Laurie Canter reacts to Eddie Pepperell's dramatic Q-School finish

England's Laurie Canter could not hide his delight after best mate Eddie Pepperell earned his DP World Tour card at the final stage of qualifying school. 

Pepperell was one of 20 players who earned their privileges on the global tour for the 2026 campaign after a gruelling six-round process in Spain. 

The 34-year-old missed out by one shot 12 months ago but was reduced to tears yesterday after finishing birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie to grab his card. 

"It's amazing," Canter told the DP World Tour's official website after the first round of the $10m season finale in Dubai. 

Canter has always been incredibly close with the golfer. Their friendship was strained after he decided to join LIV Golf in 2022 but they have since patched things up. 

Pepperell has always been one of the PIF-backed league's harshest critics. 

"I find it particularly impressive given what happened to him last year," Canter added. 

"Last year he missed by a shot, he double-bogeyed 15 and just missed a putt for eagle on 18.

"I was refreshing my phone last year, and I was doing the same thing yesterday following him. 

"I thought to kind of slay that particular dragon, what must have been going through his head?

"And to finish like that in a do-or-die situation is a pretty special thing, really. 

"Probably I think anyone in golf who plays celebrated that and realised it, and from my perspective, delighted to have a mate back on tour."

Canter knows what it is like to miss out in qualifying school. 

He endured similar frustration at LIV's first ever 'Promotions' event in 2023, finding the water in a play-off to torpedo his chances. 

Canter's career has since blossomed and he is now among the top 100 players in the world rankings. 

In March, he became the first player associated with LIV to play in an official PGA Tour event, qualifying for the coveted Players Championship through his world ranking. 

"I have a lot of ghosts," Canter said of previous disappointments in his career. 

"Eventually I framed it with kind of an opportunity mindset versus can't be threatened by the situation. But it's intimidating.

"I think the hardest part of it is you have a leaderboard, and it will constantly say where 20th place is the whole week. 

"So if you're right at that line, you get this big loss that goes through your system, I've got it; I've lost it; I've got it; I've got it. That's very unique to that tournament in golf.

"There's no other tournament where it's so black and white, and frankly doesn't matter if you win by 13 or if you scrape home and you're the last to get in. 

"It's the same for everyone and you get the same opportunity.

"And there will be a couple of people every year that it changes their life - generally changes their life. 

"It's a really cool thing in our sport, other than possibly snooker is the only other sport I can think of that has a qualifying school that's so black and white and to have a do-or-die situation."

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