{"id":645434,"date":"2026-05-03T16:57:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T16:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/645434\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T16:57:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T16:57:14","slug":"from-alternate-to-contender-kristoffer-reitan-rides-whirlwind-into-sunday-spotlight-at-cadillac-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/645434\/","title":{"rendered":"From alternate to contender: Kristoffer Reitan rides whirlwind into Sunday spotlight at Cadillac Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

17H AGO<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

6 Min Read<\/p>\n

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Need to Know<\/p>\n

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Kristoffer Reitan sinks 6-foot putt for birdie on No. 16 at Cadillac<\/p>\n

Five things to know about Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, currently T2 at the Cadillac Championship.<\/p>\n

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A<\/p>\n

Change Text Size<\/p>\n

Written by Lisa Antonucci<\/p>\n

Five things to know about Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, currently T2 at the Cadillac Championship.<\/p>\n

MIAMI \u2014 Kristoffer Reitan<\/a>‘s week at the Cadillac Championship was never supposed to look like this. It wasn\u2019t supposed to include a spot near the top of the leaderboard, a Saturday charge through punishing wind, or a Sunday tee time with a realistic chance to contend in one of the PGA TOUR\u2019s Signature Events.<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s round was the clearest reflection yet of how quickly Reitan has settled into his new home on the PGA TOUR. In blustery, demanding conditions at Doral, he produced a composed, controlled performance that belied both his late arrival and relative inexperience at this level. The course demanded creativity \u2013 shaping shots, managing trajectory and accepting that par was often a good score \u2013 and Reitan delivered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy round? Very, very pleased,\u201d Reitan said. \u201cVery, very difficult. Conditions out there, a lot of wind, it’s a tough golf course to begin with. Just happy with the way I was able to maneuver my way around there.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kristoffer Reitan reaches par-5 No. 8 in two, makes birdie at Cadillac<\/p>\n

That ability to \u201cmaneuver\u201d has defined his week. Especially considering how the week began: uncertain, rushed and borderline chaotic.<\/p>\n

Not even Reitan\u2019s caddie, Tim Poyser, expected him to get into the field. Following their T2 finish alongside playing partner and fellow Norwegian Kris Ventura<\/a> at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Poyser made the call to fly home to Edinburgh, Scotland. Reitan\u2019s own plans were far more relaxed, too \u2013 he had a casual round lined up Tuesday at Panther National in Palm Beach Gardens with fellow European players Rasmus H\u00f8jgaard<\/a>, Marco Penge<\/a> and Ventura.<\/p>\n

Instead, everything changed in a hurry. When Patrick Cantlay<\/a> withdrew due to illness, Reitan moved to first alternate and immediately scrapped the recreational round, heading to Doral to prepare. Jake Knapp<\/a>, who had been dealing with a left-hand injury earlier in the week, ultimately withdrew about an hour before his Thursday tee time with a sprained thumb, and Reitan was suddenly in, stepping into a 12:35 p.m. ET pairing with J.T. Poston<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The logistical scramble didn\u2019t end there. Poyser was still overseas and couldn\u2019t make it back in time for the opening round, leaving Reitan without his regular caddie for Thursday. Instead, his swing coach, Denny Lucas, was called into action and carried the bag on short notice \u2013 a pairing that worked just fine as Reitan opened with a bogey-free, 4-under 68. Poyser, who previously worked in financial services, returned Friday and resumed duties for the remainder of the week.<\/p>\n

\"Kristoffer<\/p>\n

Kristoffer Reitan sinks 8-foot birdie putt on No. 12 at Cadillac<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a little bit of a whirlwind emotion-wise this week,\u201d he said. \u201cJust mainly happy to be here and get a chance in one of the Signature Events. \u2026 Whatever happens this week is a bonus no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a growing sense that this isn\u2019t a one-week flash (more on that below). When asked about momentum, Reitan didn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I would say so,\u201d he agreed regarding his current flow state. \u201cJust trying to learn every single week and trying to improve my game slowly but surely. \u2026 It\u2019s nice to get a few of those (results) just to feel like you’re gaining a little bit of momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n

The whirlwind hasn\u2019t fully settled \u2013 and maybe that\u2019s the point. From alternate to contender, from scrambling travel plans to leaning on a coach as a stand-in caddie, Reitan has turned unpredictability into opportunity. Now, one round remains. Let’s take a closer look at five things to know about Reitan.<\/p>\n

