Soren Kjeldsen has played his final DP World Tour event as a full card holder after finishing T27th at the Genesis Championship in South Korea.
The Dane, who turned professional back in 1995 and has kept his European Tour card every single year since 1998, will now turn his attention to senior tour golf when he turns 50 next year after 27 years playing on the European circuit.
Kjeldsen became just the fourth player in history to surpass 700 starts on the European Tour earlier this year, joining David Howell, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Sam Torrance in the exclusive club. He won four times on the DP World Tour through his career and managed another ten runner-up finishes to bank over €16.6m.
The Dane made over 480 cuts in his 712 tournaments, fittingly playing all four rounds in his final start in Korea, where he closed with a one-under-par 71.
"I'm 50 in May next year, so therefore I haven't kept my card this year for the first time in 27 years. I played okay this year I think but it's been tough for me to compete," he told the DP World Tour.
"I made the decision to get ready for senior tour. So obviously I've got about six months now so hopefully physically, mentally get ready to give it a rip again.
"It was a dream of mine growing up and it's been even better than I could have hoped for. It's been incredible, I love the game. I've loved the competition, the people I've met. The highs, the lows, everything. It's tough to put it into words, it's been incredible."
While speaking in the Green Room, Kjeldsen described his highest moment as winning the 2016 World Cup of Golf alongside Thorbjorn Olesen in Melbourne, while he recounted an important lesson from his former caddie Julian Phillips in his early career that taught him respect.
He finished up with a message to his fellow pros, whom he told to "take good care" of his beloved European Tour.
"I've certainly got a message for all the guys playing out here on the DP World Tour," he said.
"This is an amazing tour, look after it, enjoy it. It's a fantastic way of making your living and there's a lot of trophies out there to be won, moments to be lived. So enjoy it and take good care of this wonderful tour."
