Preview
Open de España 2026 preview: Penge defends as Reed returns
Marco Penge defends Spain's national open at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, where Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed returns from injury in a field with Lowry, Åberg, Hatton, Rose and last week's winner Meronk.
The Open de España presented by Madrid (8–11 October) is the third-oldest golf tournament in Europe, first played in 1912, and in 1972 it was the first event on what is now the DP World Tour. This year it is at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
A drivable 18th at Club de Campo
Club de Campo is a tree-lined parkland course, set up this week as a par 71 of 7,154 yards. It rewards accuracy off the tee more than length, with small greens and tricky pin positions. The 18th is a 362-yard par 4 that the longer hitters can drive.
The prize fund is US$3.75 million, over 72 holes with a halfway cut. There are Race to Dubai points and European Ryder Cup qualifying points on offer, with the 2027 matches at Adare Manor less than a year away. The field is 132 players, 20 of them Spanish.
Penge won last year’s playoff at the 18th
Marco Penge led by four going into the final round last year, closed with a 72 and was caught on 15 under by Daniel Brown. Penge then won the playoff with a birdie at the first extra hole, the drivable 18th. It was his third DP World Tour title of 2025, and the first time the event gave its winner places in the following year’s Masters and Open.
Brown is in the field again. The DP World Tour’s clip has every shot of Penge’s back nine.
Reed returns, Lowry and Meronk arrive as winners
Patrick Reed, the Race to Dubai leader, plays his first event since injuring his wrist at Wentworth in September. He has 3,423.62 points to Rory McIlroy’s 3,115.86, and McIlroy isn’t here. Reed spoke this week about wanting to earn his 2027 PGA TOUR card on merit (our story).
Shane Lowry won the Amgen Irish Open in September by a record 11 shots. Ludvig Åberg makes his debut in this event, one of four members of Europe’s 2025 Ryder Cup team in the field along with Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose.
Adrian Meronk arrives straight from winning the Alfred Dunhill Links on 20 under (our report). Major winners in the field include Sergio Garcia, Francesco Molinari, Danny Willett and Bubba Watson.
Chacarra plays with Reed and Lowry
After Madrid there are only visits to India and South Korea before the Play-Offs. Eugenio Chacarra, a two-time winner this season and third on the Race to Dubai, plays with Reed and Lowry for the first two rounds. He also leads the home challenge, with 2024 champion Angel Hidalgo, David Puig, Nacho Elvira, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Pablo Larrazábal and Garcia all in the field.
Thursday’s featured groups (GMT)
Madrid is two hours ahead of GMT (CEST). Players go off the 1st and 10th tees from 06:40 GMT. Selected groups for Thursday:
| GMT | Tee | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | 10th | David Puig, Francesco Molinari, Tom McKibbin |
| 07:10 | 10th | Adrian Meronk, Jeff Winther, Manuel Elvira |
| 07:20 | 10th | Angel Ayora, Ludvig Åberg, Tyrrell Hatton |
| 07:30 | 10th | Eugenio Chacarra, Shane Lowry, Patrick Reed |
| 07:50 | 10th | Daniel Brown, Hennie du Plessis, Victor Perez |
| 11:20 | 1st | Danny Willett, Pablo Larrazábal, Bubba Watson |
| 11:40 | 1st | Angel Hidalgo, Thomas Detry, Andy Sullivan |
| 11:50 | 1st | Alex Noren, Nicolai Højgaard, Nacho Elvira |
| 12:00 | 1st | Marco Penge, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose |
Sky Sports and Golf Channel times
In the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports has live coverage from 12:00 to 17:00 GMT on Thursday and Friday, 11:30 to 16:00 on Saturday and 11:00 to 16:00 on Sunday. In the US, it’s on Golf Channel, CNBC and GolfPass.
Three we’d back
- Shane Lowry. He won his last start by 11 shots.
- Ludvig Åberg. A debut here, but his accuracy should suit a course that punishes loose driving.
- Eugenio Chacarra. Playing at home, with two wins this season and points to chase before the Play-Offs.
Round reports go on the tournament hub the morning after each round.
Sources
- DP World Tour: Open de España presented by Madrid, five things to know
- DP World Tour: Open de España tee times, major company for Marco Penge
- DP World Tour: Round one tee times
- DP World Tour: Course card, Club de Campo Villa de Madrid
- DP World Tour: TV schedule
- Golf Channel: Marco Penge wins Spanish Open playoff, earns spots in 2026 Masters and Open
- PGA TOUR: Shane Lowry runs away with record 11-shot victory at 2026 Amgen Irish Open
- Golfshake: Open de España 2026 preview
- DP World Tour on YouTube: Every shot of Marco Penge’s back nine, 2025 Open de España
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