Unlike some sports such as football and horse racing, golf does not have such a strong link to the festive period. This has not stopped the sport from having a fairly busy December schedule, though. As well as three December tournaments already out of the way, there are three more coming up later in the month. Here is the recap of the events just gone, plus a look ahead to what else we can enjoy as the New Year closes in.
Australian Open, 3rd to 6th December
Established in 1904, there have been many winners of the Australian Open since its inception. Australian golfers have dominated the event over the years, but not just lately. For a fourth year running, a foreign visitor won the event, this time in the form of Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. It was the Dane’s first DP World Tour title, and given he is only 26, it might not end up being the last.
Local favourite Cam Smith pushed the Dane all the way but finished one stroke short. It is the second time that Smith has suffered a narrow loss in this tournament, having lost in the 2016 play-off between himself, Ashley Hall and Jordan Spieth.
Nedbank Golf Challenge, 4th to 7th December
A superb first-round score of 63 put Kristoffer Reitan firmly in pole position to claim the largest share of this $6 million purse. The Norwegian managed to retain his lead throughout the tournament, but was pushed all the way by Jayden Schaper and Dan Bradbury. The pair almost caught up with strong final rounds but finished one stroke away.
The win at the Gary Player Country Club in South Africa helped Reitan secure just his second European Tour win and pushed him up to an all-time high of 33 on the global rankings.
Hero World Challenge, 4th to 7th December
Although part of the PGA Tour and carrying a $5m purse, the Hero World Challenge is an unofficial event that offers no FedEx Cup points. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful sporting spectacle as it sees 20 of the leading golfers go head-to-head in what is regularly an extremely under-par event. Five names managed to reach 20 under par or better, but out of those, it was Hideki Matsuyama who came out on top to scoop the top $1 million prize. It took a play-off for him to claim first place, but a birdie on the first extra hole gave his competitor, Alex Noren, little chance.
Upcoming Events
Here are the last three major golfing events of 2026 for fans to look forward to.
Alfred Dunhill Championship, 11th to 14th December
An unsurprisingly large South African presence for this four-day event at the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club. Towards the top of the betting is 2022 champion Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who enjoyed a four-stroke victory with his 274 score. Closely following in the market are Jayden Schaper and Angel Ayora, who form a leading trio. Their short prices are partly informed by their solid performances at the aforementioned Nedbank Golf Challenge. Schaper finished third at -16, Bezuidenhout finished fourth at -13, and Ayora came back after a difficult first round to score -9.
If either of the trio manages to win, it will mean that 14 of the last 15 winners of this event are either South African or Spanish.
Grant Thornton Invitational, 12th to 14th December
This newly formed tournament, founded in 2023, has an interesting format as it consists of two-player mixed teams. The pairs play 18 holes of scramble, 18 holes of foursomes (alternate shot) and 18 holes of modified four-ball. The oceanic duo Jason Day and Lydia Ko won the inaugural edition, while Jake Knapp and Patty Tavatanakit won last year by a single stroke.
Held in Florida’s Tiburón Golf Club, it is not just a fun event, but it is one that pays quite well, too, with the winning team getting $1m in prize money.
Mauritius Open, 18th to 21st December
It may not have the biggest prize fund, sitting at $1.5m, but heading off to Mauritius for a few days makes for quite the trip. Do not expect too many big names in attendance for this one, although it does tend to appeal to some of the leading South African players, given its fairly close proximity, compared to most, at least. It is the final DP World Tour event of 2025, with 1,000 Ryder Cup Points up for grabs, before players get to enjoy a Christmas break.