The top 25 players in the Final Stage tournament (including those tied for 25th place) will receive full membership in the European and Challenge Tours for the 2019 season. Over the previous five years, the medalist has gotten 29 European Tour starts on average, while the 25th qualifier has received 19. The winner of the European Qualifying School event will always be included on the main tour, with additional prizes available for the top performing players. The 2018 Finals stage took place in Barcelona at the end of June. Players must first qualify for a spot on one of these two tours by finishing inside the top 125 on either the European Senior Tour or the Challenge Tour. They do this by earning points throughout their career through winning tournaments or ranking positions. These points accumulate up to 100 for a player who reaches a high enough position to make it into the top 125, with more lucrative offers likely to come along from different tours. Players start at the Qualifying School with a tryout round where they can show what they've got before moving on to the next stage. The final stage takes place over three days with around 120 players competing for 20 spots per day. The top 10 players after each day's play will progress to the next day with chances to improve their status. Players who don't make it into the main tour can still earn money by playing on the secondary Challenge Tour. This is done by completing a series of non-ranking events known as "category centers".