Grant Forrest Wins the Spanish Open by a Few Centimeters

It was a very close call: just two centimeters, maybe even less. The final hole of the Spanish Open turned into a head-to-head duel on Sunday between Scotland’s Grant Forrest and France’s Victor Perez. Both had the chance to overtake Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra, who had already finished with a score of -13, and clinch the trophy on the very last hole—a par-4 short enough to reach directly from the tee, offering the possibility of an eagle.

Both Forrest and Perez missed the green, ending up on the edge of the hole. However, the Scot successfully completed his approach shot and putt, while the Frenchman failed to sink the putt. The contest ended there, leaving Perez with a bitter taste in his mouth.

The Frenchman had hoped to claim his fourth title on the DP World Tour, following his victories in 2019 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, in 2022 at the German Open, and in 2023 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He also hoped to repeat the feat of his compatriot Matthieu Pavon, who won on this very course in 2023 before moving to the PGA Tour.

Instead, Perez must settle for a tie with Chacarra. It is nonetheless an important result, allowing him to climb to 49th place in the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour’s season-long standings, and to provisionally re-enter the group of players qualified for the playoffs, reserved for the top 70 from the regular season.