GOLF – FORMER Ryder Cup star Chris Wood completed a commanding wire-to-wire victory at the Mena Golf Tour Q School on Saturday, posting a second consecutive even-par 72 to finish six-under-par and secure his place in the 2025-26 season by a six-stroke margin at Troia Golf Course in Portugal.
The three-time DP World Tour winner, who led from day one with an opening 66, delivered a business-like final round performance that reflected both his experience at golf’s highest levels and his growing mental resilience as he rebuilds his career through the Mena Golf Tour platform.
Wood’s final round featured birdies at the first, eighth, and 14th holes against three bogeys at the second, 12th, and 15th, but with calmer conditions on Saturday making scoring more accessible, the Englishman’s overnight lead was never seriously threatened as he controlled the tournament from the front.
At the par-four first, where Wood had played two-iron off the tee all week to avoid trouble down the left, he found himself blocked out after pulling his tee shot but showed his class with a wedge up-and-down for birdie. A lovely pitch to four feet yielded another birdie at the eighth, before Wood continued his excellent form on the par-five 14th – a hole he played in four-under for the tournament – driving the fairway and hitting two-iron into the greenside bunker before getting up and down for his third birdie of the day.
“Different day, really – no wind, which obviously makes the course play a little bit easier, but it’s a tricky course,” said Wood who paid tribute to his playing partners, Scotland’s Sebastian Sandin and England’s Will Marshall, who shared second place with France’s Nicolas Calvet at even par.
“Like I’ve said all week, really, there’s trouble everywhere. The objective was just to qualify this week and get some events lined up. It was nice to play with the two lads today. It was some good golf played by those two boys, which was great to see, and I look forward to going on to next week’s event.”
Wood’s victory at Q School represents another significant step in his personal journey back to competitive golf after what he described as “enormous challenges mentally” in recent seasons.
“I’ve had enormous challenges mentally over the last few years, so that is the important thing for me, and I’ve got to try and keep it the important thing,” Wood explained.
The Mena Golf Tour moves immediately into competitive action with the PGA Aroeira Challenge from Tuesday to Thursday, where Wood will line up again as the season officially begins.
With guaranteed $100,000 prize funds, 48-hour payouts, and Official World Golf Ranking points on offer throughout the season, the Mena Golf Tour continues to position itself as a vital development pathway for emerging professionals and a credible platform for established players seeking to rebuild momentum.
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