While the leader is targeting a fairytale return to the DP World Tour, Daniel van Tonder on Saturday put himself in a position to do the same and even pull a victory out of the bag in the HotelPlanner Tour’s Rolex Grand Final.
Van Tonder shrugged off the effects of two bogeys to card a third round of five-under-par 67 at Club de Golf Alcanada in Port d’Alcúdia, Mallorca and move into a share of second place on 10-under-par. Together with Euan Walker of Scotland, he was three strokes off the lead which was held by 40-year-old James Morrison of England.
Morrison, a two-time DP World Tour winner, who entered the week in 36th position on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, carded a bogey-free seven under par round of 65. He has 438 DP World Tour appearances to his name, and is projected to climb to eighth position on the rankings with victory this week and return to the main tour. The top 20 on the rankings at the conclusion of the Rolex Grand Final will earn DP World Tour playing privileges for 2026.
Van Tonder got his third round going with four birdies in the first seven holes, but dropped a shot immediately before the turn on the ninth. He dropped another on the 11th, sandwiching a birdie on 10 with those two drops. He picked up two more strokes on the way home and was projected to climb to sixth on the rankings, making him almost certain to regain his DP World Tour card.
Behind him, Jovan Rebula is projected to be the last of those 20 players, after his third round of two-under-par 70. He struggled throughout that round to convert short putts, which would have helped keep the three bogeys he made off his card. But he heads into the final round knowing he probably needs to stay inside the top 10. He is currently in a share of 10th on six-under, seven off the lead.
One of the four South Africans already has his card sewn up: JC Ritchie won three times on the tour this season, gaining automatic promotion to the DP World Tour. He had a third round four-under 68, including a double-bogey, and, at eight-under, he heads into the final round in a share of 10th with Rebula, and seems almost certain to retain his number-one status on the tour rankings.
Wilco Nienaber is the fourth of the South Africans in the final 45 in the Grand Final, and he has almost zero chance of getting into the top 20. He needs a great final round to get into the top 30 to get at least some status on the main tour for next season. He had a two-under 70 in the third round, climbing to a share of 37th.
