The site is up, teams are locked, and the banter has officially begun. Here’s what’s coming next
There are 100 days to go until the tour tees it up again — and because this thing is now officially a sell-out event (yes, we’re counting “the boys committing early” as a sell-out), the Spider vs Tiger Tour website is now live.
It’s the home for everything 2026: events, team line-ups, player profiles, news, stats, and inevitable excuses. Basically, if it happens on tour, it ends up on the site… whether you like it or not.
The 2026 Series: Champions vs Challengers
The next chapter of the rivalry is here: Team Spider vs Team Tiger.
Reigning champions and current tour overlord Captain Jason Sykes returns to defend the crown, with the Spider lads looking to prove last year wasn’t a “one-off hot streak” (it wasn’t).
But Tiger aren’t coming to make up numbers.
This year, they’re led by newly promoted Captain Paul Ticehurst — a man who’s somehow managed to maintain a 100% win record while looking like he’s only ever swung a club out of pure inconvenience. He’ll be trying to turn Team Tiger into actual title contenders… and not just “strong on WhatsApp, weak on the back nine”.
Vilamoura, Portugal: 18–21 May 2026
The battleground is set: Vilamoura, 18–21 May, featuring three rounds of golf where both teams will go full LIV-mode: big energy, questionable shot choices, and absolutely zero respect for course management.
Expect pressure golf, hero shots, and at least one “I’m playing safe here” followed immediately by a 3-wood that should be classified as a hate crime.
Transfers, Relegations & Tour Chaos
This year’s roster has seen more movement than a buggy on a downhill cart path. We’ve had departures, promotions, and the usual behind-the-scenes negotiating that definitely isn’t linked to anyone’s golf performance.
Departures (a moment of silence, then immediate banter)
- Ben Barnett – leaves the tour to focus on his upcoming Love Island appearance. We wish him well and fully expect him to get dumped after revealing he “plays off vibes”.
- Alan Burrows – moves to the regional Devon tour, where the rough is long and the handicaps are… flexible.
- Freddie Lovell – has downed clubs and shifted his focus behind the DJ booth. Still technically “dropping bangers”, just not off the tee.
- Steve Guy – retired and joins the Somerset seniors tour, where pace of play is quicker because nobody can hear the excuses.
New faces (fresh blood, fresh targets)
- Glyn Broome – promoted from the Devon tour. Arrives confident. Will leave humbled.
- Jon Mackness – promoted from the Somerset tour. Allegedly knows what “course strategy” means (we’ll fix that).
- Cath Levell – promoted from the Somerset tour and immediately becomes the tour’s most dangerous combo: patient, composed, and not impressed by any of you.
- Barry Tucker – promoted from the Devon tour. Brings “local tour swagger” and an excellent chance of becoming this year’s breakout menace.
New for 2026: The All-Stars Exhibition Day
For the first time, we’re introducing a special exhibition event where the tour All-Stars step away from team warfare for a day.
It’ll be hosted at the Amendoeira Faldo Course (Alcantarilha, PT) — and for 24 hours only, the rivalry gets shelved… in exchange for pure chaos, mixed pairings, and golf that absolutely should not be taken seriously.
Meanwhile, the rest of the tour will be “sampling local culture” — which is a polite way of saying Vilamoura Marina bars will be taking structural damage.
More details coming soon. (Translation: someone needs to decide the format before we pretend it was the plan all along.)
Ones to Watch (and ones to investigate)
- Mark Neighbour & Paul Ticehurst are both rocking a 100% win record on tour.
Which means two things:- they’ll be confident,
- the rest of the field will be absolutely desperate to hand them their first L.
- Richard Ashby & David Cunningham have somehow kept their tour cards, securing a one-year extension after “last-minute negotiations”.
Nobody’s entirely sure how the deal got done — but it’s widely accepted it wasn’t based on last year’s golf.
The rumour mill is working overtime. The only confirmed detail: they’re still here, and the tour now has two active examples of “it’s not what you shoot, it’s who you know”.
Captains’ Quotes (Spider vs Tiger 2026)
Jason Sykes — Captain, Team Spider (Reigning Champions)
“Being champions doesn’t change anything… apart from the fact we’re better, we know we’re better, and now everyone’s chasing us. The lads are sharp, the prep has started, and the standard is going up again this year.
Team Tiger have got a new captain and a lot of noise — which is brilliant, because noise doesn’t count on the scorecard. We’ll let them talk. We’ll do what champions do.”
Paul Ticehurst — Captain, Team Tiger (Newly Promoted)
“New year, new captain, and a fresh chance to put this right. Spider had their moment — fair play. But this tour doesn’t do dynasties, it does rivalries… and Tiger are coming to take it back.
We’ve got hunger, we’ve got confidence, and we’ve got lads ready to scrap for every point. Jason can enjoy the ‘reigning champion’ label for now — it’ll look better in our trophy cabinet.”
Jason Sykes (on Paul’s 100% win record)
“It’s a lovely stat. Genuinely. It’s also a perfect example of what happens when you win early then spend the rest of the year avoiding anyone dangerous. We’ll fix that in Vilamoura.”
Paul Ticehurst (on Spider’s title defence)
“Defending a title is hard. Defending it while your mates are arguing over gimmes, wind direction, and who’s ‘still got it’… even harder. Spider will feel the pressure. We’ll make sure of it.”
Joint statement (through gritted teeth)
“Vilamoura. 18–21 May. Three rounds. No hiding. May the best team win.”
The Tour Starts Here
The countdown is on. The teams are stacked. The site is live. The banter is already warming up.
So get yourselves on the website, learn the line-ups, and start building your excuses early — because in 100 days, Spider vs Tiger 2026 begins… and someone’s going home humbled.
Links (bookmark these):
Tour website: https://golftrip.jjs-enterprises.com/
Events page: https://golftrip.jjs-enterprises.com/event/