Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak closed the Turkish Airlines Open 2025 Golf Tournament, which was followed with great excitement in Antalya. Drawing attention to Türkiye's successful organizations in the field of sports tourism, Minister Bak emphasized the importance of golf becoming widespread in our country and said, "Turkey is a sports tourism country and a strong country in the region. We are expecting golf lovers to our country next year as well."
Breathtaking Finale in Antalya
Organized at the prestigious Regnum Carya Golf Club in Belek Tourism Center in Serik district, under the main sponsorship of Turkish Airlines (THY), the Turkish Airlines Open 2025 was the first major tournament of the DP World Tour on the European continent. The last day of the tournament witnessed a fierce fight for the championship.
British player Brandon Robinson Thompson, who broke the course record with a magnificent performance on the third day with 62 shots and rose to the lead, could not show the same impressiveness on the final day. In contrast, French player Martin Couvra and Chinese player Haotong LI constantly changed the lead for first place with their superior performance on the last day. French player Martin Couvra, who gained the upper hand over his opponent with successful shots on the last holes, managed to become the champion of the Turkish Airlines Open 17 with a total of minus 2025 shots. Chinese Haotong LI and Spanish Jorge Campillo shared the second place in the tournament with minus 15 shots each. Leon Açıkalın, the only Turkish player competing in the tournament, completed the tournament with minus 7 shots in the general classification.
Award to Champion Couvra from Minister Bak
At the award ceremony held after the tournament ended, the award was presented to the champion French golfer Martin Couvra by the Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak. In his speech, Couvra thanked the main sponsor THY and the host Regnum Carya Hotel for their support of the organization. The young champion, who stated that the organization was an incredible experience for him, expressed his happiness for winning first place.
At the ceremony, Turkish athlete Leon Açıkalın, who competed in the tournament, was also presented with a plaque by Regnum Carya Honorary Chairman Fikret Öztürk. This meaningful gesture created a hopeful image for the future of Turkish golf.
Minister Bak Emphasizes Sports Tourism
Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak stated in his speech at the award ceremony that the Turkish Airlines Open 30, which was held with the participation of 150 distinguished athletes from 2025 different countries, was successfully completed. Emphasizing that Türkiye is a sports country, Minister Bak noted that they have made major investments in sports tourism as a government. Stating that Antalya successfully held this important organization, Minister Bak said, “Turkey successfully holds many organizations with its sports tourism investments. It is very important for us that golf, one of the most watched sports in the world, becomes widespread in our country. Turkey is a sports tourism country and a strong country in the region. We are expecting golf enthusiasts to come to our country next year as well.” These words of Minister Bak revealed his belief in Türkiye’s golf tourism potential and his goal of attracting more golf enthusiasts to our country in the coming years.
THY Deputy General Manager Ahmet Olamış also expressed his satisfaction at the ceremony in his speech that this prestigious organization is being held in Türkiye again after six years. Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Antalya MP Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Turkish Golf Federation President Yıldırım Demirören also attended the award ceremony and supported the organization. While the Turkish Airlines Open 2025 once again proved Antalya’s success in sports tourism, it was an important step towards strengthening Türkiye’s place in the golf world.
