Chéserex, Switzerland – The second edition of the Hormeta Pro Golf Tour Bonmont at the Golf & Country Club de Bonmont featured top-notch entertainment. In perfect yet sweltering conditions with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, keeping a cool head was key. On the final day, Nicolas Horder and Kristof Ulenaers, both of whom had already won a tournament on the Pro Golf Tour this season, battled for the win. Tied on the 18th hole, they headed into a playoff.
That’s when the drama unfolded. They tied the hole five times, twice with birdies. Horder and Ulenaers both impressed during this phase with putts sunk from distances of up to several meters. The decision was finally made on the sixth extra hole when Ulenaers came up short on a putt, allowing Horder to celebrate a birdie victory.
"Things really heated up in the playoff after all," Horder admitted afterward with a smile. "Even though we were allowed to wear shorts today, I decided to wear long black pants. In hindsight, that wasn’t the smartest choice, but I still managed to pull it off just fine.” The Munich native didn’t seem too fazed by external factors or the tight title race against Ulenaers. "I was pretty relaxed. I’ve never lost a playoff in my life, and fortunately, that remained the case today. That’s why I went into it with a lot of confidence. Ultimately, you just have to beat your opponent and focus on your own game."
"It was a very fair match"
An exciting showdown between the German and the Belgian had been building all day. Ulenaers entered the third round with a two-stroke lead, but Horder caught up to him with five birdies on the first ten holes. Just like the day before, the 26-year-old remained bogey-free, challenging his direct rival, who carded three bogeys on the back nine, for his second title of the season. "It was really fun," Horder said of the head-to-head matchup after rounds of 66, 65, and 64. "I really enjoy playing with Kristof. He treats his fellow players with great respect and is just a great guy. It was a very fair duel all day long.”
Horder ultimately came out on top in the high-level duel, putting an end to a difficult stretch since his first victory of the season in Egypt in April. Looking back, he said: "I had good results at the start and maybe relied a little too much on things continuing that way. At times, I wasn’t training as meticulously as before and was working on the wrong things. At some point, I’d completely lost my momentum." After missing several cuts in a row, the turnaround came in recent weeks thanks to "determined" training and a new driver.
Stunning mountain panorama
In keeping with the outstanding performance of the professionals, the Golf & Country Club de Bonmont provided the ideal setting for the Swiss PGA event for the second year in a row. Nestled between Lake Geneva and the Jura Mountains, the club was the perfect backdrop for the tournament. The winner was also impressed by the course and the surrounding landscape. He said, "I really enjoyed the whole experience—the view from the clubhouse terrace, the pool, the gym, and of course, the view of Mont Blanc. It was truly impressive. Despite the intense heat of the past few weeks, the course was in excellent condition.”
In the Order of Merit, the German player moved up to fourth place. Dario Antonisse was able to defend his top position, staying ahead of Ulenaers. Philipp Macionga (Germany) is in third place, and Mauro Gilardi (Switzerland) is in fifth place.
"Special thanks go to the organizers, the many volunteers at the Golf & Country Club de Bonmont, title sponsor Hormeta, and the Swiss PGA," said Peter Zäh, managing director of the Pro Golf Tour. "With their extraordinary dedication, they made the tournament a truly special event."
After a brief break, the Pro Golf Tour’s top players will continue their journey at Golfbaan Westwoud in the heart of West Friesland. The Staan Open, which will take place from August 13 to 15, will kick off the annual Dutch Swing, a series of three tournaments in the Netherlands.
