Forgotten Tour star who played in 2016 Ryder Cup moves one step closer to DPWT return

Former European Ryder Cup team member Chris Wood has moved one step closer to securing a return to the DP World Tour. 

Wood's career took a big downturn in 2019 and he stepped away from the sport entirely four years later. 

When he returned to professional golf in 2024, he revealed he was dealing with serious anxiety, burnout and mental-health struggles which badly affected his performances on the course. 

The 2016 BMW PGA Championship winner has been plying his trade on the developmental MENT Golf Tour in recent months as he attempts to mount an improbable comeback to the game's top level. 

And on Tuesday, he was crowned the tour's champion after tournament officials removed events in Jordan, Qatar and the UAE from the 2025-2026 schedule amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 

Wood was comfortably leading the order of merit with three victories from eight starts.

It means that Wood, who was once comfortably inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, is now a Category 12 exemption and possesses a full HotelPlanner Tour card for the remainder of the 2026 season. 

The top 20 in the season-long Road to Mallorca rankings gain promotion to the DP World Tour. If a player wins three single events in a single HotelPlanner Tour season, they also get immediately promoted to the European-based circuit. 

Wood said: "I'm very proud to have won the order of merit. There are some impressive players on the MENA Golf Tour, which shows the depth of golf worldwide nowadays.

"I was pushed all the way to my three victories, which is great for me to have those pressure situations. Each win offered me something different, and to win in three different countries is something I'm very proud of.

"The MENA Golf Tour has offered me a realistic route back to where I want to be playing, and I can't wait to get going."

What happened to Chris Wood?

Wood was at the peak of his powers in 2015-2016.

A dream year saw him win the DP World Tour's flagship event at Wentworth and playing his first Ryder Cup. 

It turned out to be a forgettable week for the Englishman. Although he teamed up with Justin Rose and took down Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson in the foursomes, he lost to Dustin Johnson in his Sunday singles contest as Europe were battered 17-11 at Hazeltine. 

Wood revealed in a player blog last year that he felt his swing go towards the end of 2016. 

"From then, I was just riddled with anxiety and fear and tension from the moment I left home for a tournament," he said.  

"It was 24/7 during tournament weeks, I was extremely anxious and not sleeping and it becomes a vicious cycle."

Wood said that he couldn't face playing through the COVID pandemic but was eventually convinced by his coach to return to the course with a six iron and a putter to play nine holes. 

"I started there and we worked our way up and it’s progressed over the last couple of years," he added.

Wood said his ultimate goal is to get his DP World Tour card back. 

It would be a remarkable achievement.