Lyras’s runner-up finish to Tom Power Horan at the season-ending The National Tournament presented by BMW on Sunday was his second top-two result of the season having earned a share of second at the NZ Open.

With the points that he earned at The National, Lyras moved into fifth on the Order of Merit, thus guaranteeing exemption into the Final Stage of Korn Ferry Qualifying School at the end of the year.

Lyras turned professional in 2019 after Monday qualifying for the PGA TOUR’s Wyndham Championship and has been hellbent on establishing himself in the US ever since.

He played the AT&T Byron Nelson in 2021 and played The National Tournament with the specific intent of improving his Order of Merit position and securing one of five golden tickets to earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I ground out a pretty good five-under considering the way I played,” Lyras said after finishing just a shot behind Power Horan at The National’s Moonah Course.

“I’m proud… it’s the first time I’ve shot four rounds in the 60s in a tournament.

“I played like that, shot 67 and I’ll take that.”

The top five finishers on the Order of Merit – David Micheluzzi, Power Horan, Andrew Martin, Michael Hendry and Lyras – are all exempt into Final Stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying.

Micheluzzi, Power Horan and Martin earned status on the DP World Tour in 2024 by virtue of finishing top three and the leading three finishers (not otherwise eligible, down to 20th place) are exempt into Final Stage of DP World Tour Qualifying School.

There are various exemptions into Second Stage Q Schools for the DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour for those finishing between fourth and 15th on the Order of Merit as the PGA Tour of Australasia continues to provide pathways to international tours for its players.

For Power Horan – a two-time winner this season – that means he suddenly has the opportunity to play on either the DP World Tour or Korn Ferry Tour in 2024.

“I definitely want to go and play in the States,” said Power Horan.

“I get Final Stage Korn Ferry Tour School with the top five. The top five there get to the main tour.

“That’s always been a dream. I mean, Europe’s amazing too – my parents are Irish so I’m looking forward to playing a bit more near my family – but the States, that’s the place to be, I think.

“I look forward to the challenge.”

Rather than wait until the start of the 2024 season, Micheluzzi will seek invites on the DP World Tour to try and keep his hot streak running.

The first to win three times in a single season since Robert Allenby in 2005, Micheluzzi was the first to spray Power Horan in champagne on Sunday, praising his fellow Victorian and others for pushing him from the opening event of the year.

“He pushed me along. Not many people know that he and ‘Jonesy’ (Brendan Jones) and ‘Marto’ (Andrew Martin), the last few events, they took me to another gear,” said Micheluzzi, who will play The Open Championship in July as the Order of Merit winner.

“I haven’t played this good before, so I want to thank them for just bringing the challenge.

“Hopefully in a month’s time I’ll head over to Italy. I don’t know yet. Hopefully a couple of events before The Open.”

Highlights of the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia season included:

• David Micheluzzi winning three times (WA PGA Championship, TPS Sydney, NSW Open)
• Tom Power Horan winning twice (Gippsland Super 6, The National Tournament)
• Women winning two Webex Players Series events (Min A Yoon at TPS Victoria, Sarah Jane Smith at TPS Murray River)
• The inclusion of All Abilities fields in the four Webex Players Series events, Cameron Pollard’s two wins earning him a spot at the G4D Open in England
• Playoffs necessary at three events (Vic PGA, TPS Hunter Valley, Queensland PGA)
• Cameron Smith’s homecoming victory at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland
• Six first-time winners on the PGA Tour of Australasia (Micheluzzi, Deyen Lawson, Aaron Wilkin, Brett Coletta, Brendan Jones, Louis Dobbelaar)