Kristoffer Reitan’s remarkable breakout year on the DP World Tour has been recognised on home soil after he was named Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year at the Idrettsgallaen, Norway’s Sports Gala.
“First and foremost, I have to say a huge thank you to the jury. It’s an honour just to be nominated, so to actually win is completely insane,” Reitan said after receiving the award.
The accolade crowns a career-defining year for the 27-year-old, who returned to the DP World Tour in 2025 for the first time since 2018 and did far more than simply regain his footing. Graduating from the HotelPlanner Tour to regain status, Reitan claimed two victories in 2025, making his return to Golf’s Global Tour one of the most compelling stories of the year.
Just over a year earlier, Reitan was still fighting for his future. He arrived at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final ranked 36th on the Road to Mallorca, needing something extraordinary to earn one of the 20 DP World Tour cards on offer. He delivered, producing a breakthrough victory that even caught him by surprise and proved to be a turning point.
“I didn’t really see it coming at all,” Reitan reflected ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. “If you would have probably—let’s say even just over a year ago—told me where I am right now, I wouldn’t believe you at all.”
That win, he says, was more than a trophy.
“That win was probably a bit of a gate-opener. Seeing what you felt like you were capable of, but actually seeing that you were able to do it — that little bit of confirmation does a lot.”
That belief shaped his approach on returning to the DP World Tour, where Reitan set his sights higher than simply keeping his card. While his opening stretch of the season was steady rather than spectacular, his commitment to improvement and process soon began to pay off.
The breakthrough moment arrived at the Soudal Open in Belgium. Trailing by nine shots heading into the final round, Reitan produced a stunning course-record 62 to force a play-off, before holding his nerve to secure a maiden DP World Tour title.
“I didn’t really see it coming at all,” he admitted. “I didn’t have experience to back it up. But what I take from that win is confirmation that I’ve been on the right track for a while.”
Momentum followed immediately. A runner-up finish the following week in Austria underlined his consistency, and with five further top-ten finishes across the season, Reitan climbed to eighth on the Race to Dubai Rankings to secure Dual Membership with the PGA TOUR.
That form has carried seamlessly into the new season. At the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player — staged at the end of 2025 but counting towards the 2026 Race to Dubai — Reitan claimed a commanding wire-to-wire victory against a world-class field. The win lifted him to a career-high 31st on the Official World Golf Ranking and reinforced his place at the forefront of a new era for Norwegian golf.
Reflecting on the recognition at the Idrettsgallaen, Reitan also paid tribute to those around him.
“I have to start with my family and my beautiful fiancée, who have been there for me through good times and bad,” he said. “My support team puts in an enormous amount of time. You give your whole heart to this, and I appreciate that more than you know.”
He also underlined the importance of teamwork, even in an individual sport.
“Golf is an individual game, but it’s incredible what we can achieve together as a team,” Reitan added.
Voted as the athlete who delivered the most impressive breakthrough on the international stage over the past year, Reitan’s Idrettsgallaen honour reflects both the scale of his comeback and the substance behind it. What began as a quiet return has become a breakout campaign defined by resilience, consistency and belief — and one that suggests his rise is only just beginning.
