The 2026 Open de España presented by Madrid is about to kick off and the players are out practising on Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid’s black course, the staff and volunteers are putting the final touches on their preparations and the city of Madrid is getting ready for one of its biggest events all year. Before the first ball is hit in anger, though, we take a look back at four memorable moment’s from last year’s event, where we enjoyed an elite champion, a strong charge from the Spaniards and plenty of other highlights:
Penge culminates an extraordinary season
Marco Penge’s victory in Madrid was much more than just a one-off win. The Englishman arrived at Club de Campo in the midst of his breakthrough season and ended the week with his third DP World Tour title of the year. After emerging victorious from a playoff, Penge took home an enviable prize haul that included invites to the Masters and The Open in 2026. Having missed out on a spot in the 2025 Ryder Cup, he had well and truly proved his doubters wrong.
Three Spaniards together among the best
Unlike in 2024, the home fans were unable to celebrate a victory but there was plenty of action for them on the leaderboard. Jon Rahm, Ángel Ayora and David Puig all ended the week in tenth place on -10. Of the three, Rahm gained the most ground on Sunday, with a final round 65, while Ayora and Puig completed a very solid campaign. All three of them ended the tournament with a birdie on the 18th, a fitting way to say adios to the hordes of fans that once again followed the Spaniards players all week.
One shot, 90,000 euros
John Parry will probably never forget his visit to the 17th hole in round 3. The Englishman hit an 8-iron approximately 197 yards, and watched on as the ball sailed towards the green. Only from the reaction of the fans did he realise his shot had found the bottom of the cup. It was one of Saturday’s biggest moments; a hole-in-one that was rewarded with a BMW iX3, with an approximate value of €90,000. Parry celebrated his shot with his playing partners and, when he reached the green, he handed the ball to a group of delighted children who were following the action. It’s hard to get more out of an 8-iron!
Another Sunday playoff
For the second straight year, 72 holes were not enough to find a champion. While in 2024 Ángel Hidalgo defeated Jon Rahm in an unforgettable playoff, twelve months later it was Marco Penge and Daniel Brown who had to return to the 18th tee. Brown had shot 67 to claw back the four-shot deficit he was facing at the start of the day, while Penge had to fight to hold on to the lead he had earned through absolute dominance over the first three days. However, a birdie from the latter on the first extra hole would be enough to get his hands on the trophy. Once again, all eyes were on Club de Campo’s 18th for a nail-biting conclusion.
