With the sun rising over the pristine greens of Club de Golf Alcanada, the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final didn’t just meet expectations—it blew them out of the water.
Right in the heart of Mallorca, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen seized the moment, stepping up to become the second Dane to hoist this coveted trophy since Marcus Helligkilde did it back in 2021.
Yesterday, Neergaard-Petersen put on a masterclass, carding a jaw-dropping ten-under-par 62.
With ten birdies and a round that left spectators breathless, he catapulted himself into the lead at an impressive 22 under par, edging past Spain’s Angel Ayora, the overnight leader who had a bit of a rocky day.
Starting his day five strokes behind Ayora, Neergaard-Petersen wasted no time, notching up three birdies right out of the gate.
By the turn, he had closed in on Ayora with another birdie, applying steady pressure. On the back nine, Neergaard-Petersen found his rhythm, finally taking the lead with back-to-back birdies, then hammering it home with a decisive birdie on the 18th.
In his own words, Neergaard-Petersen was feeling it out there: I played great today and felt a lot better than yesterday. I got the putter rolling, especially on the back nine, and it was fun to be out there.
The whole point of me being here this week is to finish at the top of the Rankings, and I knew I was going to have to go low to catch up with Angel Ayora because he is playing great.
I kept it really simple today and made sure to take advantage of the easy holes and the par fives. I made some great putts and hit a lot of wedges pretty close. I’m pleased with my game today and it was great to make ten birdies.
Angel is playing great and he looking to get that Number One spot too. It’s going to be exciting for everyone tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to it.
But there’s more on the line here than just a trophy. Securing this win would mean topping the Road to Mallorca Rankings, putting him alongside fellow Danes like Joachim B. Hansen and Thomas Bjørn.
Ayora, though, isn’t just along for the ride. The 20-year-old has a shot at becoming the youngest ever to clinch the top spot if Neergaard-Petersen falters, so he’s gunning for a win of his own.
Meanwhile, Kristoffer Reitan isn’t far off the lead, after a solid 68 that leaves him at 19 under and eyeing a promotion to the DP World Tour. Oliver Lindell, along with other contenders like Robin Sciot-Siegrist, Ben Schmidt, and the Danish duo Hamish Brown and Nicolai Kristensen, are all in the mix, each with their sights on a breakthrough.
With the noon tee-off just around the corner, Neergaard-Petersen and Ayora are set to go head-to-head, and you can feel the excitement hanging in the air.
It isn’t just another day on the course—it’s one of those moments that could change everything for these players and add a new chapter to golf’s history, all under the sunny skies of Mallorca.
