Hugo Breaks Through in China to Secure Full Staysure Legends Tour Playing Rights

Jean Hugo held firm in testing conditions to win the Reignwood Legends Championship at Reignwood Pine Valley in China, securing his maiden Staysure Legends Tour title and full playing rights for the remainder of 2026 and the 2027 season.

The South African began Sunday with a one-shot advantage over Stephen Gallacher and carded a one-under-par 71 to finish on -13, three shots clear of Matthew Cort after a dramatic final day in Beijing.

Hugo was caught at the top by Gallacher after six holes, but a decisive swing at the 8th and 9th restored his advantage before he held firm over the closing stretch.

Cort produced the only bogey-free round of the day, a three-under-par 69, to finish second on -10, while Jeev Milkha Singh, David Drysdale and Gallacher shared third place on -6.

Victory carries added significance for Hugo, who finished fifth at Qualifying School earlier this year and narrowly missed out on full playing rights. Having spent much of his first season with limited opportunity to get into events, his breakthrough in China now guarantees his place on the Staysure Legends Tour to the end of 2027.

“I don’t think it’s going to get any tougher than today,” said Hugo. “The course was brutal and you really had to be patient. It was so firm that at some stages you couldn’t quite get it to the pins.

“We all struggled a bit in the beginning, but I caught some momentum and just tried to stay focused.”

With gusts reaching up to 40mph across Reignwood Pine Valley, Hugo and Gallacher began the final round separated by a single shot and both opened with consecutive pars.

Hugo made the first move with a birdie at the par-three 3rd as Gallacher dropped a shot, before a bogey at the 4th reduced the South African’s advantage.

Gallacher then applied the pressure with back-to-back birdies at the 5th and 6th to draw level, and after both players recovered from missing the 7th green, the championship remained finely poised heading to the par-five 8th.

It was there that the final round turned decisively in Hugo’s favour.

Gallacher found the water, while Hugo produced an excellent approach to leave himself a tap-in birdie. The Scot went on to make bogey, completing a two-shot swing and handing Hugo back the outright lead.

Gallacher’s challenge suffered another setback at the 9th, where a double bogey opened the door for Hugo to take control heading into the back nine.

“I think nine changed a lot,” said Hugo. “He made a double bogey and that gave me a bit of breathing space going through the back nine. It gave me some momentum and also a bit of a gap.”

From there, Hugo refused to give his challengers an opening.

The South African kept his card clean through the opening six holes of the back nine as the wind continued to test the field, while Cort began to emerge as his nearest challenger.

Starting the day six shots off the lead, the Englishman produced the only bogey-free round of the final day, making birdies at the third, 15th and 16th to sign for a 69 and climb to -10.

Hugo remained in control, with six successive pars from the tenth keeping the chasing pack at arm’s length.

Bogey’s on the last two holes briefly interrupted his progress, but his advantage was never seriously threatened. He completed a final-round 71 and a three-shot victory.

For Hugo, it was the perfect response to the disappointment of narrowly missing full playing status at Qualifying School and a breakthrough that arrived in just his fifth Staysure Legends Tour appearance.

“A lot of the year I’ve been depending on some other guys to try and get into tournaments,” said Hugo.

“Now it’s my fifth event, so I can’t really complain. It’s come quick enough and I’m very chuffed.”

Singh produced a third consecutive round of 70 to finish alongside Drysdale and Gallacher on -6. Drysdale closed with a 71, while Gallacher signed for a five-over-par 77.

Despite a difficult final round, Gallacher’s tied-third finish saw him extend his advantage at the top of the Road to Cambodia Order of Merit, adding 301.58 points to his season tally as the battle for the season-long title enters its closing stages.

The Staysure Legends Tour now heads to Italy for the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open at San Domenico Golf from 22–24 October.