More golf

Alejandro de Castro earns a HotelPlanner Tour card for 2027 through the amateur pathway

Alejandro de Castro dará el salto al golf profesional en 2027.

Alejandro de Castro will make the leap to professional golf in 2027.

Spanish golfer Alejandro de Castro, who developed his game during his junior years at Barcelona Golf Academy, will compete on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2027 after finishing fifth in the Global Amateur Pathway Ranking. The Spaniard will share this opportunity with Italy’s Filippo Ponzano and Sweden’s Jakob Melin, who have also secured playing rights on the Tour through this pathway into professional golf.

Alejandro de Castro will make the step up to professional golf in 2027 with a HotelPlanner Tour card, a circuit that represents one of the main stepping stones towards the DP World Tour. The Barcelona-born player has earned this opportunity through his performances in the Global Amateur Pathway Ranking, a programme supported by The R&A, the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR to facilitate the transition to professional golf for the best amateur golfers who are not part of NCAA Division I.

This achievement marks another step forward in the Spanish golfer’s career, having already had the opportunity to compete in The 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale after progressing through the qualifying stages. His appearance in one of the major championships on the international golfing calendar has been one of the highlights of his amateur career.

An alternative pathway into professional golf

Alejandro De Castro accede directamente al HotelPlanner Tour 2027.

Alejandro De Castro accede directamente al HotelPlanner Tour 2027.

The Global Amateur Pathway was established in 2024 through a collaboration between The R&A, the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR. The programme uses the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) as a reference point to identify high-level amateur players and offer them opportunities to enter professional golf outside the American university system.

In the edition for the 2027 season, England’s Eliot Baker topped the ranking and earned an exemption to play on the DP World Tour. In addition to the HotelPlanner Tour cards secured by De Castro, Ponzano and Melin, the programme has also awarded opportunities on other international circuits, including PGA TOUR Americas and the Sunshine Tour.

For Alejandro de Castro, this ranking opens the door to competing on a Tour in 2027 that brings together players each season who aspire to take the next step towards the elite of European golf. His arrival on the HotelPlanner Tour therefore represents an opportunity to continue developing competitively and test himself against professional players on the road to the DP World Tour.

By MIGUEL ANGEL BUIL