Eugenio Chacarra called Sunday’s win at DP World Tour’s KLM Open “Very unique” because he triumphed before his father. But Sunday’s emotional victory in Amsterdam was also different because of what the former LIV Golf member had to navigate on his final hole en route to victory.
Chacarra arrived at the 72nd hole holding a one-stroke lead over Oliver Lindell, who played in the group ahead. As the tournament reached its climax, protesters ran onto the course and the pond surrounding the 18th green, lighting flares and cheering as players made their way to the green. Lindell hit his tee shot on the par-5 as the chaos unfolded.
Lindell’s approach came up just short of the green, but he was still able to get up and down for the birdie putt to tie the lead and put pressure on Chacarra.
But Chacarra answered the bell. He streaked his putt and then sent his approach to the back of the putting surface, which gave him an easy two-putt for a closing birdie and his second win on the DP World Tour.
“Maybe a shot of my career,” Chacarra said of his shot on the 18th green. “It was a little bit tighter, but with the adrenaline, I’m going to try to hit this one hard. It flew 10-15 (yards) more than we thought. So, proud to see the ball land on the green and then I hit the first putt to give me a putt that you always dream of, a putt that you can’t miss to win a tournament.”
DP World Tour staff lined the green to make sure protesters couldn’t run onto the race surface as the tour ended. The reason for the protests was not immediately clear. Two years ago at the KLM Open, protesters from Extinction Rebellion delayed the meetings for several hours.
After knocking in his short, closing shot, Chacarra let out a primal scream and then the emotions began to flow.
“(I was thinking about) all the people who have been with me throughout my career,” Chacarra said after the win, which moved him into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
“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 about him, for sure.”
With the win, Chacarra is projected to move up to No. 6 in the Race to Dubai season standings. The top 10 players at the end of the year who are not already banned from the PGA Tour will earn their cards for 2027.
Two weeks ago, Chacarra left a playoff in a US Open qualifier in Dallas early before he had a chance to win an alternate seat at Shinnecock Hills. Chacarra explained that he needed to catch a flight to Belgium to prepare for the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open. His main goal is to make it to the PGA Tour, and winning the DP World Tour is the most direct path to that goal. He finished T22 that week and T12 the following week in Turkey.
On Sunday, the 26-year-old Chacarra battled through difficult 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 little bit closer to that,” Chacarra said after his win.
Once the No. 2 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 all about the money, and that he wanted to pursue 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 do better and say I can be a PGA Tour player one day,” Chacarra said. Flushing It after leaving LIV. “So this decision is the best for me. I’m very grateful for what they’ve done, but my mind is different now and I want to achieve what I dreamed of when I was little. Because obviously LIV didn’t exist when I was growing up. I was watching Tiger Woods win 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 remains is for him to finish the DP World Tour season strong and grab them.
