Scotland’s Grant Forrest birdied the final hole to claim a dramatic one-shot victory at the 2026 Open de España, securing his third DP World Tour title and invitations to next year’s Masters and British Open Championship.
The 33-year-old from North Berwick closed with a 1-under 70 for a total of 14-under 270 at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. He edged home favorite Eugenio Chacarra and France’s Victor Perez, who finished tied for second at 13 under.
Forrest and Perez arrived at the reachable 322-yard par-4 18th needing birdies to overtake Chacarra, who was already in the clubhouse after a sparkling closing 66. Both players drove into the greenside rough, their balls separated by little more than the length of a shoe. Perez chipped to about 10 feet and missed; Forrest’s chip left him roughly three to four feet, and he holed the putt to seal the win.
“I’m in pure shock just now,” Forrest said. “It’s been such a tough year. I’ve got good memories of this course and this tournament.
“To do it is unbelievable. That’s fairytale stuff. I’ve played two Opens and to be going to Augusta, I just can’t get my head round it. You can have a great career in this game and never get to go to Augusta, so I cannot believe it.”
The victory is Forrest’s first outside Scotland. He previously won the 2021 Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews and the 2025 Nexo Championship at Trump International Golf Links.
The win, worth approximately €567,500 (around $633k), came after a difficult stretch in which he had missed several cuts and arrived in Madrid ranked 118th on the Race to Dubai, in danger of losing his card for 2027. The victory also lifted him roughly 156 places in the world rankings to around 140th.
