Antalya, Turkey – There was pure excitement at the start of the 2026 Pro Golf Tour season on the Turkish Mediterranean coast. Dario Antonisse secured the title at the Golf Mad Open with two strong consecutive rounds, celebrating his second Pro Golf Tour victory. Starting the final day five strokes behind the leader, the Dutchman staked his claim early on with an eagle on the second hole, ultimately relegating France's Clément Guichard to second place.

Recovered from a windy start
After the first round, it was unclear whether Antonisse would win the three-day Golf Mad Open tournament at the Lykia Links Golf Club. The 27-year-old started the Golf Mad Open with a 73 (+2). However, he was not dissatisfied with this result, as he revealed in an interview two days later: "I had to battle with the wind in the first round, so I was quite happy with two over par." This was followed by an excellent 66 in calmer conditions, and Antonisse didn't have to worry about strong gusts in the final round either. "I'm thrilled, happy, and maybe a little relieved too. It feels good," said the winner after his 67 on the final day.

He quickly made up the five-stroke deficit to his compatriot, Tim van der Steen, who had been in the lead after two days. Antonisse made an eagle on the second hole and added three birdies on the front nine. "I got off to a good start and climbed up the leaderboard. On the back nine, I could see every shot from the group behind me. Of course, I still tried to play well myself." Although he finished the back nine one over par, Antonisse ended up one stroke ahead of Guichard and two strokes ahead of van der Steen and Germany's Nicolas Horder. This success comes as a welcome relief to Antonisse after a recent painful period on the golf course.

Leaderboard: All results at a glance
Order of Merit of the 2026 Season

Finally pain-free again
Antonisse's latest triumph in Turkey comes after a period of suffering following his first victory on the Pro Golf Tour four years ago, making this victory even more valuable. "I had surgery on my wrist at the end of 2022, and then again in September of last year. I had to take a break in 2025 due to injury, but I started training again in December. To win just two months later is incredible.” Antonisse is currently pain-free and can therefore focus entirely on his golf game. "I want to enjoy the game a little more. I think that was the key point this week."

Given his performance, it goes without saying that he felt very comfortable on the renowned Lykia Links Golf Club course. "I didn't like the wind, but the rest was fantastic," he said with a smile. Conveniently, the next event on this course is the Golf Mad Challenge on February 23. Golf Mad Travel and Events was the title sponsor once again, ensuring that the tournament ran smoothly and making the Golf Mad Open an ideal start to the season.