With starts on the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner on the line, the NEXT Golf Tour World Series continues this week.
Almost 300 players are expected to tee it up in Stage 2 – the play-off portion of the tour that is exclusively played on Trackman simulators worldwide – with the hope of moving a step closer to earning their share of the record $700,000 purse.
Through the continued partnership between the DP World Tour and NEXT Golf Tour, the Trackman-powered series is into its fourth season.
The Order of Merit champion will earn an invitation to one DP World Tour event in 2026, along with six starts on the HotelPlanner Tour.
A platform creating real opportunity
The NEXT Golf Tour is committed to providing players around the world with a clear route toward international tours and meaningful earning potential.
Its accessible, high-stakes competitive format has already helped numerous players break through to higher levels of the game.
The NEXT Golf Tour continues to serve as a vital bridge between emerging talent and the sport’s established tours.
How it works
Season 4 stands to be NEXT’s most impactful season yet - offering players a genuine pathway to the top tiers of professional golf.
The NEXT World Series consists of three Stages. Each Stage is a separate 36-hole tournament for qualified players only. The purse for each Stage is fixed at $150,000.
The top 100 players (plus ties) on the Order of Merit following Stage 3 advance to the NEXT Golf Tour Championship, where they will compete for a share of the $250,000 purse and the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour starts.
Who has benefited from the NEXT Golf Tour?
American Nick Carlson, 29, is a standout example of how the NEXT Golf Tour can deliver career-changing — and in many cases life-changing — opportunities.
He earned more than $50,000 during NEXT Golf Tour Season 2, funding his entry into DP World Tour Qualifying School.
He then secured HotelPlanner Tour playing rights at the 2024 Q-School and went on to finish 39th on the Road to Mallorca, keeping his card and earning just under €75,000 during the 2025 season.
What’s happened so far in Season 4?
The fourth season began on October 31, with an initial run of Qualifiers.
Finland dominated the early qualifying events, with Kim Koivu - who has 40 career starts on the DP World Tour - winning the first qualifier.
The second qualifier was claimed by another Finn, Rasmus Karlsson. Both victories earned the winners $30,000.
Danish amateur Mads Heller, 19, a member of Denmark’s silver-medal team at the 2025 European Team Championship, won the first play-off event, NEXT World Series Stage 1, played just before Christmas. He defeated Finland’s Lauri Ruuska and Sweden’s Ola Johansson, with a seven-under 65 in the second round at Valhalla, finishing one shot clear of the Finnish-Swedish duo.
The victory places Heller at the top of the Season 4 Order of Merit.
Finland’s Oliver Lindell, who finished 42nd on last season's Race to Dubai Rankings, is one of close to 300 players in the field at Stage 2 of the NEXT World Series, currently being played virtually on Pinehurst No. 2.
Players will have until 11.59 pm CET on January 19 to complete two rounds.
What's still to come?
Stage 3 of the NEXT World Series is scheduled to take place from January 22 - January 29.
The NEXT Golf Tour Championship will be played from February 10 - February 12.
You can follow the action and see every shot from every player on nextgolftour.com.
