Cairo, Egypt - For a long time, the final round of the Allegria Open had looked like a comfortable stroll for Cédric Gugler. The Swiss player had strolled ahead from day one and didn't seem to lose his composure in the decisive phase - even a bogey at the start of the final round didn't change that. After five birdies on holes 5, 6, 8, 14 and 15, Gugler took a five-shot lead on the 17th.

However, he then made a mistake with consequences: Gugler hit his tee shot into the water on the penultimate hole, a par 4. "I'm still analyzing how that could have happened," said the man from Basel after the round. "I got out of the zone a bit on the tee, saw the win and chatted to the others." A triple bogey followed and the leisurely stroll turned into a stressful finish after all. "After the hole, I told myself straight away that I was going to carry on like the last two days. I took a breath and tried to get back into my zone."

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The mental comeback efforts paid off. Gugler got back on track and saved his lead with a par on the 18th at the fantastic Allegria Golf Club. "This is obviously a great feeling," said the former Swiss national team player about his first victory on the Pro Golf Tour. "All the hard work I've put in over the years has paid off. These are the moments we train for." Two days before the start of the Allegria Open, Gugler celebrated his 24th birthday - he couldn't have given himself a better present.

He laid the foundation for his start-to-finish victory with a 65 (-7) on day one. Gugler followed this up with rounds of 68 and 71. "I was actually able to take shot after shot all week - I managed that very well. I always stayed in the moment." Gugler was literally born with mental strength. His parents were both professional athletes and can therefore pass on a lot to their son. "The performance mindset runs in the family. But in a good way. It's not like they put me under pressure. They tell me to do my best and do my job."

Although Gugler still saw room for improvement in his putting, this week in Cairo was already close to the optimum. This was partly due to the weather. "I just like playing in the sun. When it's warm, I play really good golf." He also found the course at Allegria Golf Club "super". On his way to the highest level of golf, this success is a "milestone" in his career that should be celebrated, at least briefly. "Instead of water, there might be Coke Zero," joked Gugler after the ultimately hard-fought victory, which has propelled him up to third place in the Order of Merit.

After the Allegria Open, the fifth tournament of the season, the 2024 Pro Golf Tour season will only take a two-day break. It continues on March 17 with the NewGiza Pyramids Challenge at the NewGiza Golf Club in Egypt.