Genappe, Belgium – The Pro Golf Tour season concluded with a thrilling battle for the title on the perfectly maintained and challenging holes of “Le Vallon” at Golf Club d’Hulencourt. As the final groups headed down the closing stretch, around half a dozen players still had hopes of lifting the trophy. In the end, it was Jaka Babnik, the youngest player among the leading group, who came out on top.
The Slovenian, whose older sister Pia competes on the Ladies European Tour, had put himself in a promising position going into the third and final round after scores of 65 and 69 and was able to continue his good form on Thursday. After an eventful front nine featuring two bogeys and three birdies, two more birdies on the back nine were enough for the 20-year-old to card a 70 and claim his first Pro Golf Tour title with a total of 12 under par. The first-time winner eventually finished one shot ahead of Belgium’s Nathan Cossement. Tim Tillmanns (Germany) and Nevill Ruiter (Netherlands) finished another shot back in a tie for third.
“I already had a chance to win earlier in the season. That experience definitely helped me today,” explained Babnik, who had already been in contention for victory at the Madaëf Golfs Open in May before eventually finishing second. “Towards the end, we looked at the leaderboard and I knew I had a chance. I just tried to keep going shot by shot.”
Babnik travelled to Belgium with confidence following some encouraging practice sessions and rounds at his home club, Cubo Golf near Ljubljana. “I knew that if I played my best golf, I would have a chance to win. It makes it even nicer that I managed to do it here. Now I’m heading to the Second Stage of DP World Tour Q-School. I proved to myself here that I can do it.”
The tournament winner also had plenty of praise for the course and its lightning-fast, true greens. “Hulencourt was once again in excellent condition. For me, it was one of the best courses we played all year.”
Leaderboard: All results at a glance
Order of Merit of the 2026 Season
Five Graduates Confirmed
Alongside the maiden winner, the top five in the season-long standings also had reason to celebrate. There were no further changes at the top of the Order of Merit following the final tournament of the year. Dario Antonisse finished the season as the leading player with two victories and nine further top-ten finishes from 21 starts. The Dutchman did not miss a single cut. Alongside Antonisse, Kristof Ulenaers (Belgium), Philipp Macionga (Germany), Mauro Gilardi (Switzerland) and Max Schmitt (Germany) will compete on the HotelPlanner Tour next year as members of the Pro Golf Tour’s top five.
“Winning the Order of Merit means a lot to me,” said Antonisse. “I’ve had to deal with injuries time and again over the past few years, and now I’ve finally been able to show that I’m on the right track. I’m looking forward to testing myself at the next level next year.”
Successful Premiere in Hulencourt
“Hosting the season finale here in Hulencourt for the first time was a special highlight of an eventful year,” said Peter Zäh, Managing Director of the Pro Golf Tour. “For me, the course is one of the best in Belgium and once again demanded everything from the players to finish the season. The organisation and the entire setting were excellent. My thanks go to everyone whose passion and commitment helped make this final a real highlight – a fitting conclusion to the season. The quality and depth of competition on the Pro Golf Tour in 2026 were probably higher than ever before. At the same time, we continued to expand our tournament calendar and, in cooperation with the VcG, created additional high-quality playing opportunities with the German Swing, which were extremely well received by players, clubs and partners. We are already looking forward to next season.”
“We are incredibly proud to host the Pro Golf Tour Grand Final, the Hulencourt Masters, here in Belgium for the first time,” explained Palmo Venneri, Managing Director at Hulencourt. “A big thank you goes to the Pro Golf Tour team, our staff, our volunteers, the referees and, of course, all the professionals for everything we have achieved together over the past three years. Hosting the Grand Final is a special opportunity for us and for golf in Belgium. The commitment, dedication and professionalism shown by the Pro Golf Tour and Hulencourt teams have been outstanding. A special thank you goes to our President, Patrick Solvay, for his unwavering support, trust and commitment. He provides the resources necessary for us at Hulencourt to continue striving for excellence and to carry our values out into the world.”
In just a few days, the Pro Golf Tour Qualifying School for the 2027 season will take place. From October 7 to 8, players will compete at Golf Fleesensee and Golfclub Reischenhof for the coveted categories for the upcoming season.
