Victorian David Micheluzzi has adopted the mindset employed by F1 superstar Max Verstappen to play his way into contention for the season-ending DP World Tour Playoffs.

In his first full season on the DP World Tour, Micheluzzi currently sits 63rd in the Race to Dubai rankings heading into this week’s Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

The 28-year-old earned his DP World Tour card by virtue of winning the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 2022/2023 and is on the verge of becoming an entrenched member of the Tour.

The top 70 players in the Race to Dubai rankings following the Genesis Championship in Korea (October 24-27) qualify for the first leg of the DP World Tour Playoffs, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The top 50 after that event advance to the DP World Tour Championship, a spot well within Micheluzzi’s reach given his recent run of form.

Sitting outside the top 115 cut-off to keep his card for much of the season, Micheluzzi vaulted from 120th to 57th with a runner-up finish at the BMW International Open in Germany.

On the back of that result he also climbed to a career high of 204th in the Official World Golf Rankings, taking a page from the Verstappen performance book as a way of pushing even further.

“I don’t know if this is why I started to play a lot better but in recent times idolising Max Verstappen,” said Micheluzzi, a self-confessed rev-head, on the Tee It Up podcast.

“A lot of people don’t like him but if you look at him and see what he actually does, he races non-stop.

“Not many people know that he does sim racing – he does everything in racing – and he’s just hardcore.

“He won’t sugar-coat anything and that’s what I like about it. ‘I want to step on your throat.’

“I’ve adopted that kind of mentality. What is that mentality? Just doing your job and being better at it.”

Seventeen years since Brett Rumford was victorious at the stunning Crans-sur-Sierre layout, Micheluzzi is joined in the field by fellow Aussies Jason Scrivener, Haydn Barron and Andrew Martin.

The 10 Australians in the field will be looking to solidify their place inside the top 72 of the Charles Schwab Cup standings at the PGA TOUR Champions’ Ascension Charity Classic in Missouri while there are seven Aussies in action at the Asian Tour/Japan Golf Tour co-sanctioned Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea.

With just four events left in the season Cassie Porter can inch closer towards an LPGA Tour card at the Epson Tour’s Guardian Championship while Kelsey Bennett (22nd) and Stephanie Bunque (27th) can push their claims for a Ladies European Tour card at the Rose Ladies Open on the LET Access Series.

Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Round 1 tee times

DP World Tour Omega European Masters Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Crans Montana, Switzerland 5:10pm David Micheluzzi 5:20pm Haydn Barron 5:30pm Andrew Martin 9:50pm* Jason Scrivener 10:30pm Sam Jones (NZ)

Defending champion: Ludvig Aberg Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1972), Brett Rumford (2007) Prize money: $US3.25 million TV times: Live 9:30pm-2:30am Thursday, Friday; Live 8:30pm-1:30am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Asian Tour/Japan Golf Tour The 40th Shinhan Donghae Open Ocean Course at Club72, Korea 9am Wonjoon Lee, Anthony Quayle 9:40am* Brad Kennedy 12:50pm* Brendan Jones 1:20pm* Kevin Yuan 1:40pm Travis Smyth 2:20pm* Junseok Lee

Defending champion: Koh Gun-taek Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: KRW1.4 billion TV times: Live 2pm-6pm Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 503; Live 1pm-5pm Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 1pm-5pm Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.

PGA TOUR Champions Ascension Charity Classic Norwood Hills Country Club, St Louis, Missouri Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright.

Defending champion: Steve Flesch Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US2.1 million TV times: Live 5am-8am Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Challenge Tour Big Green Egg German Challenge Wittelsbacher Golfclub, Neuburg an der Donau, Germany 10:10pm Hayden Hopewell

Defending champion: Francesco Laporta Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €270,000

PGA TOUR Americas Fortinet Cup Championship TPC Toronto (North Cse), Caledon, Ontario 3:04am* Grant Booth 3:15am Harry Hillier (NZ)

Defending champion: Inaugural event Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US225,000

Epson Tour Guardian Championship Capitol Hill Golf Club, Prattville, Alabama Australasians in the field: Cassie Porter, Fiona Xu (NZ), Amelia Garvey (NZ), Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Su Oh

Defending champion: Cydney Clanton Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US262,500

LET Access Series Rose Ladies Open The Melbourne Club at Brocket Hall, England Australasians in the field: Kelsey Bennett, Stephanie Bunque, Momoka Kobori (NZ), Wenyung Keh (NZ)

Defending champion: Chiara Tamburlini Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €70,000

Legends Tour Legends Open de France Le Touquet Golf Resort (La Forêt Cse), France Australasians in the field: Scott Hend, Michael Campbell (NZ), Michael Long (NZ)

Defending champion: Adilson da Silva Past Aussie winners: Nil