Søren Kjeldsen calls time on DP World Tour career after 27 seasons ...
Søren Kjeldsen has called time on his DP World Tour career after 27 consecutive seasons that saw him win four times including the 2015 Irish Open at Royal County Down.
Kjeldsen made his DP World Tour debut in 1998 and racked up 712 appearances with wins coming at the Diageo Championship in 2003, the Volvo Masters in 2008 the 2009 Open de Andalucia and 2015 Irish Open.
The Dane who will turn 50 next May is going to take the winter to prepare for life on the Legends Tour and Champions Tour.
“It was tough playing the last hole but it has been great, everything comes to an end,” he said after a closing one-under-par 71 in South Korea meant he would lose out on his full playing rights for next season.
“I am really looking forward to playing the seniors.
“I am playing well, but these [younger] guys hit it 30, 40, 50 past me so it is tough to compete. I look forward to playing with someone my age.”
Despite calling time on his DP World Tour career, Kjeldsen still ended the year in the history books when he becomes just the fourth player to make 700 or more appearances joining David Howell, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Sam Torrance.
Only Howell (725) and Angel Jiménez (723) have played more than the 712 times Kjeldsen did who may add to his tally with special invites to the Danish Golf Championship.
Across his career, he has also competed at all four Majors, recording top tens in three of them, played on the PGA TOUR with a full card and won the World Cup of Golf with Thorbjørn Olesen in 2016, which he cited as the highlight.
“When you ask guys, majors are obviously the highest [point of careers], but Ryder Cups are maybe even higher because it is a team event [so] winning the World Cup with Thorbjørn was pretty special,” he reflected on his achievements in the game.
Golf runs through the Kjeldsen family and his sons Emil (21) and Mads (18) are trying to emulate him. Emil compete on the Next Golf Tour, a professional golf tour played on Trackman simulators.
“They love it [golf], which is the main thing,” he said. “Obviously I encourage them. I think it is the greatest game of all.
“We will see, but they are doing really good.”
