The 2026 Road to Mallorca kicked off with four co-sanctioned events between the HotelPlanner Tour and Sunshine Tour in South Africa. Here are five things you may have missed…
South African dominance
Oliver Bekker’s triumph at the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open capped off a strong month for those competing on home soil, with three winners coming from the Rainbow Nation.
MJ Viljoen was the first South African to taste victory on the 2026 Road to Mallorca, coming through a play-off at the SDC Open to seal a maiden HotelPlanner Tour victory at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa. The 30-year-old, following his breakthrough win, would remain at the summit of the Road to Mallorca Rankings after following it up with a top 25 finish at the CIRCA Cape Town Open and another top 30 at the NTT DATA Pro-Am brought to you by Standard Bank. Viljoen’s countryman, MJ Daffue, was the second South African to triumph when he ran out a four-shot victor at the NTT DATA Pro Am. The 37-year-old’s victory propelled him to third on the Rankings, a position he maintained despite taking a week off during final co-sanctioned event in Durban.
Bekker’s win at Durban Country Club was the 16th HotelPlanner Tour triumph by a South African player since 2020, meaning golfers from the Rainbow Nation have contributed to 57 percent of wins since the Road to Mallorca first visited the country six years ago.
Along with Viljoen and Daffue, Deon Germishuys and Bryce Easton also occupy positions inside the promotion places after impressing during the opening four weeks of the season. Germishuys kicked off the year with a second place finish at Zebula before registering another top ten finish at the NTT DATA Pro Am. The 26-year-old is well-placed to notch a third career promotion to the DP World Tour, having done so in 2022 and 2020. Easton is also eyeing a third promotion to Golf’s Global Tour and got his season up and running at Fancourt, where he ended the week in a tie for second behind Daffue.
Kennedy kicks on
Irishman Max Kennedy fell agonisingly short is his pursuit of a spot at the Rolex Grand Final supported by R&A last year after ending the regular season 47th on the Rankings following back-to-back events in China. The 24-year-old, however, appears to have kicked on from any disappointment and currently sits tenth in the standings on 159 points. Having started the 2025 campaign with three missed cuts, Kennedy has already given himself a strong platform to build on as he targets a first promotion to the DP World Tour in what is only his second full season on the HotelPlanner Tour.
Low scoring
The opening four weeks in the Rainbow Nation saw impressive scoring throughout, with several players showcasing their scoring ability to go low. Ryan van Velzen fired a nine under par 63 during the final round of the SDC Open before Zimbabwean Benjamin Follett-Smith signed for a stunning 12 under par opening round of 60 at the NTT DATA Pro Am.
Spaniard Pablo Ereno also showcased his scoring ability at the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open, where he opened with a ten under par 62 to set the early pace on South Africa’s east coast. Swede Christofer Blomstrand, however, went one better the following day, closing out with three consecutive birdies to fire an 11 under par 61 to move into a share of the lead heading into the final round.
Bryant climbs to fifth
Despite not teeing it up on the HotelPlanner Tour yet this season, Davis Bryant is in fifth place on the Road to Mallorca Rankings after impressing in his starts on the DP World Tour. With status across both Tours, Bryant’s second-place finish in the Magical Kenya Open presented by absa on the DP World Tour last week saw him earn 220 points on both the Race to Dubai and the Road to Mallorca. That result, coupled with two other top 15 finishes in six starts sees Bryant in 16th place on the Race to Dubai. The American came agonisingly close to retaining DP World Tour playing privileges last season, and after gaining playing status on Golf’s Global Tour for a second successive year through Final Stage Qualifying School, is in prime position to go one better this term.
Pablo Ereno: Remember the name
Spaniard Pablo Ereno announced himself as a promotion contender across the South African swing on the Road to Mallorca, as he made a blistering start to life on the HotelPlanner Tour. In his first four starts, Ereno recorded a tied fourth finish in the CIRCA Cape Town Open before following it up two weeks later by finishing tied third in the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open, and sits seventh at this early stage of the campaign. Having enjoyed a stellar amateur career, Ereno made good use of invites into the season-opening weeks on the Rainbow Nation, as he bids to join fellow countrymen Angel Ayora and Rocco Repetto Taylor as recent graduates.
