Marcel

Schneider

Ten spots in this year’s major in Brookline, Mass., will be available via qualifying series, which includes the British Masters (May 5-8), Soudal Open (May 12-15), Dutch Open and this week’s Porsche European Open. The 32-year-old Schneider overcame a bogey on his first hole Sunday at Bernardus Golf with five birdies during his round, posting a 4-under 68 and finishing at 11-under 277, two shots out of the playoff eventually won by France’s Victor Perez. On the season, Schneider has made just three cuts in 10 starts, with a T-7 at the Soudal Open and T-13 at the Catalunya Championship. This week marks his fifth start the European Open, where he’s made the cut twice on home soil and finished T-7 last year at Green Eagle Golf Courses, Hamburg, Germany.

The German made quick work of the Challenge Tour last year, winning twice and also landing a runner-up finish, all in just 11 events played. That helped him finish 11th in the Road to Mallorca rankings which earns him a DP World Tour card for the 2022 season. Over the course of his career, Schneider has racked up 73 cuts made in 118 Challenge Tour events, with 20 of those doubling as top 10s (17%). He’s struggled to make the transition to the big stage though, owning just four top 10s in 58 career starts (7%). Schneider ranked outside of the top 90 in all four sub-categories of strokes gained last season on the DP World Tour, but his history of winning on the developmental tours is promising.

The German did his best work on the par 4s today, splashing red at 2, 6, 12, 14 and 16. His only gain on the four par 5s at Doha GC came at the 10th. Aside from that it was pars all the way for the World No. 827, who has cashed just once in four starts on this year’s Race to Dubai after winning his card at the end of November 2017. The 28-year-old has played just 18 European Tour events since pegging it up in his first seven years ago. He does, though, have a top 10 to his name having posted T9 in the 2015 Trophée Hassan II. He has a chance to do something similar if he can cash in on this fast start.