Next Golf Tour Season 4 winners crowned

Cavotta claims the final – Zach tops Order of Merit. Zach and Cederholm win tour starts as season 4 comes to a close. Recap the thrilling finale here.

The NEXT Golf Tour Championship

Drama Right From the Start

The curtain closed on Season 4 of the NEXT Golf Tour on Thursday at midnight CET — and it delivered everything worthy of a finale.

With $250,000 in total prize money, $40,000 to the winner, and direct pathways to golf’s biggest stages on the line, the Tour Championship produced three days of volatility, leaderboard swings, heartbreak, and breakthrough moments. Careers shifted. And a season-long race came down to the final hours.

Tyry Sets the Target

Finland’s Nikke Tyry did what he always does: he went early.

Playing at the iconic Jumeirah Golf Estates – Earth Course, Tyry stormed out of the gate and posted a stunning 16-under-par total, seizing the clubhouse lead immediately. His number sat there. And sat there.

He knew what was at stake — a season-defining $40,000 winner’s check and exemptions into the DP World Tour and the HotelPlanner Tour.

Yet in his post-round interview, Tyry was composed.

“I don’t think it will be enough,” he said. “Maybe top three.”

The Tie at the Top

First came his countryman — NEXT Golf Tour all-time money leader Kim Koivu. The veteran matched Tyry at -16. But Tyry held the advantage on the second-round tiebreaker.

Then Dutchman Aydan Verdonk joined them at the same mark. Again, Tyry’s stronger closing round preserved his edge.

The Finn remained in front — barely — as the final wave loomed.

Zach Strikes Back

Thursday morning belonged to the Czech contender.

Simon Zach, who had finished T6–2–2 in the previous World Series events, produced the round of the championship – under the circumstances: a breathtaking 10-under 62 to vault to 18-under overall.

Suddenly, Tyry was no longer leading. He was tied for second and would eventually finish in a ties for fourth.

More importantly, Zach surged to the top of the projected Order of Merit standings. The race for DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour starts had flipped.

And there was still more golf to come.

Cavotta’s Charge

American AJ Cavotta had quietly positioned himself on Wednesday with an opening-round 62. On Thursday, he delivered one final assault.

Birdie-eagle start.
Four under through the front nine.
Then four under on his final five holes.

Cavotta signed for a 63 and reached 19-under-par — edging past Zach to claim the Tour Championship title outright.

But while Cavotta had won the battle, the war for Season 4 still leaned toward Zach. His cumulative World Series performances meant Cavotta couldn’t quite overtake him in the overall race.

Lilliedahl Slips

All eyes turned to Order of Merit leader Oliver Lilliedahl.

He needed a top-two finish to deny Zach the season crown. But the magic he showed in Stage 3 never quite surfaced. Two rounds of 66 left him at 12-under, tied for 14th.

It wasn’t enough.

Weber’s Live-Wire Run

One final threat remained: Season 2 champion Jordan Weber.

Live streaming his round on YouTube, Weber electrified viewers with a front-nine 29 — seven under — in Round 1. Momentum stalled briefly when his tee shot on 18 found water, but a 65 kept him alive.

He needed something special in Round 2.
He nearly delivered.

Closing with four birdies, Weber carded a 62 to finish tied for third in the Championship and fourth overall in the Order of Merit — a valiant push that fell just short of rewriting the standings.

The Final Order

When the window closed at midnight CET, Season 4 officially belonged to Simon Zach.

The Czech star is crowned the NEXT Golf Tour Order of Merit Champion, earning:

• One start on the DP World Tour

• Six starts on the HotelPlanner Tour

“Winning the tour starts means everything to me”, Zach said. “I couldn’t ask for more and I am really excited for the season”, said the 29-year-old who will become a father for the first time in May.

Lilliedahl, finishing runner-up in the season standings, secures an invitation to the LIV Golf Promotions Event in 2027.

Best Female Player

China’s Mohan Du finished as the highest-ranked female player of Season 4.

Already holding LPGA and full Epson Tour status, she passes the three Epson Tour starts down to Sweden’s Matilda Cederholm who was the runner-up.