Scotland’s Euan Walker will rub shoulders with European golf’s elite next year after ending three years of agonising disappointment at the HotelPlanner Tour’s season climax to claim a card for the 2026 DP World Tour.
The Ayrshireman missed out on his DP World card by a slender margin in 2022, 2023 and 2024 but played solid golf in the finale in Majorca to secure his status for next season.
The 30-year-old shot rounds of 65, 71, 70, 71 for an 11-under total and a share of third place at Alcanada to finish 14th on the order of merit – well inside the top-20 cut-off.
Fellow Scots David Law and Daniel Young had already earned their tickets to the main tour before the last event of the HotelPlanner season.
Walker finished four shots behind winner James Morrison, whose 13-year-old son Finley was caddying for him as he earned a victory that meant a reversal of his retirement plan.
The Englishman shot a two-under final round for a 15-under aggregate and win by three shots from Italian Stefano Mazzoli.
The 40-year-old climbed 30 places to number six on the order of merit and guarantee his return to the DP World Tour, where he has won twice.
“When I said this was going to be my last event, it really was going to be – 100 per cent. This has completely messed that up,” Morrison said.
“I’m glad it’s over. I didn’t play well on Sunday but managed my emotions and dug into my memory bank with my wins on the DP World Tour.
“I feel sorry for Finley. He’s had a half past six alarm for school! He’s amazing. I love him. He did so well.”
Law, 34, a two-time winner on the HotelPlanner circuit this season, finished second on its order of merit behind South African JC Ritchie.
It is the biggest number of Scots to secure their cards via the second-tier circuit since Law, Robert MacIntyre, Grant Forrest and Liam Johnston did so in 2018.
It means that with all seven players who held DP World Tour cards this season retaining them and Cameron Adam being elevated via winning the Global Amateur Pathway, there will be 11 Scots on tour next year – with the Final Stage of the Qualifying School still to be played.
