\t\t\t\tThe popular veteran will lose his DP World Tour status in 2027 after being forced to withdraw from the Genesis Championship\u2026<\/p>\n
This week\u2019s Genesis Championship has so much more than a few million dollars and a shiny trophy on the line. As the final event of the regular DP World Tour season, many players are playing for their future.<\/p>\n
Among the more notable stars on the brink<\/a> are Eddie Pepperell and Matteo Manassero, while Ross Fisher and Pablo Larrazabal are two DP World Tour veterans who will lose their status for next year after missing the cut in Korea. Another, Marcel Siem, headed for the airport after an opening round 82 at Woo Jeong Hills and will suffer the same fate.<\/p>\n But it was a particularly difficult pill for Kiradech Aphibarnrat to swallow. The four-time DP World Tour winner was forced to withdraw after a succumbing to a back problem after a grueling run of 11 straight tournaments. Aphibarnrat started the week 108th in the Race to Dubai Rankings and needed a top-25 in Korea to stand a chance. <\/p>\n Aphibarnrat hasn\u2019t had any time off since the beginning of August, and the Thai star blamed the toll of playing every tournament since the DP World Tour schedule<\/a> resumed after its standard three-week break that follows The Open. <\/p>\n Speaking after his withdrawal, a visibly emotional Aphibarnrat said his game was \u201cnot as good as I expect\u201d after his opening 75, so he \u201cworked quite hard after the round\u201d. But on Friday, before the start of the second round, the 37-year-old said he felt his back \u201cjam\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cI have no choice,\u201d he explained. \u201cI have to go out and try. But at some point, I feel like my body just can\u2019t move and can\u2019t answer what I need it to do.\u201d<\/p>\n After an outpouring of support his fans, Aphibarnrat, a longtime fan favorite for his colorful personality, apparel and playing style, said: \u201cFirst of all, I just have to apologize. I really let them down. There\u2019s not many times in my life that I have disappointed people, especially my family and all the fans. <\/p>\n \u201cIn the last 15 years I\u2019ve had a really good career but just the last three or four years haven\u2019t been easy. I\u2019m a fighter so I believe I\u2019m going to get past all of this and we\u2019ll come back strong.\u201d<\/p>\n Aphibarnrat will now focus on trying to recover his card at Q School \u2013 something he\u2019s done twice before in his career \u2013 and he\u2019s trying to stay positive. \u201cWho knows?\u201d he said. \u201cIt might be my best year next season.\u201d<\/p>\n You can watch the full interview with Aphibarnrat here:<\/p>\n Heartbreaking for Aphibarnrat, who has withdrawn from the Genesis Championship and subsequently lost his DP World Tour status for the 2027 season \ud83d\udc94<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, I just have to apologise. I really let them (the fans) down. There\u2019s not many times in my life that I have\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/LHwJcnXFQi<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t