
Martin Couvra continued his impressive start to his DP World Tour career by producing a stunning final-round comeback to claim a breakthrough title at the Turkish Airlines Open.
The Frenchman overturned a four-stroke deficit during a thrilling Sunday at Regnum Carya, where four birdies in a five-hole stretch on his back nine helped him post a final-round 64.
Couvra mixed nine birdies with two bogeys on the final day to set a winning total of 17 under, two strokes better than closest challengers Haotong Li and Jorge Campillo, with England’s Brandon Robinson Thompson a further two shots back in fourth.
The victory extends a strong season for Couvra, who graduated from the HotelPlanner Tour last year and had already posted four top-10 finishes this campaign, with the win also lifting him to eighth in the Race to Dubai standings.
“It was amazing to win on my first year on the DP World Tour – its just a dream,” Couvra said. “I wake up in the morning to win some tournaments and to win early (in my DP World Tour career) is fantastic, so really happy about that.
“Naturally, it was really difficult to keep calm and in good shape to close out this round, but I was really happy with all of the discussions with my caddie today, it was just amazing. I think tonight is going to be fun with all of the French players!”
Couvra – the halfway leader – had slipped down the leaderboard after a third-round 72 but charged back into contention with four birdies in his opening six holes on Sunday, with the 22-year-old then cancelling out a bogey at the eighth by picking up a shot at the next to turn in 30.
The Frenchman failed to get up and down to save par from off the next green but responded with birdies on each of his next three holes, with a six-foot birdie at the par-five 15th extending his outright advantage.
Three pars was enough for Couvra to set a clubhouse target that couldn’t be matched, with Campillo’s five birdies in an eight-hole stretch from the eighth enough to match Li’s final-round 67 and share second spot.
Robinson Thompson finished fourth after only managing one birdie in his final-round 72, with Joost Luiten and Matthew Southgate a shot further back in a tie for fifth and England’s Chris Wood securing his first DP World Tour top-10 since 2018 after a final-round 64.
“It’s been horrendous to be honest,” Wood said. “It’s been – since 2019 really – I just feel like I’ve been going through hell so to put a score together today is obviously great.
“I want to feel like I know my game’s there, not just put a score on one day, and I genuinely feel like I’m starting to do that now. I’ve been working so hard at home, just quietly with a great team, and it’s been a long old road to be honest.
“I never lost belief in myself – you obviously have days where it feels harder than some. The fire in my belly has always been there. I’m relying on invites this year. I’m ready – I’m practising so well at home that a call last minute is a problem, I’m ready to go.”
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