Finnish triumph as Kim Koivu wins Season 4 opener on the NEXT Golf Tour

Finland’s former DP World Tour Player Kim Koivu takes home $30,000 in opening event of season 4 on the NEXT Golf Tour and brings total earnings to $100,874.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, November 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Season 4 of the NEXT Golf Tour opened with the kind of drama usually reserved for major championships, as Finland’s Kim Koivu edged fellow Finn and fellow tour mainstay Nikke Tyry in a nail-biter at the iconic Real Club Valderrama in Spain that required the NEXT Golf Tour’s second tie breaker to determine the winner. Both players fired outstanding rounds of 63, but Koivu’s stronger finish - two under par over the last six holes compared to Tyry’s one under - ultimately tipped the scales.

For Koivu, this win means far more than another line on his résumé. The $30,000 prize pushes his total NEXT Golf Tour earnings to $100,874 - an amount that materially extends his ability to keep competing. By comparison, in 2025 he played 12 events on the HotelPlanner Tour and earned just over €11,000 despite making multiple cuts.

Koivu burst onto the professional scene in 2018 with three HotelPlanner Tour victories and more than €180,000 in season earnings, earning a promotion to the DP World Tour and early expectations of stardom. But the years that followed were golf at its hardest: injuries, burnout, and missed cuts eroded form and threatened his future in the game.

The NEXT Golf Tour has helped keep that future alive. For a player rebuilding both confidence and career, these earnings provide the stability - and belief - needed to keep going.

At the virtual fairways of Valderrama Koivu displayed all of his experience and shot-making skills under pressure. Even with a bogey on the closing hole, his surge on the back nine positioned him perfectly for the tiebreaker. Tyry, having played his round very early on in the playing window, setting the pace, delivered one of the highlights of the tournament: a spectacular hole-in-one on the 212-yard par-3 12th that jolted him into contention and electrified the leaderboard.

The duel between the two Finns defined the event’s closing stretch. Tyry’s ace was the spark that set up his charge, but Koivu, who played in the final hours of the playing window, responded with a run that was even more explosive. Holes 10 through 14, Koivu played five under par, including an eagle on the 556-yard par-5 11th. That eagle came in unforgettable fashion - Koivu chipped in straight from a greenside bunker, a moment that instantly shifted momentum in his favor.

Still, the contest remained tight to the end. When both players signed for 63, it became clear the tiebreaker would decide the champion. On the NEXT Golf Tour, tiebreaker No. 2 evaluates the lowest cumulative score over the final six holes. Koivu’s two-under run on that stretch edged Tyry’s one-under mark, sealing a hard-fought and richly deserved victory.

Tyry’s runner-up finish, though agonizingly close to a win, was still highly rewarding. His solo second place adds $16,515 to his cumulative earnings, bringing his four-season total to $50,823. With a brilliant 63 highlighted by a hole-in-one and steady play throughout, Tyry reinforced his reputation as one of the tour’s most consistent and competitive figures.

The battle for third added further intrigue, as five players shared the position finishing at seven under par, each taking home $8,085. Four Swedes - Alfred Hilmersson, Algot Kleen, Henric Sturehed, and Anton Kiddy Nilsson - occupied the bulk of the group, continuing Sweden’s strong presence on the tour. They were joined by Belgium’s Kristof59, who matched the Swedish contingent shot for shot to secure his share of the podium.

Season 2 Order of Merit winner Jordan Weber put in a solid effort, shooting a six-under 65, which saw him take a share of 8th place.

Japan’s Hikaru was the best performing female player in the NEXT Open Qualifier 1. She shared 11th place with five other players at five under par. England’s Harry Beaumont took home top amateur honors as he shot a 4 under par 67 which was enough to secure a share of 17th place with three other players.

51 players earned a spot in the upcoming 3 x 36-hole tournament NEXT World Series in which the competitors play for an additional $700,000 including the season-ending NEXT Golf Tour Championship.

With the first qualifier in the books, Season 4 is off to a thrilling start. If Koivu’s comeback, Tyry’s ace, and the tightly packed leaderboard are any indication, the season promises no shortage of drama as the chase for the Order of Merit heats up.

The NEXT Golf Tour now turns its attention to the female only NEXT x Epson Tour Q Open which kicked off on November 20th. Sign-ups are open until November 28th at 11.59pm CET (5.59pm ET). Sign up here.

The NEXT Open Qualifier 2 takes places from November 24th through December 1st.

See all the shots from all the players at nextgolftour.com

SIDE GAME WINNERS - NEXT Open Qualifier 1
Closest-to-the-pin (aggregate)
1st Marcus Svensson $1,500
2nd Mads Emil Boas $500

Closest-to-the-pin hole 3
1st mkeefegolf $1,000
2nd Orourked $750
3rd Aato Ranto $500

Closest-to-the-pin hole 6
1st Nathan $1,000
2nd Ben Felts $750
3rd Frederik S. Tøttenborg $500

Closest-to-the-pin hole 12
1st Nikke Tyry $1,000
2nd Mike Bygrave $750
3rd Hikaru $500
Closest-to-the-pin hole 15
1st Oliver Hundebøll $1,000
2nd Kirby CK $750
3rd H1nks $500
Longest drive – men
1st Erik Oja $1,500
2nd jlevere $1,000
3rd lukesamplegolf $500
Longest drive – women
1st Hikaru $1,500
2nd Michelle Forsland $1,000
3rd Karina Kukkonen $500

About the NEXT Golf Tour
The NEXT Golf Tour is a global indoor simulator tour powered exclusively by Trackman. Open to male and female professionals and elite amateurs, NEXT offers real competition, real earnings and a pathway to breakthrough opportunities - played from anywhere on a Trackman simulator. With competitors in more than 60 countries, NEXT delivers opportunity, reality, inclusivity, and more ways to win through a modern, accessible tour model built for today’s golfers. Follow the season and watch every shot at www.nextgolftour.com

Bernd Larsen Linde
Trackman A/S
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