Aalden, Netherlands – As the final round progressed, it became increasingly clear that two Germans would battle it out for the title at the 2026 Mono Gelpenberg Open. Philipp Macionga and Lau-renz Schiergen pulled away from the rest of the field during the decisive stages at the picturesque Drentse Golfclub De Gelpenberg – setting up a thrilling duel that remained in the balance until the final shot.
Playing in the penultimate group, Macionga carded a 67 to reach 13 under par and brief-ly held the clubhouse lead. But Schiergen held his nerve and secured the winning par on the 18th. A final-round 66, featuring four birdies on the back nine, took him to 14 under par and gave him a one-stroke victory.
More exciting than expected
“When I was standing on the fairway of the 18th, I knew I just had to get the ball onto the green and two-putt,” said the 25-year-old, who played college golf for the University of Houston, recalling the decisive moments. “Then I made it a little more exciting than I had hoped.”
His approach came up shorter than planned, making the path to the crucial par slightly more difficult. But Schiergen remained composed, safely completed the hole with two putts and celebrated his maiden title on the Pro Golf Tour.
“It feels really great,” said the champion. “Right now, I’m still a little lost for words. Of course, you think about what it would be like, but when it actually happens, it feels com-pletely different. Especially because I’ve been very unhappy with how this season has gone so far. It’s been a long time since my last win, so I’m going to enjoy this one even more.”
There had already been signs of an upturn in form the previous week, when Schiergen finished tied ninth at the Staan Open following a run of missed cuts. “I think all year I’ve been trying too hard to think about how I should play golf instead of simply going out and playing golf,” explained the GC Hösel professional. “After the tournament in Switzerland, I used the break to simply go out and play. Of course, I worked on my swing on the range, but as soon as I got onto the course, I just played golf. That seems to have paid off.”
The victory moves Schiergen up to 20th in the Order of Merit. Dario Antonisse of the Netherlands remains at the top, while Philipp Macionga climbs to second place. Mauro Gilardi (Switzerland), Kristof Ulenaers (Belgium) and Nicolas Horder (Germany) com-plete the top five.
“One of the best courses of the year”
The two-time German Under-18 champion also had plenty of praise for the host venue. “For me, this is one of the best courses of the year. Nine holes run mainly through the woods, then it opens up. And even though we’ve had a lot of rain, the course was still in excellent condition.”
The fact that the 2026 Mono Gelpenberg Open proved to be such a memorable experi-ence for players, spectators and everyone involved despite the challenging weather conditions was also thanks to the many helping hands on site. Club manager Fopke Drijfholt and his team, together with more than 60 volunteers, ensured the tournament ran smoothly throughout the week. Despite heavy rain that caused two suspensions of play, the course remained in outstanding condition. Much of the credit goes to the greenkeeping team, who began preparing the course as early as 4 a.m.
Special thanks also go to MONO, an initiative promoting greater attention and less dis-traction on the road, which supported the tournament as title sponsor for the third time in 2026.
Next week, the Stippelberg Open 2026 at Golfbaan Stippelberg (25–27 August) will mark the third and final stop of the Pro Golf Tour’s Dutch Swing. For the fourth conse-cutive year, players are competing across the three tournaments in the Netherlands for a place in next season’s KLM Open on the DP World Tour, with the winner of the special ranking earning the coveted spot.
Leaderboard: All results at a glance
Order of Merit of the 2026 Season
