Home winner in an international final
The Balkan Senior Tour — Race to Dalaman concluded at The Dalaman Golf Club in Türkiye’s Muğla province on 20–22 October 2026. The event brought together golfers aged 50 and above. Its venue and dates appear in the Turkish Golf Federation’s (Türkiye Golf Federasyonu, TGF) official domestic calendar, while the detailed results were distributed by Beyaz Haber Ajansı on 25 October.
The standout home result came in Stroke Play, where Recep Turan shot rounds of 74, 74 and 73 for a total of 221. Philip Evans finished second on 228 and Jason Hare third on 233, leaving Turan seven shots clear of his nearest challenger.
Four finals, four sets of results
The competition also included three Stableford divisions. Eileen Brader topped Gross Stableford with 84 points, ahead of Steven William Bowen (81) and Robbie Messervy (80). In Net Stableford A, Dave Hanavan won with 99 points, followed by Gelu Matei (98) and Cumhur Ersin (97). Michelle Goodenough led Net Stableford B with 105 points, from Serdar Candar (95) and Alparslan Kaleli (93).
These numbers represent different scoring systems. Stroke play counts the strokes taken, whereas Stableford awards points; net competitions also account for handicaps. A 221-stroke total and a 105-point Stableford score must not be treated as comparable positions on one leaderboard.
The finale winner was not the season champion
The tour began in Istanbul in April, continued through Bucharest and Sofia, and ended in Dalaman. Following the accumulated season standings, Philip Evans was named the Stroke Play season champion, despite finishing runner-up to Turan in Dalaman. The other season champions were Eileen Brader (Gross Stableford), Gelu Matei (Net Stableford A) and Alparslan Kaleli (Net Stableford B).
That distinction is central to the story: Turan won the October finale; Evans led the season-long classification. The original event communication uses both “Phillip Evans” in the final standings and “Philip Evans” for the season award, an inconsistency that the available primary report does not resolve.
Dalaman's first season on the tournament map
The event drew players associated with Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, England, Germany, Romania, Northern Cyprus, Wales and the United States. England and Wales are listed as distinct golfing jurisdictions, and the athletes' origins should not be confused with the host location, which was Dalaman, Türkiye.
This was a significant international tournament for the new The Dalaman Golf Club, rather than its opening ceremony. In a Golf.ru interview published on 13 October, golf director Mitat Batir said the course had welcomed preview players in late August and opened for regular play on 1 September 2026. Hosting the senior-tour finale weeks later broadened the profile of a Turkish golf destination outside Belek and showed the importance of competitive amateur golf for older age groups.
Sources: Beyaz Haber Ajansı event-results statement (25 October 2026); Türkiye Golf Federasyonu official domestic calendar; Golf.ru interview with Mitat Batir (13 October 2026).
