Adendorf, Germany –And another spectacular highlight at the end: for the tenth time in a row, the highly acclaimed Castanea Golf Resort presented itself as a worthy venue for the season finale of the Pro Golf Tour. And you couldn't have wished for a more high-class and exciting final at the anniversary edition of the Castanea Resort Championship. Three players from the top 5 of the Order of Merit battled for the title in Adendorf. Tadeas Tetak, Yente van Doren and Jean Bekirian underlined their outstanding form this year and each had a good chance of crowning their successful season with the final title. The Slovakian Tetak finally took advantage of the best starting position before the final (two strokes ahead) and celebrated his biggest triumph to date.

Tetak seemed to have his nerves under control right from the start. After an eagle on the 10th hole, he was five under par for the day and already had a small cushion on the chasing pack at this point. But the 24-year-old opened the door for the competition once again. Tetak lost three strokes between the 12th and 16th holes, the sole lead was gone, van Doren put in an impressive sprint, played seven birdies between the 4th and 13th holes and was suddenly level.

Leaderboard: All results at a glance
Order of Merit of the 2024 Season

Nevertheless, Tetak said he wasn't really worried - because he had already achieved his big goal of a top ranking in the Order of Merit. ‘After the eagle on the 10th, I realised that it should be enough,’ said Tetak regarding his promotion to the Challenge Tour. Only the top five at the end of the season receive a full tour card for Europe's second division. Tetak had been in fifth place before the Castanea Resort Championship. With his second win of the season, he achieved his goal in the end. Tetak improved to third place in the season rankings and can now look forward to his first year on the Challenge Tour after narrowly missing out on sixth place last year. ‘It's a load off my mind - pure relief. I've achieved my goal and I'm very happy. I don't think I realise it yet, but I'm super happy and looking forward to next year.’

Tetak is certain that the Pro Golf Tour has prepared him well for his next task: ‘The Pro Golf Tour is a stepping stone to get onto the Challenge Tour. The best players on this tour deserve to tee off on the Challenge Tour.’ The season finale provided some happy faces: Van Doren, in second place behind Tetak, collected enough points to displace the absent James Meyer de Beco from first place on the Order of Merit. ‘Winning the Order of Merit means a lot to me,’ said the Belgian, who, like Tetak, has won two tournaments this season. ‘It obviously shows that you've played well throughout the season and were a bit better than everyone else. From day one, it was at the top of my list to achieve this.’

Bekirian, who competed under the Armenian flag for the first time this week, finished third in Adendorf and fourth in the overall standings. Cédric Gugler from Switzerland finished fifth overall but, like Meyer de Beco, had already secured his Tour card thanks to three wins this season. All five will start the 2025 Challenge Tour season in category 13b.

Peter Zäh: ‘Witnessed a dignified finish’

Castanea Golf Resort more than lived up to the high expectations of the 2024 season finale. ‘Like every year, we have been looking forward to this special week at Castanea Golf Resort, which hosted the season finale for the tenth time this year. We witnessed a dignified end to the season. From the outstanding quality of the golf course to the professional organisation and active support of everyone involved, we are extremely proud of our long-standing partnership with Castanea Golf Resort. A big thank you goes to all those who made this event possible. We are already looking forward to the coming years together with great anticipation,’ said Peter Zäh, Managing Director of the Pro Golf Tour.

The Pro Golf Tour's Qualifying School for the 2025 season is still on the programme for the coming week. At Golf Fleesensee and at the Holledau golf course (both from 8 to 9 October), 96 players will each try to earn a category for 2025.