Willian Cardoso's Championship Tour qualification chase is one of the feel-good stories of the year. After finishing 2nd in South Africa at the QS10,000 Ballito Pro (and years of living on the cusp of the elite Tour), the Brazilian journeyman has gone all in on one last-ditch attempt at reaching the CT. Without a major sponsor to help carry the financial burden he was forced to start selling personal assets (including his car) and borrowing money from family to help pay for his Championship Tour dreams in 2017. He entered the EDP Billabong Pro Cascais ranked No. 9 on the QS leaderboard after a series of disappointing results recently, but has rebounded with at least a 5th place finish in Portugal which will push him further up the ratings heading into Hawaii.
