful amateur career where he reached No 2 in those world rankings, the Spaniard was head-hunted by LIV Golf and made his professional debut on the breakaway tour in 2022 – at the age of 22.

He secured an early win in the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok, banking a pay cheque for $4-million (ironically more than his entire season's earnings on the DP World Tour in 2026), but he could not maintain his form for Sergio Garcia's Fireballs team and failed to automatically retain his place.

When LIV opted not to renew his contract in 2025, Chacarra turned to the DP World Tour, taking up a sponsor's exemption to play in the Hero Indian Open.

On the tricky Gary Player-designed layout, he was one of just three players to finish under par – edging defending champion Keita Nakajima by two stokes, with Joost Luiten a shot further back.

'I know when I play my best, I'm one of the best players in the world. I've already proved that a million times,' he said after the breakthrough win, although few could have predicted how accurate his words would prove.

Now, he heads into the grand finale on the DP World Tour with form on his side.

In his last four events, Chacarra has finished tie-third in the Open de France, runner up in the Open de Espana, claimed a third win of the season in the DP World India Championship and ground out a tie for 22nd in the Genesis Championship. That run, which included 17 straight rounds under par, has helped him to a healthy lead going into the season finale.

It's also pushed the Spaniard into the world's top 50.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy, looking to join Colin Montgomerie as an eight-time winner of the season-long race, has taken note.

'Eugenio is playing well,' he said. 'He's overtaken Patrick in the Race to Dubai. That makes my job a bit harder.
'Getting to eight and drawing level with Monty would mean a lot. He was an amazing player to watch when I was growing up, and the Race to Dubai is something I've always taken a lot of pride in.

'To have the opportunity to win it again, and potentially match Monty's record, would be a pretty special way to finish the season.'