Ahead of the DP World Tour turning its attention to the Back 9 this week, here is all you need to know from the Closing Swing - the end of Phase One on the Race to Dubai.
Who won the Closing Swing?
Needing a top four finish at the Danish Golf Championship to overhaul Grant Forrest at the summit of the Closing Swing Rankings, Marco Penge won his second DP World Tour title to win the last of the five Global Swings.
Across his three starts in the Swing, including a tie for second at the Genesis Scottish Open, he amassed 1,051.57 points.
His performances during the Swing also helped lift him to second in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
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• Marco Penge enjoys triple delight after victory in Denmark
What else was decided in Denmark?
As the Swing winner, Penge guarentees entry into every event in Phase Two of the season - the Back 9 - and a $US200,000 bonus.
The exemption for the BMW PGA Championship for the leading available Member not otherwise exempt from the Closing Swing Rankings will be officially confirmed at close of entries on August 28.
The Global Swings bonus pool (US$ 1M) for the leading ten players in the Race to Dubai Rankings who have participated in at least 8 Race to Dubai Ranking Tournaments (excluding Majors and the Genesis Scottish Open) at the conclusion of the Danish Golf Championship will be distributed as follows:
| Position | Player | Bonus Pool Earnings (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Penge | 250,000 |
| 2 | Kristoffer Reitan | 150,000 |
| 3 | Haotong Li | 125,000 |
| 4 | John Parry | 100,000 |
| 5 | Laurie Canter | 75,000 |
| 6 | Martin Couvra | 70,000 |
| 7 | Jordan Smith | 65,000 |
| 8 | Adrien Saddier | 60,000 |
| 9 | Daniel Hillier | 55,000 |
| 10 | Shaun Norris | 50,000 |
How did the Closing Swing unfold?
Genesis Scottish Open
The stars were out to shine at the second Rolex Series event of the season, as the PGA TOUR co-sanctioned event at the Renaissance Club brought all four Major champions together. Much of the focus was understandably on World Numbers One and Two Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy and local hero and defending champion Robert MacIntyre but it was the relatively unheralded Gotterup who took the crown. After an opening 68, he charged into the halfway lead with a stunning 61 but found himself in a share of top spot with McIlroy after 54 holes. The duo were still tied after eight holes of their final round but while McIlroy could only par his way home, Gotterup came home in 33 to finish with a 66 and seal a two-shot win at 15 under. Marco Penge finished in a tie for second, a shot clear of Nicolai Højgaard, with the duo the only players in the top 12 likely to earn any further Swing points.
ISCO Championship
The ISCO Championship presented 50 DP World Tour members with the chance to impress across the Atlantic but it was an American who dominated days one and two with Chan Kim leading by five heading into the weekend with the help of an opening 61. A third-round 75 opened the door to the rest of the field, however, and it was Paul Peterson - a former winner of the D+D REAL Czech Masters - who hit the summit with 18 to play. On many occasions the American's closing 69 would have got the job done but that was not to be the case this time as countryman Mouw carded a 61 to make up a seven-shot deficit and take the title by one shot. A closing 66 saw Manuel Elvira finish third as the only player in the top ten to earn Swing points.
Barracuda Championship
The Barracuda Championship is the only event on the PGA TOUR or DP World Tour schedule which uses the Modified Stableford scoring system, with players receiving two points for a birdie, five for an eagle and eight for an albatross, and deducted one point for a bogey and three for a double. The nature of the scoring can make the leaderboard a moveable feast and while Gerard opened with a disappointing seven points, tallies of 15 and 12 on Friday and Saturday handed him a narrow lead heading into the final round. He maintained that consistency on Sunday, recording another 13 to finish the week on 47 points, three clear of Erik van Rooyen. Todd Clements' closing haul of 16 helped him to third as the best-placed player to earn Swing points.
Nexo Championship
A week on from hosting the Legends Tour, Trump International Golf Links Scotland welcomed the DP World Tour for the first time for the penultimate event on the Closing Swing. Featuring a host of Tour winners, the week at the $2.75million tournament began with Storm Floris limiting practice for the field as heavy winds hit the Aberdeenshire coastline. South Africa’s Richard Sterne set the early pace, before Grant Forrest gave the home crowds plenty to cheer as he carded a six-under-par 66 to claim a one-shot lead at the halfway stage. His second-round total also set the course record over the Old Course, earning him $10,000 and $50,000 in Nexo Tokens as a result of a new performance-based initiative on the Race to Dubai. Holding a three-shot lead heading into the final round, he never looked back when he made a birdie at the fourth and playing partner Todd Clements made a triple bogey to extend the lead to five. He signed for a closing 72 to finish with a total of eight under par, four ahead of Joe Dean who parred the last to claim second place as only nine players finished the tournament in the red numbers.
Danish Golf Championship
No fewer than 19 Danish players teed it up as the DP World Tour made its first visit to Furesø Golf Klub in Copenhagen. There was plenty to cheer about for the home crowds, with Rasmus Højgaard firing as he sought his sixth DP World Tour title to boost his bid for a Ryder Cup debut in what was the final event of the qualification period for Team Europe. However, despite an electric start to his final round which saw him extend an overnight one-shot lead to four, he was unable to seal the deal as the in-form Englishman produced a birdie-birdie finish for a thrilling one-shot success over Højgaard, who eagled the last. The win was Penge's second of a breakout campaign, following his maiden triumph at the Hainan Classic in April. He had begun the week with a course record 64, a feat which earned him a bonus $10,000. It was a big week too for Ben Schmidt, with the English Qualifying School graduate finishing solo third to make a big jump up to 61st in the Race to Dubai Rankings and put the DP World Tour Play-Offs in his sights.
How it finished - The top ten on the Closing Swing Rankings
| Player | Tournaments Played | Closing Swing Points |
|---|---|---|
| Marco Penge | 3 | 1,051.57 |
| Grant Forrest | 2 | 633.79 |
| Ryan Gerard | 2 | 593.00 |
| Rory McIlroy | 1 | 433.50 |
| Joe Dean | 3 | 389.00 |
| Rasmus Højgaard | 2 | 389.00 |
| Kristoffer Reitan | 3 | 369.41 |
| Todd Clements | 3 | 309.06 |
| Ben Schmidt | 2 | 269.51 |
| Nicolai Højgaard | 2 | 257.95 |
What is still to come on the DP World Tour schedule?
No sooner does Phase One of the 2025 Race to Dubai - the five Global Swings - come to an end, the second begins with the Back 9.
Over nine weeks, featuring some of the Tour’s most historic events, players compete to qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs – back-to-back Rolex Series events in the Middle East.
Introduced for the first time last year, the Back 9 proved a hit with global golf fans as the tournaments enjoyed increases in both spectator attendance and viewership.
The top 110 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings at the conclusion of this phase in October will guarentee their DP World Tour cards for 2025 while the top 70 qualify for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, before that is whittled down to the top 50 ahead of the DP World Tour Championship.
For a full breakdown of points available at DP World Tour events, click here.
