Marco Penge won the 2025 Spanish Open presented by Madrid, edging out Dan Brown in a playoff at the end of a dramatic final day.
Brown shot an impressive 67, despite repeated interruptions for shoulder and neck treatment, finishing 15 points behind, tied with Penge, who had a four-shot lead. Penge, however, birdied the first playoff hole, securing his third DP World Tour victory of the season and qualification for next year's Open Championship and Masters. Joel Girrbach, the third member of the final group, finished one shot behind in third place.
"Dan and Joel played great today, hitting incredible putts, while I struggled to putt. But I think I handled the pressure well and, from tee to green, I played solidly. That decisive putt was worth the wait.
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Marco Penge, results
The tournament featured moments of intense intensity. Penge began with a bogey after a drive that ended in the trees, while Brown thrilled with a spectacular long-range birdie on the second hole and an eagle from over 30 feet on the next, moving to within one shot of the leader. However, a double bogey on the fourth hole slowed Brown, who nevertheless responded with a birdie on the par-5 seventh, where Penge lost a shot due to a tricky lie near a bunker. Girrbach, meanwhile, moved to 14 points behind with birdies on the fourth and eighth holes.
Girrbach reached the top of the table at 14 points with a birdie on the ninth, but fell a shot short on the tenth. A birdie on the eleventh brought him back to even terms, while Penge regained his rhythm with a birdie on the twelfth, capitalizing on a Girrbach error. Brown, despite the pain and the medical breaks, continued to battle, birdiing the 13th and 15th. All three players birdied the 16th, with Girrbach holed in from over 15 feet, and finished with a par on the 17th. On the final hole, he parred from a bunker, while Brown forced a playoff with a birdie. Girrbach, with a birdie, took third place, securing a spot in the DP World Tour playoffs.
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In the playoff on the 18th hole, Brown teed off near the green, while Penge was in the left rough. Both left difficult putts, but Penge holed in from about 10 feet, clinching the title. I was frustrated at times, but I reminded myself to stay patient, like I was in the first three rounds. Dan and Joel were extraordinary; I'm so happy to have won, Penge commented. Regarding a future Masters invitation, he added: It's a dream. Augusta is a course I've always wanted to play; I think it suits my game. My goal was to break into the world's top 50 by the end of the year, and this result brings me closer.
Among the Italians, Francesco Laporta finished 47th with a total of -1 (68-70-73-72). Andrea Pavan (69-75) and Guido Migliozzi (72-72) failed to make the cut.
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Tom McKibbin finished fourth at -12 with a final round of 69, while Joakim Lagergren, Jayden Schaper, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, and Ugo Coussaud shared fifth place at -11. Jon Rahm, with an excellent 65 on Sunday, finished at -10, the highest-ranked Spaniard along with Angel Ayora and David Puig. Alex Fitzpatrick, with an eagle on the 14th and a birdie on the 16th, finished 10 points behind with a 68, strengthening his chances of retaining his card for next year.
