Bjorn Hellgren from Sweden claimed the Saudi Open presented by PIF after a gripping duel with Jack Thompson – at Dirab Golf & Country Club.
Ending the season on a high 🔥
Bjorn Hellgren secures his maiden Asian Tour title at the Saudi Open presented by PIF! 🏆#SaudiOpen #TimeToRise pic.twitter.com/MAaXNwNLPn
— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) December 13, 2025
Having played together in the same group all week, Hellgren edged it by a shot after closing with a five-under-par 67 to finish on 23-under.
Thompson, tied with Hellgren at the start of the day, shot a 68 in the season-ending event on the Asian Tour.
The Swede led by one playing the par-five 18th, where Thompson just missed his eagle putt from 30 feet. He made four meaning Hellgren needed to draw on all his experience to hole his birdie putt from six feet, which he duly did – for his maiden victory on the Asian Tour.
Malaysia’s Ervin Chang and Charles Porter from the United States tied for third three behind Thompson. Chang shot a 68 to complete a remarkable week that saw him move from 75th to 41st on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, which sees the top-65 keep their cards for next year. Porter, a graduate from this year’s Qualifying School, closed with a 69.
The other big winner today was Japan’s Kazuki Higa who wrapped up the Asian Tour Order of Merit title. He closed with a 68 to finish seventh, to ensure he ended comfortably ahead of Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe in second place. Vincent tied for 15th following a 68, having needed to win or finish second today in order to topple Higa. The diminutive Japanese star becomes the first player from his country to claim the prestigious Merit title.
Victory for Hellgren atones for what has been a testing few seasons playing on the Asian Tour.
He arrived in Asia in 2020 with an impressive resume that included multiple wins in Scandinavia as an amateur and professional. He’d also roomed with American Brooks Koepka when playing college golf at Florida State University.
He finishing tied ninth at Qualifying School in 2020 but only competed in one event before play was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When play resumed on Tour he did not quite make the impression that was expected of him, with his best result tying for third in the 2022 Yeangder TPC.
Even before this week he admitted to being exhausted after a long stretch on tour and behaving badly on and off the course. He said a holiday with his family in Spain over the past few weeks helped kept him get back on track and that was most definitely the case this week.
“Super happy,” said the winner.
“I mean, finally. I’m not gonna say I was doubting myself, but I’ve been leading tournaments before in this past five years, and never got it done before. I couldn’t have done it without Graham, my caddie. He kept me calm and present for especially today. So, I’m very proud of myself, my team, and especially my family that keep pushing me.”
The duo were tied at the turn before Thompson missed a short putt on the 10th to hand the lead to his Swedish opponent. Hellgren then had a lucky break on the next hole, a par four. After finding trouble of the tee he had to lay up with his second, before his third, which was going long, hit the pin leaving him a seven footer for par. He made it to stay ahead.
He then stiffed his approach to within a foot on the following hole for birdie which gave him a two-shot lead after Thompson missed his birdie from 10 feet. A birdie on 17 by Thompson closed the gap to one before a play-off was narrowly avoided on the last.
Added Hellgren, who finished sixth on the Merit list: “We had an amazing four days. I mean, his (Thompson’s) caddy is a good friend of mine who stayed with me this week, Adrian. I’m really happy for Jack also, because he had a good week, kept his job and I said when we were signing scorecards, I couldn’t have done it without him. And I was pretty sure if he made that putt on 18, mine would have been way longer. So yeah, very fortunate to play with him.”
Hellgren becomes the eighth Swede to win on the Asian Tour since 2004 and the first since Malcolm Kokocinski won the AB Bank Bangladesh Open in 2018.
Second hole-in-one today 🤩 This time from Moroccan amateur Adam Bresnu 🙌
Absolute scenes out there! 🎉#SaudiOpen #TimeToRise pic.twitter.com/SQF5UV87Ke
— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) December 13, 2025
A delighted Adam Bresnu, who is still an amateur player, couldn’t hide his emotion at the end of his day after recording a hole-in-one. He said “My advice to the next generation is to believe in yourself. If you think you have the potential to turn pro and play against these players, believe it. High-level golf is tough, especially mentally, and sometimes you think you don’t have the talent, but in the end, you do. Just keep working, the grind is the best thing for you.”
Saudi Arabia’s Shergo Al Kurdi, who ended the tournament three-under-par said “Not an amazing day unfortunately. Played good golf but couldn’t capitalise. The same story as in the last 4 days really, couldn’t read the greens, but my game is in a good spot.”
Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi, said “Congratulations to Bjorn Hellgren on a well-deserved victory, and to Morocco’s Adam Bresnu for his outstanding performance and recognition as the Leading Arab Golfer. Supporting and empowering Arab talent remains a key pillar of Golf Saudi’s long-term vision.
“Through a clear and sustained strategy, Golf Saudi continues to invest in infrastructure, player development, and international partnerships, reinforcing the Kingdom’s ambition to become a global hub for golf and an inspiring destination for the world’s leading players.”
As the driving force behind the Kingdom’s long-term golf vision, Golf Saudi remains firmly committed to transforming the sport both locally and regionally by building a fully integrated ecosystem that nurtures talent, empowers Arab players, and elevates the Kingdom’s presence on the global golfing stage. Guided by its long-term strategy, Golf Saudi is developing a sustainable professional environment through world-class infrastructure, advanced training and education programs, and competitive pathways that enable both amateur and professional players to progress and achieve their full potential. This commitment reinforces Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to become a global hub for golf and a premier destination for the world’s leading players.
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Main Image: Asian Tour
