Nexo Championship | The debrief 

Everything you need to know from last week’s Nexo Championship.

Home sweet home for Forrest

Grant Forrest returned to the DP World Tour winner’s circle, making home advantage count again as he produced an impressive performance to win the Nexo Championship.

Almost four years to the day since victory at the Hero Open over Fairmont St Andrews, Forrest withstood challenging conditions at Trump International Golf Links Scotland to become a two-time DP World Tour winner.

The 32-year-old held a three-shot lead heading into the final round in Aberdeenshire, but that was immediately trimmed to two.

But once he carded his first birdie at the fourth, with Todd Clements making a triple bogey at the same hole, to open a five-shot advantage, Forrest never looked back.

While there was no grandstand finish, finishing with a double-bogey seven, it didn’t take any shine off his success, with his wife, Christy, and son, Spencer, the first to celebrate with the newest winner on the 2025 Race to Dubai.

"It's amazing, just speechless," Forrest said. "I think it is the same week as I won four years ago on the calendar so just amazing, that must say something about this week and being at home.

"It was a tough day out there today, didn't play my best stuff at all but made a lot of good par saves on the front nine. Obviously I was pretty nervous coming down the last there - there was no chance that tee shot was going right with the red stakes.

"I just can't believe it. It's been such a tough year on the golf course. It's just a crazy game that you can go and come out and do this, with what feels out of nowhere.

"It certainly has (turned my season around). I was way down the rankings a couple of months ago, tried to play a bit better but at this stage of the season, I was right on the bubble.

"It's just that old chestnut that one week can turn things around and it has."

With his victory, Forrest climbed to the summit of the Closing Swing Rankings, 28th on the Race to Dubai Rankings and 168th on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Setting the standard

Forrest truly was the toast of Trump International Golf Links on Sunday as he scooped a $10,000 bonus for carding a course record on his way to winning the Nexo Championship.

In the second round on Friday, the Scotsman made seven birdies and one bogey in a six-under-par 66 to go one shot lower than South Africa’s Richard Sterne managed on the opening day.

With the DP World Tour making its first visit to the Old Course at Trump International Golf Links Scotland, there was a guaranteed winner of the $10,000 Course Record Presented by Nexo prize, launched last week.

Becoming the first beneficiary of the new performance-based initiative, Forrest also earned an additional $50,000 award in NEXO Tokens in a one-off incentive for the Nexo Championship.

The course record prize pot will reset to $10,000 for this week’s Danish Golf Championship, the final event of the Closing Swing.

A congratulatory call from the President

After receiving his trophy, Forrest received a video call from the course owner, President Donald Trump.

“We all watched you play,” said Trump on the call. “What a round of golf. That course is big, it’s strong and tough.

"Your swing is great. And it’s a great honour you won.”

History is made on the New Course

Ahead of the Nexo Championship, DP World Tour professional David Micheluzzi posted the first professional round on the newly unveiled New Course off the white tees.

Micheluzzi carded an impressive four under par round of 68 on one of the pre-tournament practice days, etching his name into the course’s early history just days after its grand opening.

“The New Course at Trump International Golf Links was an absolute treat,” he said.

“It had everything you could think of, and it was a pleasure to play. The landscaping of the holes was incredible and to have the chance to play it was very cool.”

The full video of his round on the New Course will be released on the DP World Tour’s social channels in due course.

A true challenge

The Old Course at Trump International Golf Links was hosting a European Tour group event for the second week running after the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship hosted by Colin Montgomerie.

Set along a spectacular coastal setting, the venue boasts some incredible views but on the course the challenge was stern with just three holes playing under par over the four tournament days.

Coincidentally, they happened to be over a three-hole stretch from the fifth to the seventh.

In a sign of just how difficult the layout proved amid heavy gusts, particularly over the opening two days, there were four holes which saw 30 or more double bogeys or worse recorded.

Big strides for Dean

Coming into the week, Joe Dean was on the outside looking in when it comes to retaining membership for next season.

But he returned to the form he showed last year to make a big move up the Race to Dubai Rankings.

With his runner-up finish in Scotland, he climbed 72 places to 44th in the season-long standings as he picked up his second top ten of the campaign.

Penge's peculiar par

They say there are no pictures on a scorecard, but how did Marco Penge walk away with a par at the 12th in the first round?!