The Closing Swing resumes after a two-week break as the DP World Tour heads to Scotland for the Nexo Championship. Here are your five things to know.
Otaegui makes long-awaited defence
He may have had to wait five years but Adrian Otaegui this week finally gets the chance to defend the title he won in 2020. The Spain-born Emirati arrived at Fairmont St Andrews as a two-time DP World Tour winner but without a 72-hole stroke play victory having lifted the trophy at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play and the Belgian Knockout. He set the tone in Scotland with an opening 62 and while rounds of 70-70 saw him head into the final day four shots behind Matt Wallace, he went low again with a closing 63 to claim a four-shot win at 23 under. "Stroke play is my favourite way of golf, I think it’s the proper way," said Otaegui. "You have to play very solidly and very consistently all four rounds, which I think I did. I’m very happy to be able to win stroke play as well, my third win on the European Tour.” Otaegui has since gone on to claim two further DP World Tour triumphs at the 2022 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters and 2024 Volvo China Open.
Trump International Golf Links Scotland plays host
The DP World Tour makes its first trip to Trump International Golf Links Scotland this week. The layout is no stranger to the European Tour Group, however, with the Legends Tour having held the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship there for the last three years, inluding last week when Bo Van Pelt lifted the trophy after a play-off. The links course, designed by Martin Hawtree, opened in 2012. “Trump International Golf Links Scotland has already earned a reputation as one of the best modern links courses in the UK and it promises to be an excellent venue for the return of the Scottish Championship to our schedule," said DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings.
Swing resumes
The Nexo Championship is the penultimate event of Phase One of the DP World Tour season and it is still all to play for in the Closing Swing, with Ryan Gerard the only one of the three event winners so far eligible to gain Swing Points. He leads the way on 593.00 points but will not play in either Scotland or at the Danish Golf Championship next week. Marco Penge is the man in the box seat in terms of catching him with his 433.50 points earned at the Genesis Scottish Open and his hand is strengthened by the fact that only five other players in the top 15 on the Rankings are likely to have the chance to earn any further points. Nicolai Højgaard is the closest challenger to play again on 231.00 points but a good week for Penge here could put him out of reach before Højgaard tees it up on home soil next week. Todd Clements on 219.00 points will need a top three at the Nexo Championship to have any chance as he is not currently set to tee it up in Denmark, and that leaves Penge and other players in the field both in Scotland and Copenhagen at an advantage. Martin Laird (86.45) tees it up in Scotland, while Jason Scrivener (78.40 points) and Kristoffer Reitan (75.25 points) both sit in the top 15 in the Rankings with two events to play and with 7,000 points on offer across the two, including 585.00 for a win, it is all to play for. The player who wins the Swing will earn entry into all events on the Back 9 and a US$200,000 bonus.
Inside the field
At fourth on the Race to Dubai Rankings, Penge will be looking to continue his fine season and potentially wrap up the Closing Swing title with a victory. Reitan, already a Swing winner this season, is the highest-ranked player in the field on the Official World Golf Ranking and is joined by John Parry, who sits seventh in the DP World Tour's season-long standings. Local heroes Calum Hill and Connor Syme will carry the home hopes as they each look for a second win of the season and are joined by a host of fellow Scots including Ewen Ferguson, Grant Forrest, Richie Ramsay and Scott Jamieson. Four-time PGA TOUR winner Martin Laird also tees it up this week, making his first appearance on home soil since 2018.
Nexo comes on board
This week's Title Partner Nexo - the premier digital assets wealth platform - has recently signed a three-year landmark partnership with the DP World Tour, becoming an Official Marketing Partner and the Tour’s Official Digital Wealth Platform through 2027. As well as being Title Partner this week, Nexo is also an Official Partner to six premier DP World Tour tournaments in 2025: the Genesis Scottish Open, the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, the BMW PGA Championship, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Max Hamilton, Executive Commercial Director, DP World Tour, added: “Nexo’s forward-thinking approach to innovation and performance aligns seamlessly with ours. Just as the DP World Tour connects global golf fans using the latest technologies, Nexo is reshaping wealth-building with digital tools. Our audience is global, affluent, and financially savvy – making this partnership a powerful platform for strategic engagement.”
