The 2025 Road to Mallorca season began with four co-sanctioned events between the HotelPlanner Tour and Sunshine Tour in South Africa. Here’s what you may have missed…
Van Tonder’s fast start
Daniel van Tonder enjoyed a sensational start to 2025, securing victory at the season-opening SDC Open to kick-start the year, followed by a second triumph in as many weeks at the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood Estate. The South African also secured top ten finishes at the Cell C Cape Town Open in association with Honor and NTT DATA Pro Am to extend his advantage at the top of the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
To put his blistering start into context, Van Tonder’s points total of 742 through four events would’ve placed him 18th in last year’s Rankings after all 29 tournaments.
A breakthrough win
It has been quite the journey for Jamie Rutherford to get to this point in his career. Having knocked on the door on several occasions over the past two years, the Englishman produced an outstanding performance to earn a maiden title in the Cell C Cape Town Open in association with Honor. The 32-year-old came close to DP World Tour promotion in both 2023 and 2024, enduring an agonising lip-out on the final hole in Alcanada last year to miss out on securing his card. With a victory under his belt so early in the season, he’s now well-placed to have a successful run at graduation to golf’s Global Tour.
Debutants impress
A whole host of players made their debuts on the HotelPlanner Tour during the South African Swing, with some notable performances amongst them.
Australian Danny List climbed into contention in the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood Estate thanks to a ten under par round of 62 on moving day. He would eventually finish just three shots off a maiden title in his first appearance, and has since gone on to tee it up on the PGA TOUR after receiving an invite into The Genesis Invitational.
Norwegian Baard Skogen also impressed in his first starts, particularly in the SDC Open at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa. Having earned playing privileges for 2025 after making the 72-hole cut at Final Stage Qualifying School, he carded rounds of 68-69-71-68 in the season-opener to finish tied fifth.
Although not his debut, Irishman Liam Nolan had only made four appearances on the HotelPlanner Tour prior to his three starts in South Africa. He recorded back-to-back top tens in the opening two events and currently sits fifth in the Rankings.
Three from four
In 2023, all four co-sanctioned events in South Africa were won by players either from South Africa or who held Sunshine Tour membership. In 2024, the script was flipped, with HotelPlanner Tour members completing a clean sweep of wins. That changed again this time out, with Daniel van Tonder’s two wins, alongside Wilco Nienaber’s seven-shot triumph in the NTT Data Pro Am, seeing three of the four trophies on offer stay in South Africa for the next 12 months.
