Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter from Miami, and I’m super excited to share some fascinating news about the Challenge Tour final. If you’re not familiar with it, the Challenge Tour is the second division of professional golf, and it’s been quite the journey for this tournament.
The Challenge Tour final has been sailing since 1995, passing through various locations. It first set sail in Portugal from 1995 to 1999. Then, it made its way to Cuba in 2000 before moving to the Golf du Médoc in France from 2001 to 2004. The San Domenico Golf in Italy hosted it from 2005 to 2012. The tournament then alternated between Oman (2015-2017) and the United Arab Emirates (2013, 2014, and 2018). In 2019, it made its grand move to the beautiful Balearic Islands.
Jamie Hodges, the director of the Challenge Tour, recalls: “We were in the Arabian Peninsula for several years, but I think it was important that the final was played in Europe. When we had the idea of a partnership with Mallorca, we went to see the courses and felt very comfortable. We are very happy here, and the best proof is that we renewed the contract for four years.”
The event was initially held at the Alcanada Golf Club before moving to the T Golf & Country Club in the west of the island for two years. It returned to Alcanada in 2022.
On paper, the tournament is supposed to travel to different courses across Mallorca. However, only seven out of twenty courses meet the standards of the Challenge Tour. Each year, these courses are surveyed to see if they want to host the tournament. If both Spanish and Balearic federations give their approval, it’s ultimately up to the board of directors of the Challenge Tour to decide among the candidates.
In recent years, the course for each edition’s final was announced during an awards ceremony. However, for 2024, there has been no announcement yet regarding which course will host the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final 2025.
Alcanada Golf Club has already expressed its desire to host the event for a fourth consecutive year. Kristoff Both, the director of Alcanada, confirms: “It is obvious that we would be delighted to welcome this great tournament on our course again. We are proud to be part of the Tour family and to be part of the history of golf. It is also a great motivation for our team to work towards having a course and facilities worthy of this great tournament.”
Another course closer to Palma de Mallorca has applied to host the event as well. The announcement will likely be made at the end of the year or in January.
Jamie Hodges mentions: “Maybe we will come back here. We are talking to two golf courses. Of course, Alcanada is a great place to promote Mallorca. The views and scenery are absolutely fantastic. The teams also do a great job, and that’s really important when organizing a big event like this.”
The advantage of returning to the same place is that improvements can be built upon from previous years. If they change locations, they start from scratch.
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