While the Order of Merit champion receives an exemption into The Open Championship in addition to a DP World Tour card, there are a range of international playing opportunities for those who finish inside the top 15 at season’s end.

Queenslander Blake Proverbs climbed 17 spots to 14th on the Order of Merit on the back of his playoff victory at Webex Players Series Murray River on Sunday as runner-up Jason Norris leapt 43 places to 24th.

As the countdown to the season finale intensifies, here are the six players to watch in the final six tournaments of 2024-2025.

Anthony Quayle
Current OOM position: 7th

Battling a rib injury, Quayle leap-frogged Newcastle’s Corey Lamb into seventh spot on the Order of Merit despite a disappointing finish at Webex Players Series Murray River.

Top-five in five of his previous six starts, Quayle shot 2-over 74 in the final round at Cobram Barooga Golf Club to drop into a share of 32nd.

Expect it to be only a temporary setback; a win this season seems almost inevitable.

Lucas Herbert
Current Order of Merit position: 3rd

After confirmation that he will make a fourth and final start for the season at the 104th New Zealand Open starting February 27, Herbert (pictured, centre) remains in the hunt to snatch the Order of Merit title.

Currently 530 points behind two-time winner this season, Elvis Smylie, the Ford NSW Open winner would need to win in Queenstown to secure the No.1 spot and that exemption to Royal Portrush.

Can’t be discounted for a player who was runner-up in the NZ Open in 2020.

Corey Lamb
Current Order of Merit position: 8th

An uncharacteristic missed cut on the Murray River saw the man they call ‘Chops’ drop to eighth on the Order of Merit.

A two-time runner-up this season to go with three further top-10 finishes, the Branxton ball-striker is one win from forcing his way into the top five.

Lamb (pictured, left) trails fifth-placed Curtis Luck by just 60 Order of Merit points and has a handy 80-point buffer from Webex Players Series Perth champion Jordan Doull.

A win on the run home could be life changing.

Jake McLeod
Current Order of Merit position: 26th

There has been too much good golf of late from the 2018 Order of Merit champion to not expect something special in the coming two months.

Sitting in 59th position going into the Christmas break, McLeod (pictured, right) has had at least a share of the lead in each of the three tournaments played in 2025 to date.

Fourth at Webex Players Series Perth, tied for 10th at Webex Players Series Victoria and now tied fifth at Webex Players Series Murray River, McLeod needs only to put four rounds together to start knocking on the door of the top 10.

Jordan Doull
Current Order of Merit position: 9th

Runner-up to Jack Buchanan in the second event of the season, Doull joined the Order of Merit race in earnest with his playoff win over Haydn Barron at Webex Players Series Perth at Royal Fremantle.

He followed that up with a tie for 10th at Rosebud and tie for 19th at Cobram Barooga to keep the top three within reach.

It might take another win – or two! – but Doull can do it.

Jack Buchanan
Current Order of Merit position: 4th

The past two Order of Merit champions – David Micheluzzi and Kazuma Kobori – both did so with three wins in the season; it might take Jack Buchanan four if he hopes to do the same.

Victorious this season at the WA PGA and Webex Players Series South Australia, Buchanan has skipped the past two events on home soil after starting 2025 with a missed cut in Perth.

With challengers amassing behind him, Buchanan could use a switch in momentum starting this week at 13th Beach Golf Links.

Current Order of Merit top 10

1          Elvis Smylie                  1,247.56 (7)
2          Cameron Smith            735.68 (4)
3          Lucas Herbert               717.06 (3)
4          Jack Buchanan             620.11 (10)
5          Curtis Luck                   523.44 (4)
6          Marc Leishman             488.00 (2)
7          Anthony Quayle           467.75 (9)
8          Corey Lamb                 463.24 (11
9          Jordan Doull                381.73 (13)
10        Jak Carter                     360.26 (9)

(Minimum of four events required to be eligible on final OOM)