Kristoffer Reitan held his nerve to win the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A and secure promotion to the DP World Tour, while Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen topped the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
Norwegian Reitan signed for a closing four under par round of 68 to reach 23 under par for the week and win by one from Dane Neergaard-Petersen and Spaniard Angel Ayora at Club de Golf Alcanada.
Reitan secures a maiden Challenge Tour title and becomes the second Norwegian winner of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final after Espen Kofstad in 2012.
The 26-year-old climbs 29 places in the Road to Mallorca Rankings to end the season as the Number Seven and guarantee his place on the DP World Tour in 2025.
Reitan started the final day three shots off the lead but went eagle-birdie on his opening two holes to join Neergaard-Petersen at the top. Despite dropped shots at the fourth and tenth, Reitan, who at one point was four shots adrift of Neergaard-Petersen at the top, fired back with birdies on 11, 13 and 15 to stay in contention and set the clubhouse lead on 23 under.
Neergaard-Petersen meanwhile made the turn two under par to move clear at the summit, but three dropped shots in his closing seven holes, including at the par four 18th, saw him drop to a share of second alongside Ayora.
Reitan will return to the DP World Tour for the first time in six years having previously earned playing privileges through Qualifying School in 2018.
“I’m super happy but it has not sunk in yet whatsoever,” he said. “It’s probably going to take a few hours or maybe a few days. It’s really nice to be able to play well when it really mattered. I never thought this would be a possibility even a few months ago.
“I’ve achieved my main goal which was getting back to the DP World Tour, and I did the hard way. I’m looking forward to next season immensely. I’m really happy to be back and if you would’ve told me this a few months ago I wouldn’t have believed you. At the end I was just surprised looking at the leaderboard on 18.”
Neergaard-Petersen guaranteed automatic promotion to the DP World Tour by securing a third victory of the season in September and ends the week as the Road to Mallorca Number One on 1,826 points after enjoying a sensational debut season on the Challenge Tour.
The 25-year-old becomes the fourth player from Denmark to win the Challenge Tour Rankings after Marcus Helligkilde (2021), Joachim B Hansen (2018) and Thomas Bjørn (1995).
“The main goal for coming here was to win the Rankings, and as I said earlier this week, it would the perfect end to the perfect season and I’m super happy with that,” he said. “It means the world to me.
“I’ve only been a professional for 16 or 17 months now and I’m continuing to learn new things and draw on the experiences I’ve had.
“I didn’t get it done in the tournament today, but all I can do is learn from this and move on. I’m still super happy to win the Rankings. It’s been a great season.”
Englishman John Parry, who has also won three times on the Challenge Tour this season, ends the year as the Number Two, with Finn Oliver Lindell graduating in third after ending the year with eight consecutive top ten finishes.
Ayora ends his first season as a professional in fourth, Dane Hamish Brown, who has won twice this season, finishes fifth, with fellow two-time winner Conor Purcell from Ireland in sixth.
Swede Joakim Lagergren and Englishman Jack Senior secured their return to the DP World Tour by ending the year in eight and ninth respectively, with Joel Moscatel from Spain rounding out the top ten.
Swede Mikael Lindberg ends the year 11th, and is followed in the Rankings by five-time DP World Tour winner Alexander Levy who earns a return to golf’s Global Tour in 12th. Countryman Benjamin Hébert will join him after finishing 13th.
South African duo Robin Williams and Deon Germishuys will tee it up on the DP World Tour next year after ending the season 14th and 15th in the Rankings, as does Swede Björn Åkesson who finishes 16th.
Frenchman Martin Couvra (17th) and Englishman Brandon Robinson Thompson (18th) secure their first promotion, with Tapio Pulkkanen, the 2017 Challenge Tour Number One, joining them in 19th.
Pierre Pineau from France graduates to the DP World Tour for the first time in 20th, German Nicolai von Dellingshausen ends the year 21st, and two-time DP World Tour winner Lucas Bjerregaard from Denmark claims the final available card on offer in 22nd.
