The Swiss PGA Championship 2021
08.10.2021
The Swiss PGA Championship, the pinnacle stroke play title for the Swiss PGA members, was played this week at Golf and Country Club Neuchâtel.
The Men’s and Seniors’ categories titles were contested, with only one of the Swiss PGA’s lady members, Caroline Rominger, playing the championship.
Following a fun and successful pro-am on the Monday, 44 starters continued in often wet, cold and blustery conditions in the 54-hole event through to Thursday.
On Day 1, Jean-Luc Burnier took the lead with a commanding 3-under 68, followed by Alain Genoud on -1 and Daniel Gurtner, Alessandro Noseda, and Justin Brink on even par. Burnier was 5-under through 13, but a hattrick of bogies followed, stabilised by a par/birdie finish. Last year’s champion, Joel Girrbach, coming off a stellar performance in the previous week’s Swiss Challenge event at St Apollinaire, finished on +1 with Alec Roberts and Flavio Schneider.
In the Seniors’, Franco Li Puma showed the way, also with -3 (68), followed by Steve Rey on +1 and Paul Dougan on +3.
On Day 2, Girrbach’s title defence was still lacking with a par-round 71, while the overnight leader furthered his cause with a 67, notably with a run of birdie, birdie, eagle on holes 3 through 5, to go to -7. Fredrik Svanberg returned a 68 to join Girrbach in the final group the following day on +1.
Li Puma could not find the form shown on Day 1 giving 11 strokes back to the course to complete Day 2 on +8. Tony Price made his bid adding to his Day 1 76 with a 74 to be on the same score. Rey found the going tough with 77, enough to take a narrow lead into the final day on +7. Bruno Griss carded the low round of the day with 72.
With Burnier holding an eight-stroke lead, Girrbach made his move on the third and final day, albeit, with an early bogey on the 2nd hole. He quickly countered with a birdie on the 3rd and then an eagle at the short par five 5th. Burnier made a solid start of four pars before also taking advantage of the 5th with a birdie. At a difficult corner of the course, holes 6 through 8 challenged the leader, who dropped four stokes. With Girrbach going out on -2, the lead deficit was thus reduced to three.
The final stretch was competed with some intensity, with no bogies from either player. After both had two-putt birdies on the par 5 12th, close approaches on 13 and 14 were not converted to birdies by Girrbach while Burnier made essential par saves. Girrbach’s birdie finally came on the par 5 15th to Burnier’s par. On 16, another narrow birdie miss by Girrbach and par saving-putt by Burnier gave the leader a two stroke cushion with two holes to play. Both players made par on 17 and a bold birdie on Girrbach had Burnier’s putting nerves tested once again as he holed out for par to take the title by a stroke on -5. Girrbach had returned the best score of the tournament in tough conditions with a 66.
As Svanberg faltered on the final day with a 76, Alec Roberts moved up the order with a 68 to finish alone in third on +2. Zeno Felder also improved his ranking with 70 to finish 4th on +4, while Gurtner joined Svanberg tied for 5th on +6.
Earlier on the final day, the seniors’ lead ebbed and flowed as players struggled on the outward nine. The leader, Rey, although an earlier double-bogey on the 4th was quickly addressed by a birdie on the 5th, but four bogeys then followed to place the overnight leader on +12. Li Puma’s had overtaken Rey by a stroke, and Price was also challenging, but a six on the par-3 9th placed him two stroke from the lead.
A solid front nine and birdies on 12 and 13 saw Dougan momentarily catch the leaders, but three dropped strokes in the last four holes gave him a tally eventually good enough for third.
Li Puma extended his lead with a birdie on 10, and both he and Rey dropped shots on 11. Then, the day was Rey’s. An eagle on the 12th to Li Puma’s par was followed by a birdie on 15 to Li Puma’s bogey. This was key to Rey’s win as both players birdied 17 and parred the final hole.
During the prize giving, it was revealed that a recent family bereavement made the victory for an emotional Burnier particularly special. A moment’s silence was observed as the Swiss PGA and host club conveyed their sincere condolences to the Burnier family.
The Swiss PGA would like to gratefully acknowledge the impeccable hospitality and course maintenance provided by Golf and Country Club Neuchâtel.
The 2022 Swiss PGA Championship is scheduled for 4-6 October at Golf Club Interlaken.
Scoring can be viewed here.
Photo (from left to right): Jean-Luc Burnier and Steve Rey | Swiss PGA Championship 2021, GCC Neuchâtel
