Richard Sterne held on to his 69th place in the Race to Dubai rankings on Sunday with a closing one-under-par 70 in the DP World Tour’s Genesis Championship at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, South Korea.

His three birdies and two bogeys saw him stay inside the top 70 who qualify for the first event of the DP World Tour Play Offs: the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. At five-under-par for the tournament, he was in a seven-way share of 12th.

He was six shots behind the winner, Junghwan Lee of Korea, who closed with a brilliant seven-under-par 64 to get to 11-under. He was three clear of England’s Laurie Canter and Spain’s Nacho Elvira.

Lee, Elvira and Andrea Pavan jumped inside the top 70. Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello, England’s Ben Schmidt joined Sterne and guaranteed their places, while China’s Wenyi Ding, Frenchman Jeong Weon Ko and American Ryggs Johnston all fell out of the top 70.

Other South Africans already in the first event of the DP World Tour Play Offs are Thriston Lawrence in 21st, Jayden Schaper in 23rd, Shaun Norris in 27th, Jacques Kruyswijk in 28th and Dylan Naidoo in 53rd.