Catalunya Championship: 14 strokes ahead - Premlall makes DP World Tour history

With one of the most dominant performances in the history of the DP World Tour, Yurav Premlall has won his first European Tour title at the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship. The 22-year-old South African finished the tournament at the Real Club de Golf El Prat near Barcelona with a total score of 28 under par - 14 shots ahead of his compatriot Shaun Norris, who finished second on 14 under par.

Here you can find the complete leaderboard of the Catalunya Championship of the DP World Tour.

A record that had lasted for decades

Premlall's winning margin of 14 strokes is the largest the DP World Tour has ever seen outside of a major golf tournament. The South African thus replaces a record that was long attributed to Colin Montgomerie - the Scot once won a tournament by eleven strokes. Only Tiger Woods stands above him: the American won the 2000 US Open in Pebble Beach by 15 strokes, a result that also counts as a DP World Tour record. Premlall came threateningly close to this milestone - but ended up one shot short.

The South African did, however, break another Woods record: The largest margin of victory in a maiden win on the DP World Tour previously belonged to Woods himself, who won by eleven shots at the 1997 Masters. Premlall has now surpassed this mark by three strokes.

Four days of almost flawless golf on the DP World Tour

Premlall laid the foundations for his historic victory in the first two rounds. After a solid opening round of 70 strokes, he moved into the top group with a 64 in the second round. He took the decisive step on Saturday: with a flawless 63 - ten Birdies, only one Bogey - he not only set a new course record at the Real Club de Golf El Prat, but also extended his lead to five strokes. For this round, he also received the Course Record Prize of 50,000 US dollars from sponsor Nexo.

Premlall started the final round with a comfortable but by no means decisive lead. His closest rival, Italy's Stefano Mazzoli, was five strokes behind and still had ambitions. But what the South African then delivered on the holes of the golf course near Barcelona was simply extraordinary.

He recorded four Birdies in the first five holes and nipped any thoughts of an exciting final in the bud. One of the most spectacular moments of the tournament followed on the eighth hole: Premlall chipped straight into the hole from the Rough below the green - Birdie, eleven shots ahead. After nine holes, he had 30 strokes on the Scorecard and led by twelve strokes.

He continued his march through history on the back nine. Birdies on holes 12 and 13 brought the lead to 14 strokes and suddenly put Woods' overall record within reach. The first Bogey of the day - and the first in 24 holes - on hole 14 ended this speculation for the time being. But Premlall was not to be deterred: a precise birdie on hole 17 took him to 27 under Par before he closed the tournament with another birdie on hole 18. A 63 - for the second time in a row, a course record for the second time. He collected a total of 33 Birdies over four rounds.

"A dream come true"

Premlall was emotional after his triumph. "There are no words. I've worked so hard to get to this position and it's so satisfying to finally see the fruits of that labor," said the South African after the round. He added that the past few months had been anything but easy: "The last eight or nine months have been such a struggle just to build myself a platform from which I know I can give myself a chance to win. I'm so grateful - it's a dream come true."

He had special words for his family - and for a special occasion: "Let's start with my mom - at least it's a Mother's Day present. Happy Mother's Day, mom! And for my father: we've worked so hard to get here." He continues: "There's not much more to say. My whole team, my supportive environment, my whole family - it's so rewarding to be able to stand on this podium and thank everyone for being part of this journey."

An exceptional talent on the way to the top

Who is this Yurav Premlall? The 22-year-old from South Africa is no stranger to golf - but a player who has been waiting a long time for his big moment. At the age of 15 years and five months, he was the youngest player in history to qualify for the South African Open, where he made the cut. He celebrated his first professional victory two years ago on the Sunshine Tour.

On the DP World Tour, however, he had remained largely under the radar until this weekend. In 28 starts, his best result was a tied 19th at the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Championship. His 29th start was to change everything.

With his victory in Barcelona, Premlall also became the eighth first-time winner on the DP World Tour in the 2026 season - and the fifth South African to win the title this year, after Jayden Schaper and Casey Jarvis. His success is the 181st victory by a South African player in the history of the DP World Tour.

What the victory means - in sporting and financial terms

The consequences of the triumph are far-reaching. In the Race to Dubai, the season ranking of the DP World Tour, Premlall catapults himself from 157th to 26th place. In the world rankings, he could climb from 598th to 244th place. The victory also secures him the right to compete on the DP World Tour until the end of the 2028 season.

Financially, the weekend's prize money is 467,500 US dollars - 17 percent of the total prize money of 2.75 million US dollars. There is also the 50,000 US dollars for the course record. Shaun Norris, the runner-up, receives 302,500 US dollars.

Yurav Premlall showed in Barcelona that he is one of the most exciting talents in European golf. With a victory that will rewrite the history books, a new course record and a dominance reminiscent of the best days of the Tour's greatest players, the 22-year-old made it unmistakably clear: he is a force to be reckoned with in the future. The rest of the season will show whether he can build on his historic performance - he will certainly be a serious contender in the Race to Dubai rankings.

The highlights of the DP World Tour in the video