More intriguing is the battle for the 10 PGA Tour cards offered to those not already exempt for the U.S. Tour. And Canter is on board for that.

That in itself is remarkable considering that just under a year ago the 35-year-old Englishman regretted missing a five-foot putt, putting the future of his playing career in question. player.

He needed that putt at the LIV Golf Promotions event in Abu Dhabi to maintain a spot on the lucrative breakaway tour.

Canter had played 19 of their events, but participating in these tournaments jeopardized his status on the DP World Tour. His failure in the promotion competition increased the pressure to make the most of any starts he might subsequently get.

So when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped at a last minute opportunity to compete in the Mauritius Open last December. Canter finished second behind Louis Oosthuizen and his career was back on track.

In six months, he became a DP World Tour winner for the first time and now has a good week left before he earns a PGA Tour card for next year.

“If I had had my LIV card, I wouldn’t have played the following week on the DP World Tour,” Canter told BBC Sport. “And this week in Mauritius marked my entire year.

“That earned me points that allowed me to play more and more in the spring and summer, and eventually in the event I won at the European Open.

“It’s one of those times in life, one door closes and another opens and I’m really grateful for that.”

When Canter landed that second-place finish late last year, he was ranked 253rd in the world. By the time he won in Hamburg in June, he had already done enough to earn his DP World Tour card for next year.

“I was playing with everything at stake (in Mauritius),” he added. “It would have been a really quiet year in terms of where I was eligible to play.

“When you set your schedule at the start of the year with a full card, you choose the 20, 22 or 24 weeks you want to play.

“It’s a very different feeling if you get an email from the registration department saying three people have withdrawn, you’re on the ground and we need you to arrive in Mauritius tomorrow, which is a bit where I was.”

He now sits in 25th place in the Race to Dubai, just 324 points behind fellow Bath pro Jordan Smith, who in 17th place holds the last of 10 spots available for next year’s PGA Tour cards.

Canter admits he needs “a really good week” to secure a place on America’s elite circuit, but it is within his reach.

If he did so, he would have to wait until February to be eligible to play due to rules prohibiting golfers from participating in PGA Tour events within a year of participating in unauthorized tournaments.

“It seems like a strange policy (but) those are their rules,” conceded Canter, who was not a PGA Tour member when he played his last LIV event.

Having played on both sides of what has been a dividing fence, he said “everyone understands the need for a certain level of cooperation for golf to thrive for the fans”, with “three out of four tours separating the best players in the world.

However, he believes it has “done incredible things for major golf championships”.

“The majors have become even bigger, which I think is a good thing,” he added.

Canter says he feels lucky with how his career has gone since missing the opportunity to cement his future on LIV.

“I use the word luck because I think it can be important when you play well in your career,” he said.

“It doesn’t always work when you feel the best and hit the ball the best.

“At the end of the day you need elements of luck and for me to play so well at that point in this season was luck.

“In a golfer’s career there are so many ups and downs and that worked for me this year.”

The highlight came in Germany with its three-shot victory.

“It’s really hard to express in words,” Canter said. “It’s still a level of satisfaction that I still feel because it’s something that I coveted and wanted to do forever.”

“I’m always satisfied and obviously you’d just like to do it again, because that’s how we are.”

“But I’m proud to have won this tournament and it will be forever and it’s a special feeling.”

Canter is heading into the final round of the DP World Tour season this week with a lot of optimism. In 2020, he almost broke through playing here in the final group with future champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

“Since winning, I’ve played some good golf,” Canter said. “I love this golf course, it suits me well, so I feel like I could have a good week and have a good run. I would love to.”