While the likes of Rory McIlroy and Eugenio Chacarra are playing for big bucks in Abu Dhabi and Dubai over the coming two weeks, the next generation of potential superstars will be teeing it up at the HotelPlanner Grand Final in Mallorca.
As you would expect, there are some exciting young prospects jostling for a DP World Tour card, but there is also plenty of experience. The top 15 players in the rankings when the final putt has been holed can look forward to doing battle with the big boys next season.
How to watch:
Thursday, October 29, Friday, October 30, Saturday, October 31, Sky Sports Golf, 11am; Sunday, November 1, Sky Sports Golf, 10.30am.
What golf course are they playing?
The event is being staged at Club de Golf Alcanada, which is a spectacular venue that Golfshake Ambassador Matt Holbrook played and reviewed for us in 2025.
Concluding, he wrote: "Two things stick out to me.
"Firstly, I can see why Alcanada can play host to such a prestigious event as the Challenge Tour Grand Final. The length, test, layout and conditions makes it perfect for championship golf.
"Secondly, I can see why it is so highly regarded by all its members and visitors. It really is an impressive place to play golf. An experience that comes Highly Recommended by me and everyone else who was with us on the trip.
"To sum up, it's a fantastic golf course, with exceptional service, incredible views, a perfect setting and idealistic weather.
"If you're looking to find a place to play in Mallorca, make sure Alcanada isn't overlooked."
Who should you be looking out for?
Matthew Southgate and Tapio Pulkkanen have seen it all before but here they are mixing it with the young guns as they strive to get back to where they believe they belong.
Pulkkanen, 36, won the Rankings in 2017 before also qualifying in Mallorca in 2024. Pulkkanen secured the second HotelPlanner Tour win of his career this season at the Danish Golf Challenge via a playoff and will be hoping to qualify in Mallorca for the third time this week and has put himself in a good position to do so thanks to a strong finish to the season. Pulkkanen finished second at the Abu Dhabi Challenge and backed that up with a third-place at the Hainan Open, registering important points that saw him climb eight places. Can he become the first two-time winner of the Rankings?
There were emotional scenes from 38-year-old Southgate following his eight-stroke victory at the Swiss Challenge, a final round nine under par 62 meaning the rest of the field didn’t have a chance. It was his maiden win on either the HotelPlanner or DP World Tour, where he has played much more of his golf having made more than 300 starts.
After a consistent season, 27-year-old Hamish Brown is in prime position to top the Road to Mallorca Rankings. A win at the season’s penultimate event in Hangzhou saw the Dane climb to the top of the Rankings for the first time.
A playoff defeat in May at the Challenge de Catalunya, which kickstarted Brown’s year, was followed by another runner-up finish at the Swiss Challenge. The Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge saw Brown claim his third second place of the campaign before he finally claimed his second HotelPlanner Tour title in China.
Sweden’s Christofer Blomstrand had an August to remember, winning twice, first at the Scottish Challenge before winning on home soil at the Dormy Open. The three-time HotelPlanner Tour winner also had two sixth place finishes, in Finland and Abu Dhabi, and a runner-up at the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open in South Africa and is all-but secure for a place on the DP World Tour for the 2027 season.
Having qualified through the Pro Golf Tour last season, 24-year-old Lars Van der Vight has had a rookie year to savour. A second round 59 in Germany, the fifth sub-60 round in HotelPlanner Tour history, set the Dutchman up for his maiden win at the German Challenge powered by VcG. He added a second win of the season at the first event on the final swing, at the Hainan Open. The Dutchman finished third the following week in Hangzhou.
In his rookie season, Pablo Ereno didn’t take long to show his quality, earning a share of third and fourth in the opening four events in South Africa. A win would soon follow in his homeland of Spain, Ereno prevailing in a playoff at the Challenge de Catalunya in just his sixth start on the Road to Mallorca. The 22-year-old hasn’t been outside the top 15 in the Rankings all season.
It took until late September, but 24-year-old Sebastian Friedrichsen finally got the win he craved at the Open de Portugal. A final round 62 saw him to a 28 under par winning total, the lowest of the year. There were four other top tens for Friedrichsen, who will be hoping to keep his top 15 place and have another stab at the DP World Tour, having failed to keep his card there in his rookie season in 2024.
Irishman Liam Nolan has had an incredible season. Making the cut in 15 of his 21 starts, his campaign has been one of consistency, and he has never looked in danger of missing out on earning his spot for this week. He clinched his maiden HotelPlanner Tour win with a four-stroke victory at the Abu Dhabi Challenge where he carded four rounds of 66 or better. He backed that up with a tie for fifth at the Hainan Open as he looks to make this season even more memorable by securing a DP World Tour card.
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