Bakel, Netherlands – The third and final tournament of the Dutch Swing, the 2026 Stippelberg Open, also concluded with an exciting finale. Until the very end, all three players in the final group had the opportunity to win the prestigious title on the varied links course in southern Netherlands. After two rounds, the two leaders, Alexandre d’Aurelle de Paladines and Yente van Doren, were joined by a third title contender, Dominik Pavoucek. The 30-year-old Czech player carded three birdies on his first eight holes. After 18 holes, Pavoucek and d’Aurelle de Paladines were tied for first place at 11 under par. Van Doren finished third at 10 under par. In the playoff, Pavoucek secured his first title on the Pro Golf Tour with a birdie on the fifth extra hole.
"It's difficult to describe my feelings right now because I haven't fully processed everything yet," Pavoucek said after the marathon playoff. He started the final day three strokes behind the leaders, but a 67 (-3) allowed him to catch up to the front of the pack. Although Pavoucek had already played bogey-free golf on the first two days, he felt most comfortable in the third round. "On the first two days, I had a clean scorecard, but I struggled a bit. Today, I knew I could do better. I felt good and thought, ‘All right, let’s give it a shot.’” The attempt ended in resounding success.
The Late Bloomer
Pavoucek’s path to his first Pro Golf Tour title was definitely unconventional. He didn’t start playing golf until he was 16 years old. Within three years, he had become a scratch golfer. "At some point, though, my father told me that we didn't have enough money to support me in golf anymore. That’s why I started playing beach volleyball.” He quickly found success in that sport as well, but his passion remained with golf. Encouraged by his ex-girlfriend and sponsored by a family friend, he traded the sand court for the golf course at 26 and is now a champion on the Pro Golf Tour. "I always felt that I could make it to the very top if I focused one hundred percent on golf."
“One of the best courses”
The Stippelberg Open once again provided the perfect stage for the Dutch Swing's conclusion. After his victory, Pavoucek had nothing but praise: "Honestly, in my opinion, this is one of the best courses we play on. The greens were fantastic. Links courses are also just fun because you can be creative and try different shots. I really felt very comfortable here.”
With the conclusion of the Dutch Swing, which began with the Staan Open and the Mono Gelpenberg Open, the winner of the internal special ranking has also been determined. Laurenz Schiergen, the German winner of the Mono Gelpenberg Open, will receive a spot in the 2027 KLM Open. This gives him the opportunity to showcase his skills on the DP World Tour and gain valuable experience at the highest level.
Dutchman Dario Antonisse remains at the top of the Order of Merit, with Philipp Macionga of Germany as his closest challenger. Third place goes to Mauro Gilardi of Switzerland, ahead of Kristof Ulenaers of Belgium and Max Schmitt of Germany. With his victory, Pavoucek moved up to 23rd place.
Special thanks go to the organizers and the many volunteers at Golfbaan Stippelberg. Their extraordinary dedication made the tournament a truly special event.
After a brief hiatus, the Pro Golf Tour in Belgium is entering the final stretch of its 2026 season. The Iron Duke Belgian Open, the first of three consecutive events in Belgium, will take place from September 8 to 10.
Leaderboard: All results at a glance
Order of Merit of the 2026 Season
