Club de Golf Alcanada delivered on an international stage once more as the Mallorca venue hosted the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A for the fourth time in six years.
Robert Trent Jones Jnr.’s acclaimed course was in pristine condition for the traditional pro-am and all four rounds of competition, even after weather delays affected the second round.
Spaniard Angel Ayora set a new standard on the course, producing the best round in the club’s 21-year history on the opening day, but it was ultimately Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan who claimed a well-earned victory.
The club played host to the final’s pro-am just before the main event, contested by – among other notable names – Alcanada owner Mr. Hans-Peter Porsche. Porsche, who celebrated his 84th birthday on the day of the pro-am, first had the idea to build Alcanada in 1985 at a dinner with current club president Federico Knuchel.
Kristoff Both, director at Club de Golf Alcanada, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome back the Challenge Tour for one of the most memorable events in Alcanada’s 21-year history.
“Special thanks must go to the greenkeeping team for keeping the course in pristine condition throughout the event, as well as all of our staff.
“In particular, a real highlight was watching the young Spanish player Angel Ayora shoot a new course record score, one that we think could be unbroken for many years. Congratulations to Kristoffer Reitan and all the incredible players – we wish them luck for next season and the rest of their careers.”
Reitan’s maiden Challenge Tour win was broadcast live on Sky Sports as he edged out Ayora and Rasmus Neergard-Petersen – who topped the Road to Mallorca Rankings – by just one stroke. His triumph was made even more remarkable by the fact that Reitan began the weekend knowing only a top-three finish would be enough to earn him a DP World Tour card for next season.
Earlier this year, the club’s long-serving director of grounds Borja Azpilicueta was crowned ‘Greenkeeper of the Year’ at the prestigious 59club Europe Service Excellence Awards, in part for his team’s role in the 2023 final. The course also earned the title of Europe South’s ‘Leading Individual Golf Course Presentation’.
Since opening in 2003, Club de Golf Alcanada has maintained a stellar reputation as one of the Mediterranean’s finest courses. The club has been home to the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final since 2022 after first hosting the event in 2019, making the ‘Road to Mallorca’ a pillar of the tour’s annual calendar. The Challenge Tour has confirmed that the 2025 Road to Mallorca will get underway with the SDC Open, at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa, on January 23.
