Eugenio Chacarra captured his second DP World Tour victory at the KLM Open in Amsterdam on Sunday. However, the tournament's final hole was marred by chaos as protestors stormed the course, creating a tense atmosphere for the players.
Chacarra arrived at the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead over Oliver Lindell, who played in the group ahead. As the tournament reached its climax, protestors ran onto the course and into the pond surrounding the 18th green, setting off flares and chanting as the players made their way to the green.
Lindell, under pressure from the unfolding chaos, hit his approach shot on the par-5 but it fell short of the green. Nevertheless, he managed to get up-and-down for a birdie, tying the lead and putting the pressure squarely on Chacarra.
But Chacarra answered the call. He striped his tee shot and then sent his approach to the back of the putting surface, which gave him an easy two-putt for a closing birdie to secure the win. "Shot of my career, maybe," Chacarra said of his approach to the 18th. "That was a little tweener, but with adrenaline, I’m going to try to hit this one hard. It flew 10-15 [yards] longer than we thought. So, proud to see the ball land on the green and then took a nice first putt to give me a putt that you always dream of, a putt that you can’t really miss to win a tournament."
DP World Tour staffers lined the green to prevent protestors from reaching the putting surface as the final groups finished. The reason for the protests was not immediately clear. Two years ago at the KLM Open, protestors from Extinction Rebellion delayed tee times for several hours.
After knocking in his short, closing birdie putt, Chacarra let out a primal scream, and then the emotions started to flow. "I was thinking about all the people that have been with me through my career," Chacarra said after the win, which moved him inside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings. "It’s nice to win with my dad here. He’s given everything for me since I was little so it was something very unique and I think of him, for sure."
With the win, Chacarra is projected to move to No. 6 in the season-long Race to Dubai standings. The top 10 players at the end of the year who are not already exempt on the PGA Tour will earn their cards for 2027.
Two weeks ago, Chacarra left a playoff at a U.S. Open qualifier in Dallas early before he had a chance to earn an alternate spot at Shinnecock Hills. Chacarra explained that he needed to catch a flight to get to Belgium to prepare for the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open. His main goal is to get to the PGA Tour and winning on the DP World Tour is the most direct route to that goal. He finished T22 that week and T12 the following week in Turkey.
On Sunday, the 26-year-old Chacarra battled tough scoring conditions and a protest-interrupted final hole to claim his second win on the European circuit and move closer to his dream of playing on the PGA Tour. "This is a step a little closer to that," Chacarra said after his win.
Once the No. 2-ranked amateur in the world, Chacarra joined LIV Golf in 2022. He spent three years on the rebel circuit before his contract was not renewed after the 2024 season. After leaving LIV, Chacarra noted that the Saudi-backed league was about "only money," and that he wanted to chase his original golf dreams.
"I know this is what my heart tells me is right and it works for my motivation to wake up and grind and get better, and to say I can be a PGA Tour player one day," Chacarra told Flushing It after leaving LIV. "So this decision is what’s best for me. I’m very thankful for what they’ve done, but my mind is different now and I want to get to what I was dreaming about when I was little. Because obviously LIV didn’t exist when I was growing up. I was watching Tiger Woods winning on the PGA Tour, and I want to do that."
After coming out on top in Amsterdam, Eugenio Chacarra’s PGA Tour dreams are right in front of him. All that’s left is for him to finish the DP World Tour season strong and grab them.
Read more on this topic
Wenyi Ding misses Race to Dubai play-offs by one place — for a second consecutive year
Wenyi Ding began the Genesis Championship in 70th, shot 280 (−4) for T34, yet finished the Race to Dubai in 71st. Ryan Gerard claimed the last qualifying spot.
Five Malaysian golfers earn Maybank Championship spots among ten sponsor invitations
Five Malaysians feature among ten official sponsor invitees for the October 29–November 1 Maybank Championship. The LPGA entry list confirms the names, with a $3 million purse at stake.
40,171 fans despite wind and rain: BMW Ladies Championship underscores Korean LPGA appetite
BMW confirmed a four-day attendance of 40,171 at the rain-hit 2026 BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea, where Yuri Yoshida won by one and 15 KLPGA players returned to the field.
From 60th to 53rd: Tim Petrovic's T8 finish in St. Louis keeps his Schwab Cup run alive
Tim Petrovic shot 205 (−8) for a share of eighth at the Stifel Charity Classic, rising from 60th to 53rd in the Charles Schwab Cup and surviving the top-54 playoff cut.