. Jon Rahm, Ángel Ayora and David Puig, the best Spaniards, tied for ninth place
Englishman Marco Penge has won the most valuable Open de España presented by Madrid ever, a novel 3-for-1 prize that fills the winner with satisfaction. Beyond the glory of lifting a century-old trophy, steeped in history, Marco Penge also has a place in the Masters Tournament and the British Open in 2026.
That enormous added value, an additional prize awarded weeks ago in recognition of the objective contribution of the Spanish to the growth of European and world golf, has generated an amplified smile on Marco Penge's face when receiving the champion's trophy, which allows him to add his name to the pedestal of a tournament that boasts of having within it much of the best of the best in the history of this exciting sport.
After four intense days, the Spanish Open unexpectedly embraced a sense of déjà vu, once again requiring a playoff to determine the champion, but with very different protagonists than in previous years. Ángel Hidalgo and Jon Rahm, rivals in the 2024 edition, were replaced by the Englishmen Marco Penge and Daniel Brown, a head-to-head battle between those who best survived the uncertainty of a final day where no one stood out strongly in the overall standings.
In fact, Marco Penge achieved victory in a unique way, rarely seen in the many years of the Spanish Open's existence: a win with a final score of 1 over par. With a four-stroke lead over Swiss player Joel Girrbach early in the morning, the Englishman played a round far from the devastating form that had made him the undisputed leader for three days.
His insatiable productivity, 16 under par in three rounds, turned into an experience with hardly any substance, a repetition of pars, punctuated to make matters worse by two bogeys in the first round, which threatened the impregnability of his vantage point.
The Englishman momentarily paid dearly for his ineffectiveness, suffering the pressure from some of his main rivals - such as the Swiss Joel Girrbach, who was one stroke behind halfway through the round - although the uncertainty lasted only a moment, as it was soon realized that the difficulties in adding birdies to his scorecard were the same, if not amplified, as those of all his rivals... except his compatriot Daniel Brown.
Three timely birdies in the last six holes allowed Brown to catch up with his compatriot in the final stretch of a surprising day, one that allowed him to finish in a playoff after accumulating only 1 over par before, of course, his experience and pedigree decided in his favor.
Among the Spanish players, Jon Rahm executed a textbook inconsistency to distinguish himself as the best national player in the tournament, tied for ninth place with Ángel Ayora and David Puig. The Basque golfer struggled on the first and third rounds but dazzled on the second and fourth, an inconsistency rewarded with a Top 10 finish but a fatal flaw if the goal is to win the top spot on the podium.
“I’m leaving happy, the Spanish crowd is unique, but with the feeling that I could have done more,” Jon Rahm summarized after a superb final round of 65. Rahm, indeed, played like Rahm, unleashing waves of excellent shots that gave his legion of fans plenty to cheer about, but his spirited comeback was built on a foundation that wasn't quite solid enough to recall his recent successes at this same Spanish Open, where he has won three titles.
Ángel Ayora and David Puig, for their part, confirmed their status as the best Spaniards from the start of the tournament. Two identical final rounds of 69 strokes highlighted the inherent quality that flows from their powerful hands.
AROUND THE GREEN
Marco Penge, a career on the rise since 2017
Marco Penge has already racked up five victories since turning professional in 2017 (not counting his win in Ireland on the PGA EuroPro Tour). His first big year was 2013, when he won two HotelPlanner Tour events: the Portuguese Open and the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final. But the best was yet to come, and it has arrived. In 2015, he has won the Hainan Classic, the Danish Golf Championship, and now the Spanish Open. And it feels like we haven't seen the best of Penge yet.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez also with 1 over par in 2014
Winning the Spanish Open with a round of 1 over par, as happened in this year's 2025 edition, is extremely rare; in fact, you have to go back to 2014 to find a similar event. Back then, the winner, at the PGA Golf Catalunya course in Girona, was Miguel Ángel Jiménez with a final round of 73 strokes. Interestingly, that exciting and emotional edition was decided by another playoff, this time between the golfer from Málaga, Australian Richard Green, and Belgian Thomas Pieters.
