South Africa’s MJ Daffue played his way from the Hotelplanner Tour to the DP World Tour after a superb season.
Julien Sale produced a dominant final round performance to secure victory at the HotelPlanner Tour’s Grand Final, while Hamish Brown topped the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
The Frenchman, who was guaranteed of promotion to the DP World Tour before the season finale in Mallorca, posted his second 65 of the week to reach 22 under par, four strokes clear of the Dane, who narrowly held onto solo second to capture the season-long title.
Sale ends the year second on the Rankings and will now step up to Golf’s Global Tour for the first time in his career. He becomes the fifth player from France to win the Grand Final after Clément Sordet (2017), Benjamin Hebert (2014), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (2007) and Nicolas Joakimides (1997).
The 29-year-old started the day with a one-stroke advantage and fired four front nine birdies to take control at Club de Golf Alcanada. A gain on the par five 12th further extended his advantage before he dropped his only shot of the day on the next.
He responded well, however, with three birdies in his final six holes helping him to his second HotelPlanner Tour triumph of 2026, after his win on home soil at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge earlier this year.
“Coming this week, I didn’t have much stress because I knew I was inside the top 15 and the goal was to and win the tournament and obviously try to finish number one on the ranking and to do that,” he said.
“I was going to have fun already this morning for tonight but now I’m going to enjoy it even more with my family here.
“It was a tough day today because obviously a lot of pressure and I knew that if you guys behind me, were going to play well and try to catch me but I’m really happy with how I played.”
Brown becomes the fifth Dane to win the Road to Mallorca Rankings after Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (2024), Marcus Helligkilde (2021), Joachim B Hansen (2018) and Thomas Bjørn (1995).
The 27-year-old posted a closing five under par 67 in Alcúdia to reach 18 under par for the week and held onto solo second after South African MJ Daffue saw his birdie putt slide by on the 72nd hole.
“It means a lot,” said Brown.
“It’s been a proper grind again today, just like last Sunday. Ultimately, I couldn’t win today thanks to a good Frenchman who played extremely well. It’s just a day where you can’t really you can’t really control your thoughts. All you’re thinking about is what they need to do or what’s going to happen.
“It gives me a lot of confidence. I had a tough year last year on the DP World Tour, but I wasn’t too far away, I thought, and it’s just moments throughout a season that needs to go your way and I’m not I’m not scared of it for next year. I’m quite looking forward to it because I know what it what it is now. I know what I need to do and not to do. I’m trying to just expect more of myself.”
Dutchman Lars van der Vight, a two-time HotelPlanner Tour winner this season, ends the year as Number Three, with another two-time victor, Sweden’s Christofer Blomstrand, in fourth.
MJ Daffue, who won twice at the start of the year in South Africa and India, rounds out the top five with Spaniard Pablo Ereño in sixth. Tapio Pulkkanen (seventh) returns to the DP World Tour at the first time of asking and is joined by Adam Wallin (eighth), Liam Nolan (ninth) and John Gough (10th).
Sebastian Friedrichsen ends the year in 11th position after sealing his breakthrough win in Portugal and is joined by Englishman Will Enefer in 12th.
Marc Warren delivered during the back nine on Sunday with a tied for fifth finish helping him climb seven places to 13th. Andrew Wilson ends the year in 14th while Frenchman Maxence Giboudot held onto the all-important 15th position to confirm his spot on Golf’s Global Tour for the first time.
Article Link: Daffue earns DP World Tour card