Aalden, Netherlands – A spectacular duel, five extra holes, gale-force winds and heavy rain in between - the final of the Mono Gelpenberg Open 2024 had a lot to offer. Yente Van Doren and local hero Wouter de Vries had to complete 23 holes on Friday before the dramatic duel produced a winner.

The decision was made on the 13th hole of the picturesque Golfclub De Gelpenberg, which once again presented itself in perfect condition. The Belgian van Doren holed his short putt for the winning birdie, while De Vries could not manage more than a par after an inaccurate tee shot into the waste area. The duo had previously shared the 18th hole with a par four times in the play-off.

During the regular round, the two protagonists were also in step with each other in the north of the Netherlands in sometimes fierce winds. Both opened the day tied at the top and finished the final round with 70 strokes (-1) - each with four birdies, three bogeys and eleven pars. They went into the final round tied on six under par for the tournament.

While the 37-year-old De Vries narrowly missed out on his maiden victory in his first appearance on the Pro Golf Tour this season, his opponent secured his second title in 2024. The 27-year-old, who went to college in St. Louis (Missouri, USA), had already won the Raiffeisen Pro Golf Tour St. Pölten in Austria in May.

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

Delighted to be back on the Challenge Tour
Van Doren, who failed to find top form last year and lost his Tour card again, displaced James Meyer de Beco from the top of the Order of Merit with his victory - and thus made an early return to the top with two tournaments still to come.

"That was an emotional rollercoaster ride", commented the winner of the €5,000 prize money. "I'm over the moon that I will definitely finish the season in the top five. That was a big goal. It was a game of patience. It was about creating chances but not being too aggressive so as not to lose any balls. I implemented this strategy well. I really like the course and enjoy coming here. You have to hit the ball very well and have lots of op-tions. The organisation of the tournament is also really great."

Third place went to Koen Kouwenaar, who won the Staan Open at Golfbaan Westwoud last week. The Dutchman thus defended his lead in the special ranking of the Dutch Swing. Whoever wins the ranking introduced for the three tournaments in the Nether-lands will receive a starting place at the KLM Open 2025 on the DP World Tour.

Fourth place is shared by Mathieu Decottignies Lafon (France) and the two amateurs Jerry Aiwei Ji (Netherlands) and Pierre Garcia (also France).

For the aces of the Pro Golf Tour, the action continues next week. The Dutch Swing of the Pro Golf Tour ends with the Stippelberg Open 2024 (from 27 August) in the south-east of the Netherlands.