1. His 2026 PGA TOUR start is quietly impressive<\/p>\n

Reitan hasn\u2019t needed much time to show he belongs on the PGA TOUR. In his early starts this season, he\u2019s consistently put himself in position to compete, making seven cuts in his first 10 appearances. Those finishes include a T17 at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, along with solid finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open (T30) and WM Phoenix Open (T41).<\/p>\n

But he notched his first top 10 last month at the Valero Texas Open, followed by a T41 finish at the Masters and his first runner-up result last week in New Orleans. He currently stands No. 57 in the FedExCup standings \u2013 a meaningful benchmark that would secure his footing moving forward.<\/p>\n

2. His \u2018overnight success\u2019 took years to build<\/p>\n

Reitan\u2019s emergence might look sudden, but it\u2019s the product of years of setbacks and persistence. After turning professional in 2018, he quickly encountered the harsh realities of elite golf. A promising amateur career didn\u2019t immediately translate, and after just one top-10 finish in his first DP World Tour season, he lost status.<\/p>\n

What followed was a grind. For several years, he struggled to find consistency, bouncing between levels and searching for the form that once made him one of Europe\u2019s most promising young players. As recently as late 2024, his future remained uncertain. Entering the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final ranked 36th on the Road to Mallorca, he needed something extraordinary to keep his upward trajectory alive. He delivered exactly that \u2013 a breakthrough win that reignited his career.<\/p>\n

\"Kristoffer<\/p>\n

Kristoffer Reitan sinks 6-foot putt for birdie on No. 16 at Cadillac<\/p>\n

3. His amateur pedigree is stronger than many realize<\/p>\n

Long before his professional resurgence, Reitan built a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that placed him among Norway\u2019s top amateur talents. In 2018, he became the first Norwegian to qualify for the U.S. Open as an amateur \u2013 a milestone that highlighted both his skill and his place in his country\u2019s golf history.<\/p>\n

That same year, he reached the Round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur Championship, where he lost to fellow countryman Viktor Hovland<\/a>, who would go on to win the title. But his impact wasn\u2019t limited to individual events. Reitan played a key role in Norway\u2019s international team success, including a runner-up finish at the 2013 European Boys Team Championship and a win at the 2014 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.<\/p>\n

Notably, that Norwegian team defeated a U.S. squad led by Cameron Young<\/a> \u2013 the same player currently leading at Doral.<\/p>\n

4. One round in Belgium changed everything<\/p>\n

Every rising player has a defining moment \u2013 for Reitan, it came at the 2025 DP World Tour\u2019s Soudal Open. Starting the final round nine shots behind, he was nowhere near the spotlight. But what followed was one of the most dramatic charges of the season.<\/p>\n

Reitan fired a course-record 62, surging into the clubhouse lead and forcing the field to chase. The pressure flipped instantly. He eventually won in a playoff, securing his first DP World Tour title.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really see it coming at all,\u201d he said at the time. \u201cBut what I take from that win is confirmation that I\u2019ve been on the right track for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Consistency \u2013 and a second win \u2013 elevated his ceiling<\/p>\n

Reitan didn\u2019t stop at one breakthrough. The week after his Soudal Open victory, he finished runner-up in Austria, immediately reinforcing that his success wasn\u2019t a fluke. Over the remainder of the season, he added five more top-10 finishes, building one of the most consistent campaigns on the DP World Tour.<\/p>\n

That run propelled him to eighth in the Race to Dubai standings, opening the door to PGA TOUR membership. But he finished off 2025 with one more act: another statement victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, where he went wire-to-wire for the title. The win pushed him to No. 31 in the Official World Golf Ranking and earned him \u201cBreakthrough Sportsperson of the Year\u201d honors in Norway.<\/p>\n

More importantly, it confirmed that his rise isn\u2019t temporary. Reitan has moved from potential to proof \u2013 and with Sunday ahead at Doral, another chapter may be waiting.<\/p>\n

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May 2, 2026<\/p>\n

Signature Scroll<\/a>\"Image\"Image<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"17H AGO 6 Min Read Need to Know *:not(style){overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0px;right:0px;bottom:0px;left:0px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;width:100%;height:100%;}.css-17ygvlf>img,.css-17ygvlf>video{object-fit:cover;}.css-17ygvlf::before{height:0px;content:””;display:block;padding-bottom:56.25%;}]]> Kristoffer Reitan sinks 6-foot putt for birdie on No.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":645435,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[443],"tags":[49,48,622,82],"class_list":["post-645434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=645434"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645434\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/645435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=645434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=645434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=645434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}