Have a good week, Masaveu and Elvira.
David Puig, Ángel Ayora, and Jon Rahm, with their usual ninth-place tie at -10, were the best Spaniards this week, but we must also acknowledge the -4 scores of Luis Masaveu, who has spent the year splitting his time between the LIV Tour, DP World Tour, and HotelPlanner Tour, and Nacho Elvira, who needed a good result this week. Sergio García, for his part, finished with par on Sunday for a final score of -3. Iván Cantero (par) – with a round of -4 today – Josele Ballester (par), Rafael Cabrera (par), and Álex del Rey (+1) were the other Spaniards who made the cut.
Jon signs up for the 2026 Open
“You always ask me if I’ll be back next year, and I always come, so what’s the doubt?” Jon Rahm exclaimed to reporters with a smile. “Let me be clear: something very strange would have to happen for me not to come in 2026.” With this clarity, the Basque rider expressed his intention to participate in next year’s edition.
IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE
Ángel Ayora, 69 strokes (-2), -10 overall: “It has been an honor to lead the Spaniards this week”
“I deserved those two birdies at the end. I fought hard and gave it my all these past few days. I tried to be a bit aggressive, but you have to be careful on this course; it's treacherous. It's been an honor to be the leading Spaniard this week. In my first Open as a professional, I couldn't ask for more. Lately, I haven't been hitting the par 5s well, but this week I had a perfect 12 birdies, which is a good result. Right now, I'm at 99% in terms of energy. I'm all fired up for India to try and scrape together as many points as possible, and in Dubai, whatever happens, happens. My main goal now is the PGA Tour card, and also a Top 10 finish in the Race to Dubai, which would guarantee me that card. It's clear that if I have the chance to play on the PGA Tour, I'd swim there; I wouldn't consider any other option.”.
Jon Rahm, 65 strokes today (-6), -10 overall: “The Ryder Cup takes its toll”
”A really fun tournament. I always enjoy coming here, it's a shame I didn't have a chance to win, or at least be up there, playing in the later groups. At least I played a good round to finish and was able to give something to the people who came. The Ryder Cup has taken a big toll on me, it's very draining. This edition in the United States has been mentally very demanding, I finished very tired, and last week was more about recovery than anything else. I'd give the season a 7. I've achieved a lot as a team, so I don't feel like I haven't won anything this year. As team captain and Ryder Cup player, the feeling isn't one of having done nothing. My game could have been better, but I've been consistent. Some decisions and some bad swings are what prevented me from winning individually.”.
David Puig, 69 strokes today (-2), -10 overall: “This Top 10 is something to be valued”
”I started playing really well. On the 8th hole, my caddie and I made a mistake with the distance; he added it up wrong, and I flew over the green when I thought it was a really good shot. That affected me quite a bit mentally, and I lost my edge a little on the following holes. But then we recovered well and finished with four birdies, which says a lot. I was very close in this tournament, but also far off. I certainly could have avoided the bogeys and the double bogey, but I also did some very good things, so this Top 10 finish is worth it. Overall, I'm happy because I'll also earn enough points to keep my card for next year.”.
Marco Penge, 72 strokes today (+1), -15 overall: “It’s an honor to win a tournament with so much history”
“It’s wonderful to win for the first time in Spain and to do it for the third time on the DP World Tour. This is a very exciting week; it’s one of the most historic tournaments on the circuit—you only have to look at the names on the winners’ list. It’s an honor to have won on this great course. I love to compete, to challenge myself, and today was a day to put myself to the test.”.
If I had to choose one Spanish golfer, it would undoubtedly be Seve; he's a legend. But also Jon, who's from my generation. Or Sergio. It's a country where people live and breathe sports, and I like that.”.
