The Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A has historically unearthed the next generation of golfing superstars as the top 45 players on the Road to Mallorca Rankings battle it out for one of the life-changing 20 DP World Tour cards on offer.
Thomas Bjørn
The Challenge Tour Grand Final was established in 1995, with Spain’s Francis Valera securing victory in the inaugural edition at Quinta do Peru in Portugal in a field which included Denmark’s Thomas Bjørn. The Dane finished in eighth place at the season finale to secure his spot as Challenge Tour Number One, as well as DP World Tour playing rights for the 1996 season where he won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. Bjørn did not look back, going on to win 15 DP World Tour titles and captain the winning European side at the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood topped the Challenge Tour Rankings in 2011 after finishing in second place at the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, one-stroke behind Italy’s Andrea Pavan to become the youngest winner of the Rankings in the Tour’s history at just 20-years-old. The Englishman has gone on to make two Ryder Cup appearances and win five DP World Tour events, including two Rolex Series titles, while Pavan returned to top the Challenge Tour Rankings in 2013.
Andrew Johnston
Andrew Johnston finished third at the 2011 Challenge Tour Grand Final to jump to 15th position on the Rankings and secure his DP World Tour playing rights for 2012. The Englishman struggled in his first season on the top tier and returned to the Challenge Tour in 2013, a year in which he was unable to secure a return to the DP World Tour. Johnston bounced back in style in 2014 with two victories at the Scottish Hydro Challenge and the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, before a ninth place finish at the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Dubai saw him top the Rankings and secure a return to the DP World Tour. The Englishman went on to secure his maiden DP World Tour title at the Real Club Valderrama Open de España in 2016.
Francesco Laporta
In 2019, Francesco Laporta secured a sensational wire-to-wire victory at the Grand Final and consequently topped the Road to Mallorca Rankings. The Italian narrowly missed out on a first DP World Tour victory in 2020 after finishing in a tie for second at the Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World. The 31-year-old has impressed on the DP World Tour over the last two seasons with a tie for sixth at the 2021 BMW PGA Championship and a tie for fourth at this year’s Made in Himmerland.
Adri Arnaus
Adri Arnaus, the 2018 Grand Final winner, has gone from strength to strength since his spectacular victory in Ras Al Khaimah, and sealed his maiden DP World Tour title on home soil at the Catalunya Championship earlier this year. The Spaniard recorded four further top ten finishes on the DP World Tour this season and currently sits in 27th position on the Rankings with three events left to play.
