Kristoffer Reitan’s Cadillac Championship ‘whirlwind’ could turn his season around

Kristoffer Reitan’s original plans for this week did not include his takeoff Cadillac Championship. In fact, his caddy, Tim Poyser, returned home to Scotland earlier in the week thinking his boss wouldn’t make it off the alternate list and into the $20 million Uncut Signing Event.

But fate had different ideas.

When Patrick Cantlay withdrew earlier in the week with an illness, Reitan moved into the first option. He made it to the field when Jake Knapp was pulled before his game Thursday with a wrist injury. Reitan didn’t arrive at Trump National Doral until Wednesday and didn’t even get a full look at the 18 before taking the field Thursday. Poyser tried to fly it from Scotland to Florida, but had a flight problem and missed the first round. Reitan’s swing coach Denny Lucas stepped in Thursday and the Norwegian shot a 2-under 70. He backed that up with a bogey-free 68 on Friday to move into contention. A Saturday 69 followed and Reitan will enter Sunday’s final round tied for second but six shots back of Cameron Young.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, emotionally, this week,” Reitan said Saturday after his round. “I’m just mostly happy to be here and have a chance at one of the Signature Events. Yeah, I’ve been trying to look at it as whatever happens this week is a bonus no matter what. Obviously, very, very happy to be in the position I’m in. But that’s kind of the approach I’ve taken this week.

“Thursday was very, very tough mentally. I was half-prepared, I would say, to play a golf tournament. You just go into it and I just tried to make the most of it. Yeah, definitely happy with how I handled it. Like I said, just very, very happy to have the opportunity to play a Signature Event.”

Poyser returned to Reitan’s bag on Friday, but not without getting slammed by his boss for losing the first round of a Signature Event.

“I’ve just given him a little bit of stick for that, that he wasn’t here and prepared. But at the same time, he tried to get here the day before, but yeah, something happened with his flight. So it was a little bit out of his control.”

Reitan will head into Sunday’s final round just looking to string together 18 good holes. Despite being in second place, a victory is beyond his control. If Young plays good golf, he will win the tournament. If he stumbles, the door will be open for Reita and other pursuits.

This is a scenario that Reitan has managed before.

Last year, Reitan took his first win on the DP World Tour dramatic fashion at the Soudal Open. He started the final round nine shots off the lead, but shot a final-round 9-under 62 to set a course record and enter a playoff that he eventually won.

After the win, Reitan recalled the time he almost gave up golf a few years ago when the game just wasn’t loving him again. He even considered dipping a toe into the YouTube golf waters. He put the teams down for a bit and then his love for the game returned when he picked them up again to play for fun and hit the shots he wanted. A few years after his near break with golf, Reitan won in Belgium, which helped punch his ticket to the PGA Tour.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid,” Reitan said after the Soudal Open. “I keep thinking back to a few years ago when I thought I’d stop playing because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore, I didn’t see progress and to be able to turn it around the way I’ve done the last couple of years has been amazing – to seal it with a win here is ridiculous.”

He won the 2025 Nedbank Challenge later in the season and finished in the top 10 in the 2025 DP World Tour eligibility rankings to secure PGA Tour status. This year, as a PGA Tour rookie, Reitan’s best finishes have been a T10 at the Valero Texas Open and a T2 at last week’s team event, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. It is jumping a rung below those who use Signature Events to form their program. He is just trying to make the most of the opportunities presented to him and stay at the top of the tournament.

But that could change after tomorrow.

He is currently listed in next week’s Myrtle Beach Classic, a reverse course event. However, his stellar play at Trump National Doral now has him in Aon Next 10 and tickets to a spot in next week’s Signature Event, the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow. He entered the week ranked 57th in the FedEx Cup, but is projected to jump into the top 30 if his T2 finish holds. That likely means not only a start at the Truist Championship, but a good shot at starts at the Travelers Championship and Memorial – the remaining signature events – as well. That’s big money and a lot of points that will go a long way toward Reitan maintaining his completely exempt status on the PGA Tour and continuing to build on a dream he almost gave up on a few years ago.

Reitan planned to play a game at Panther National this week with Rasmus Højgaard, Marco Penge and Kris Ventura. The thinking was that he would have a week off while the 72 players lucky enough to crack the uncut field in Doral played for a $20 million purse.

As it did in Belgium last year, lightning struck for Reitan, who has made the most of his opportunity – one that could change the entire complexion of his rookie PGA Tour season.