2026 DP World Tour Open de España: Reed Aims for the Next Step

The DP World Tour Open de España will take place October 8–11, 2026, at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. The par-71 tournament is the 16th and final national open of this year’s Race to Dubai season. In addition to $3.75 million in prize money and $625,000 for the winner, important points are at stake for the season standings, qualification for the playoffs, and playing rights for 2027. The defending champion is England’s Marco Penge. Three-time Spanish champion Jon Rahm is absent at the last minute due to the impending birth of the family’s fourth child.

Here you’ll find tee times and the leaderboard for the DP World Tour’s Open de España.

Course Analysis for the DP World Tour Open de España

The Club de Campo Villa de Madrid is listed as 6,503 meters long with a Par of 71. The course in the Spanish capital combines the challenges of a classic parkland course with a layout where precise shots and a controlled strategy can be more important than maximum distance.

The length of more than 6,500 meters provides plenty of challenge on the par-4 and par-5 holes. At the same time, a par-71 layout opens up several opportunities to gain an advantage through good positioning and aggressive approaches. The key factor is likely to be how players capitalize on birdie opportunities without making too many mistakes on the more challenging holes. Especially in a strong field, the balance between aggressive scoring and sound course management can make all the difference.

The Open de España was first held in 1912 and is the third-oldest golf tournament in Europe. Since 1972, it has been part of the history of what was then the European Tour and is now the DP World Tour. Past winners include Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance, and Pádraig Harrington, among others. Arnold Palmer was the last American to win, in 1975.

The Favorites at the DP World Tour Open de España

Patrick Reed arrives in Madrid as the leader of the Race to Dubai standings. The American has already won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters this season. He finished second at the Amgen Irish Open. Following his injury-forced withdrawal from the BMW PGA Championship, his comeback is one of the main storylines of the tournament.

Justin Rose is ranked 17th in the world and, along with Ludvig Åberg, Tyrrell Hatton, and Shane Lowry, is a member of the 2025 European Ryder Cup team. Rose brings a wealth of major and Ryder Cup experience to the table and should benefit particularly from his control on a strategically challenging course.

Åberg, currently ranked 18th in the world, is making his debut at the Open de España. His length and strong play from tee to green make him one of the most notable players in the field. Hatton, ranked 24th in the world, also brings top-tier international talent and plenty of experience under pressure.

Shane Lowry arrives with a strong sense of confidence. The Irishman won this year’s Irish Open by a margin of eleven strokes, having already claimed a national Open title. Nicolai Højgaard is ranked 43rd in the world and desperately needs points in the battle for key positions in the season standings.

Sergio Garcia and Angel Hidalgo represent the Spanish contingent. Garcia is a Masters champion and won the Green Jacket in a playoff against Rose in 2017. Hidalgo won the Open de España in 2024. With Eugenio Chacarra, Angel Ayora, and David Puig, other up-and-coming Spanish players are also part of the 20-player domestic contingent.

Defending champion Marco Penge and the tournament’s history

Marco Penge won the 2025 edition in a playoff against Daniel Brown. Both finished the tournament at 15 under Par before Penge made a Birdie on the first replay of the 18th hole. The victory was part of a strong season that included three wins and a second-place finish in the Race to Dubai standings.

2026 was a much more up-and-down year for the Englishman. Health issues, the transition to the PGA Tour, and changes in his personal life made for a difficult start to the season. Since returning from a seven-week break, however, Penge has made eight of nine cuts and recorded four top-ten finishes worldwide. Most recently, he finished in the top ten at the Bank of Utah Championship. Madrid now offers him familiar surroundings for the first title defense of his DP World Tour career.

Prize Money, Points, and Competitive Significance

The tournament is part of the decisive phase of the season. After Madrid, only the stops in India and South Korea remain in the regular season. The top 70 players in the Race to Dubai advance to the playoffs in Abu Dhabi, and the top 50 then qualify for the season finale in Dubai. In addition, players are competing for a spot in the top 100 and thus for a higher category in 2027.

Simply put: This is how the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai works.

The winner also receives an invitation to the Masters Tournament. The highest-ranked player who has not yet qualified for The Open earns a spot in the 2027 Open Championship at St. Andrews. This means that, in addition to its national prestige, the DP World Tour Open de España also holds immediate significance for the major season.

In Madrid, the defending champion, the pressure of the Race to Dubai, and Spanish hopes for a home victory will all come together. Reed must defend his lead, Penge aims to build on his victory from last year, and the hosts will compete without Rahm but with Garcia, Hidalgo, and numerous young players. The combination of the season standings, major qualification, and tournament history makes the Open de España one of the most important European golf events in the fall.