A golf ball sits in a narrow line cut through the turf leading toward a red flagstick, warm golden backlight, trees and a bunker softly blurred behind.

news Oct 12, 2026

Grant Forrest Wins Open de Espana 2026

A golf ball on a line toward a red flagstick, lit by warm golden-hour backlight.

Grant Forrest closed with a birdie on the 18th hole to shoot a final-round 70 and win the Open de Espana 2026 at 14 under, finishing a shot clear of the field at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. The win settles the storyline from Wednesday's preview: Marco Penge's bid to become the first player to defend an Open de Espana title in more than a decade ends here, and Jon Rahm's early withdrawal left the door open for someone outside last year's winner's circle to walk through it.

Forrest wins at 14 under. Grant Forrest shot a final-round 70, with a birdie on 18, to finish at 270 and beat Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra and Victor Perez by one shot.
Tied for second. Lopez-Chacarra and Perez both finished at 13 under (271); Lopez-Chacarra reportedly played the week on a fractured toe.
Career milestone. It's Forrest's third DP World Tour title and his first win outside Scotland.
Big-event payoff. The win locks in starts at the 2027 Masters and the 2027 Open Championship.

What happened at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid

Forrest's 70 on Sunday was enough to hold off a home crowd pulling hard for Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra. The Spaniard, reportedly playing through a fractured toe all week, matched Victor Perez at 13 under (271), one shot back. Forrest's closing birdie on 18 turned a tie into a win; without it, this heads to a playoff instead of a solo trophy lift.

None of the names flagged in our preview as the field's biggest threats ended up in that finish. Patrick Reed came in defending his Race to Dubai lead rather than chasing the trophy itself, Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg were the highest-ranked players left in the field once Rahm withdrew, and Shane Lowry arrived fresh off a final-round 63 at the Amgen Irish Open. The week came down to a Scot who wasn't on anyone's shortlist and a home favorite playing hurt.

It's Forrest's third DP World Tour title, and the first he's won outside his home country. That distinction matters more than it might look on paper. A player can build a reputation as a strong closer at home and still have real questions follow him to a course he doesn't know as well, and Madrid answered that one directly.

Forrest plays a Titleist GT3 driver, a T250/T100 combo iron set with 620 MB blades mixed into the scoring clubs, Vokey SM10 wedges, and a Pro V1 ball. None of it is unusual on tour, which is the point. Forrest didn't need an equipment story this week. He needed a birdie on the last hole, and he made it.

What to watch next

The practical rewards here are immediate. Forrest's win locks in spots in the 2027 Masters and the 2027 Open Championship, two starts that were far from certain for him a week ago. He also jumps from around 118th to 27th in the Race to Dubai rankings, a swing of roughly 90 spots in a single week. I'll admit that kind of move still catches me off guard after years of covering Race to Dubai pushes that usually take several events to shift that far.

Penge's title defense is over without a repeat, and how he responds over the rest of the season is worth watching; a defending champion who doesn't repeat often has a quieter back half than the form book suggests. Rahm's withdrawal, previewed before the week started, removed the highest-profile contender from the equation entirely and left this tournament to be decided among players who don't have Rahm's name recognition but clearly have the game to win on this course. Lopez-Chacarra's runner-up finish, toe and all, is the bigger story locally than Forrest's win, and it's reasonable to expect him back in contention the next time he tees it up healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Open de Espana 2026?

Grant Forrest won the Open de Espana 2026 at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, finishing at 14 under (270) after a final-round 70 that included a birdie on the 18th hole. He beat Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra and Victor Perez, who tied for second at 13 under (271), by one shot.

Who finished second at the Open de Espana 2026?

Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra and Victor Perez tied for second at 13 under (271), one shot behind Grant Forrest. Lopez-Chacarra, the home favorite, reportedly played the week on a fractured toe.

What does the win mean for Grant Forrest's season?

It's Forrest's third DP World Tour title and his first outside Scotland. The win locks in starts at the 2027 Masters and the 2027 Open Championship, and it moves him from around 118th to 27th in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Did Marco Penge defend his Open de Espana title?

No. Penge, last year's champion, didn't repeat as Open de Espana winner. Grant Forrest's closing 70 and birdie on 18 took the title instead.

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James Whitfield Golf writer

James Whitfield plays off a 7 handicap in the Pacific Northwest. A former tech pro, he reads what independent tests show, cross-references owner reports, and turns the evidence into buying advice. He's happier with a spec sheet than a putt.