Staff WriterWhen it comes to the Open de Portugal, Sunday was proof that golf can swing from despair to delirium in the space of three holes. South Africa’s JC Ritchie birdied his final three to claim a second HotelPlanner Tour win of 2025, pulling off a closing act that would make Houdini jealous.
At Royal Óbidos, Ritchie signed for a five-under 66 to finish 15 under for the week, though for much of the back nine he looked more like a man waiting to be overtaken than one preparing for a champagne shower.
After bogeying the wicked par-three 15th and tumbling into a logjam for second, Ritchie needed a spark. What he produced was a firework show: a birdie on 16, a miraculous chip-in at 17, and a clinical wedge-and-putt job on the par-five closer. Law’s last-ditch eagle attempt fell short, leaving Ritchie free to celebrate career win number six on the HotelPlanner Tour.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Ritchie said, still buzzing. “I’ve always enjoyed coming here and always wanted to win this tournament. From twelve onwards were where the scores stagnated and there were a couple of tough holes coming in and I had an unbelievable finish.”
That “unbelievable finish” involved escaping 15 with a bogey, then watching his short game go from steady to sublime.
“The 15th hole was crazy, and we all felt that was going to be a tough hole today. I managed to escape there with a bogey, knowing I was going to drop out the lead.
I then managed a good birdie on 16 then chipped one in on 17 before hitting one close on the last and making the putt. I sort of had a feeling I was two or three ahead if I made the putt, I wasn’t really trying to make birdie but my hands kind of took over.”
From Germany to Portugal—Ritchie’s European double
This wasn’t some one-off purple patch. Earlier in the season Ritchie ran away with the German Challenge, and his win in Portugal moves him to second on the Road to Mallorca Rankings. The South African now has a legitimate chance to finish the season as Number One.
“I think after the win in Germany I felt like the job was pretty much done for next year,” he admitted. “I am glad that it’s pretty much confirmed and that I can focus on trying to finish in the top five and even end the year as Number One.”
Until this year, all four of Ritchie’s HotelPlanner Tour victories had come in his native South Africa. Two wins in Europe now give his passport a proper workout—and his confidence a healthy injection.
“It means a huge amount to win twice outside of South Africa this year,” he said. “It’s been a tough one to deal with winning two of the events in SA and then coming out here and never finish inside the top 20. I put in a lot of hard work last year and it seems to have paid off.”
The chasing pack
Law, the overnight leader, had to settle for second on 14 under, one shot shy of forcing a playoff. France’s Julien Sale finished third at 13 under, while Spain’s Quim Vidal claimed fourth on 12 under.
Law remains top of the season-long standings, though Ritchie’s leap from eighth to second makes the battle for promotion look spicy.
Further down the table, Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli cracked the top 20 in the Road to Mallorca after a top-10 showing on home soil.
What’s next
The Road to Mallorca caravan now rolls into Italy for the Italian Challenge Open at Golf Nazionale in Sutri from September 18–21, where Ritchie will arrive with a target on his back and momentum in both hands.
If he finishes the way he did in Portugal, the rest of the field might as well just play for second.
