The DP World Tour returns to action after a three-week break with the penultimate event of the Closing Swing at the Danish Golf Championship. Here are your five things to know.
Back in action
It has been three weeks since Stefano Mazzoli lifted the trophy at the Corales Puntacana Championship and on Thursday the Closing Swing picks back up at Great Northern. Todd Clements is the highest-ranked player in the Swing in action this week, with home hero Jacob Skov Olesen also in the top ten. The player that tops the Swing Rankings after next week's Nexo Championship will earn a place in all the events of Phase Two of the season - the Back 9 - and a $US200,000 bonus. The highest player in the Rankings not already exempt will also seal a place in the field for the BMW PGA Championship - the third Rolex Series event of the season.
A new venue
Great Northern will host its first DP World Tour event this week, following in the footsteps of Himmerland, Silkeborg Ry Golf Club, Lübker Golf Resort and Furesø Golf Klub in staging this event. The course is the passion project of Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, a fourth-generation member of the family behind the Lego Group. Developed in 2016 and then opened for play in July 2017, it was purpose-built for championship golf and this week marks the biggest platform for it to be viewed on an international stage. Located in Kerteminde - referred to as "the garden by the sea" - on the island of Funen, approximately two hours from Copenhagen, Great Northern becomes the 466th different venue on the DP World Tour since its inception in 1972 and the fifth first-time venue this season. While the Nicklaus Design layout has hosted an event on the ECCO Tour for the past five years, this is an exciting milestone for the venue.
A fond farewell
This week will be the 179th and final DP World Tour start for Alexander Björk, who announced his impending retirement in September of last year. A graduate of the HotelPlanner Tour in 2016, after initially plying his trade on the Nordic Golf League, his sole DP World Tour title came at the Volvo China Open in 2018, the same year he reached a career-high 59th on the Official World Golf Ranking. Björk finished 11th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in 2023, earning dual membership with the PGA TOUR for 2024. Across nine appearances in Major Championships, his best finish came in the 2024 US PGA Championship with a tie for 39th. All the best for what comes next, Alexander.
Home heroes
This event has long been renowned for its bumper crowds and the home fans will have plenty of local talent to cheer for this week. 2023 winner Rasmus Højgaard and fellow Ryder Cupper Thorbjørn Olesen are in action, as is rising star and reigning Australian Open champion Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. Jacob Skov Olesen is looking to continue his rise, while DP World Tour winners Jeff Winther, Niklas Nørgaard and Lucas Bjerregaard are also in action.
Inside the field
Neergaard-Petersen is not the only 2026 winner on display this week as an elite field gathers in Kerteminde. Eugenio Chacarra has two wins to sit third on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World and he is joined by Richard Sterne, Yurav Premlall, Mikael Lindberg, 2019 and 2021 champion Bernd Wiesberger, Jordan Gumberg and Freddy Schott. Major champions Henrik Stenson and Bubba Watson also tee it up, as does Rolex Series winner Paul Waring.
