Kota Kaneko held his nerve to secure a first DP World Tour title with a two-shot victory at the 2026 Austrian Alpine Open golf presented by Kitzbühel Tirol.
The 23-year-old, who topped last season’s Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit to earn his DP World Tour for this season, carded a three-under-par final round of 67 to finish on 18-under par at Golfclub Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith, two ahead of Ricardo Gouveia and Davis Bryant in a share of second.
Kaneko arrived in Austria off the back of a runner-up finish at last week’s Soudal Open, and he was delighted to go one better this time around and claim the ninth win by a player from Japan on the DP World Tour.
The winner said: “I just can’t believe it, I didn’t think I would win and I’m still very surprised.”
Top Scot in the $2.750 tournament was Livingston-born, 32-year-old Grant Forrest, a former pupil of Daniel Stewart’s Melville College, who was also educated at the University of San Diego. He finished on 12-under, five shots adrift of Kaneko.
Kirkcaldy-born Callum Hill, who shot a 29 on the outward half on Friday and led the tournament for a short time, finished one shot back from Forrest in joint 17th position, carding 11-under over the four rounds, the same mark as Ewan Ferguson from Glasgow.
