Westwoud, Netherlands – After a long day at the 2026 Staan Open, the tournament ended with a short playoff and an overwhelmed winner. Mauro Gilardi shot rounds of 66, 64, and 65 at the Golfbaan Westwoud, finishing at 18 under par, which tied him with Dario Antonisse. The start of the final round was delayed by more than three hours due to heavy rain and thunderstorms. For Antonisse, a decisive playoff on home turf was at stake, as a third victory of the season would have secured his early promotion. Gilardi, on the other hand, saw this as an advantage and felt less pressure in the head-to-head matchup against the local hero and leader in the Order of Merit. Gilardi sank his three-meter putt for a birdie on the first extra hole, while Antonisse missed his shorter putt to force a tie. Gilardi thus celebrated his first victory of the season.
"To be honest, I was almost glad about it," Gilardi said of the weather-delayed start. It allowed him to take "a nap or two" and start the final round feeling more rested. The extra rest clearly did him good. Gilardi teed off in the second to last group and carded three early birdies. He made his only bogey of the day on the eighth hole but made up for it with an eagle on the eleventh. “My goal today was simply to stay patient, stick to my game plan until the end, and see how far it would take me.” He added birdies on the 15th and 16th holes.
“It's not over yet”
Although it was Gilardi’s first victory of the season, the 26-year-old had played consistently all year. Thanks to three top-three finishes, he entered the Staan Open ranked fifth on the Order of Merit. “But nothing has ever clicked perfectly in a single week,” Gilardi noted. "I can't say that about this week either. In golf, nothing ever clicks perfectly." Nevertheless, it was enough to secure the title and move him up to second place in the overall standings. He said he was “overwhelmed” by his success, but he didn't want to celebrate too soon. "It's not over yet. Of course, I hope this is enough, but I also know there are still five tournaments left, including the finale.” The top five players at the end of the season will advance to the HotelPlanner Tour.
First stop on the Dutch Swing
The Staan Open was the first of three events in the Dutch Swing, which features a special highlight for the fourth consecutive year. The winner of the special internal ranking earns a spot in the 2027 KLM Open, a new and motivating interim goal for Gilardi following his victory in Westwoud. The second stop on the tournament series is the Mono Gelpenberg Open, scheduled for August 19–21.
Antonisse remains at the top of the Order of Merit, with Gilardi as his closest pursuer. Belgian Kristof Ulenaers holds third place, ahead of Germans Philipp Macionga and Nicolas Horder.
Special thanks go to the organizers and the many volunteers at the Westfriese Golf Club, as well as to the event's title sponsor, Staan Finance. Their extraordinary dedication made the tournament a truly special event.
