James Morrison completed a remarkable comeback to the DP World Tour with a commanding victory at the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A, while South Africa’s JC Ritchie made history by topping the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
At Club de Golf Alcanada, Morrison carded a composed final-round 70 to finish at 15-under-par, three shots clear of Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli. The 40-year-old Englishman, a two-time DP World Tour winner, climbs 30 places to end the season sixth in the standings, ensuring his full return to the Tour in 2026.
Morrison becomes the seventh Englishman to lift the Rolex Grand Final trophy, joining Marco Penge (2023), Nathan Kimsey (2022), Matt Haines (2010), James Hepworth (2006), Richard Bland (2001), and Ian Garbutt (1996).
Starting the final day with a three-shot cushion following a flawless third-round 65, Morrison held steady through early bogeys and birdies before producing three birdies in four holes from the 11th to seal the title. His 13-year-old son Finley served as caddie for the week, a fitting family moment as Morrison capped off what was nearly his swan song.
“When I said this was going to be my last event, I meant it. This has completely changed that,” Morrison said. “I managed my emotions and relied on experience. The wind helped me today; the tougher it got, the better it suited me. Finley was amazing, he’s got school tomorrow, but I couldn’t be prouder.”
Meanwhile, JC Ritchie became the first South African ever to win the HotelPlanner Tour’s Order of Merit after finishing seventh in Mallorca. The 31-year-old earned automatic promotion to the DP World Tour earlier in the season following three wins in five starts.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said Ritchie. “I’ve had an unbelievable season. My coach once told me to try to be the best on every Tour before stepping up, and I’ve done that. I’m proud of the progress, proud of the work, and I can’t wait to compete on the DP World Tour.”
Other top graduates include David Law (Scotland), Maximilian Steinlechner (Austria), Renato Paratore (Italy), and Oihan Guillamoundeguy (France), all securing their places on the 2026 DP World Tour. Morrison’s leap from outside the top 30 to sixth highlights the drama and opportunity that define the Road to Mallorca season.
Completing the list of 20 graduates are Fillipo Celli, Stefano Mazzoli, Daniel van Tonder, Sebastian Garcia, Daniel Young, Félix Mory, Joshua Berry, Euan Walker, Quim Vidal, Hugo Townsend, Tobias Jonsson, Rocco Repetto Taylor, Clement Charmasson, and Albin Bergstrom, the latter climbing 20 spots with a tied-third finish in Mallorca to secure the final promotion slot.
The 2025 HotelPlanner Tour season concludes with Morrison’s emotional triumph and Ritchie’s historic rise both signaling fresh beginnings as the DP World Tour gears up for an exciting 2026 campaign.
About the HotelPlanner Tour
The HotelPlanner Tour, previously the Challenge Tour, was founded in 1989 and is a proven training ground for the next generation of golfing superstars.
Many players who have progressed from the HotelPlanner Tour have gone on to become Major Champions, including Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Brooks Koepka, and Ryder Cup stars, such as Tommy Fleetwood, Alex Noren, Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre, Nicolai, and Rasmus Højgaard.
Using its vast international schedule and relationships with golf federations and PGAs, the HotelPlanner Tour is widely accessible to professionals from across the globe, giving players from developing golfing nations the opportunity to test their skill amongst some of the most talented up-and-coming stars in world golf.
About HotelPlanner
HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company that combines proprietary AI/machine learning capabilities and a 24/7 global gig-based customer service network to seamlessly serve all traveler hotel needs from a single platform.
HotelPlanner is one of the world’s top providers of individual, group, and corporate travel bookings, specializing in unique “Closed User Group” discount rates.
Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner has enduring partnerships with the world’s largest Online Travel Agencies, sports franchises, well-known hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, universities, and government agencies.
HotelPlanner is proud to be the title partner of the HotelPlanner Tour and to help unearth the next generation of golfing superstars. HotelPlanner will help grow the Tour through increased prize funds and by helping to elevate the standard of events on the Road to Mallorca. In addition to their title partnership, HotelPlanner will provide additional investment into six events on the 2025 HotelPlanner Tour schedule, and a total of 40 tournaments throughout the multi-year partnership.
About the European Tour group
The European Tour group administers the DP World Tour, the HotelPlanner Tour, the Legends Tour, and the G4D Tour and, as the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe LLP, stages golf’s greatest team contest, the Ryder Cup, in partnership with the PGA of America.
The European Tour group has Strategic Partnerships with the PGA TOUR, the Sunshine Tour, the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, the China Golf Association (CGA), the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA), and the TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India. These partnerships provide global pathways for players from across the world to compete internationally on the DP World Tour, the main men’s professional golf Tour of the European Tour group, which was established in 1972, as well as the HotelPlanner Tour.
ABOUT ROLEX AND GOLF
Rolex is committed to the permanent quest for excellence in all its endeavours and has been a long-term supporter of golf in its pursuit of the same. The brand’s enduring relationship with the sport began more than 50 years ago, in 1967, when Arnold Palmer, joined by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, became the brand’s first golfing Testimonees. Known together as The Big Three, these legendary players changed the face of golf forever, and their partnership with Rolex marked the beginning of a relationship based on the shared commitment to continuous improvement and unwavering precision. Since then, the affiliation has grown and flourished, permeating every level of the game worldwide. From elite players and golf legends to all the game’s Major championships, where success represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport, as well as the foremost professional tours and worldwide amateur championships, Rolex is ever-present. In 2021, Rolex further deepened its support by becoming a Worldwide Partner of The Ryder Cup, to act as Official Timekeeper at every iteration of the sport’s pre-eminent team competition. The Swiss manufacturer’s support for the game is built on a strong sense of integrity and respect for tradition that promotes the continuity of expertise and transfer of knowledge, and an understanding of the importance of investing in the sport’s development for future generations.
