Machern/Germany – It usually helps enormously in golf to have played a course before; then the layout of the fairways is known and a likely successful game strategy foreseeable. When the participants of the Leipziger Golf Open arrived this year for the second edition of the Pro Golf Tour tournament in Machern, Germany, the par 72 course of the Golf & Country Club Leipzig was almost like a completely new golf venue. "Not only that the rough was much higher. I think there were almost 500 meters more this year overall," says Dylan Boshart, describing the new conditions and extended fairways - circumstances with which he certainly coped very well. "I like it when it's difficult and demanding and selective. That suits me! "

Especially on the second day of the tournament, when he made a round of 69 and approached the leader Hurly Long up to one stroke, Boshart underlined his ascending form. "Lastly, a part of my game has not worked optimally. Everything was fine this time. "

With strong drives and smart tactics he opened himself up great birdie opportunities, eight of them he used successfully. While the field fought the course - the cut was 7 over par - it was only Boshart and Long in the end who were better than the norm with a total of -2 and -1, respectively. After the Open Ocean 2017, it was the second title on the Pro Golf Tour for Boshart.

Rank 3 was shared by German Maximilian Walz and Hubert Tisserand from France, who each came back to the clubhouse with par for the tournament. The runner-up Hurly Long secured with a birdie at hole 18 of his final round the 4,500 Euro prize money for rank 2. This makes him regain 1st place of the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit. With now 19,699 points he is ahead of Allen John (18,279) and the Dutchman Robbie van West (17,140).

"I really enjoyed the tournament - it was a very challenging golf course and after all that was told to me about last year, the course really must have been much more difficult this time. Of course I really wanted to win, but considering that it was not looking very positive at some time today, I am very happy with my 2nd place," said Hurly Long.

After an unfortunate triple-bogey on hole 10 of his final round he had made birdies at 12 and 18 to secure second place and thus the pole position of the overall Pro Golf Tour ranking. An idea of ​​how different the course presented this year compared to the previous year, is also the winning score: In 2018, the two Scots Craig Howie and Chris Robb shared 1st place after 54 holes with 16 under par and went into a playoff with the better outcome for the later 2019 overall winner Craig Howie.

Leipzig sets new standards again

With a big ProAm tournament, a players party on an Leipzig city rooftops, a well maintained and highly demanding championship course and last but not least the top prize money of 45,000 euros, the Leipziger Golf Open set new standards and marked the beginning of the decisive phase of the 2019 season. The 7500 Euro prize money for the winner make Dylan Boshart climb to 10th in the ranking and come closer to his goal "Top 5 at the end of the season" - he has found his form at just the right time. Incidentally, good timing is apparently in the family: mother Corina Boshart surprised her son for the first time this year as a spectator and accompanied him at a tournament; she has picked out just the perfect event.

Dylan Boshart wants to continue with this brilliant performance on 11th July: Then round 1 of the Broekpolder International Open 2019 is on the schedule in Vlaardingen in the Netherlands. Boshart is a member of the GC Broekpolder, but last year missed the cut due to injury. He plays the course normally 5 under par, and he wants to prove that next week. Because usually it helps, if you know a golf course very well.