Joel Girrbach from Thurgau plays the strongest week of his career at the Spanish Open in Madrid and finishes the tournament in third place - just one stroke behind winner Marco Penge from England. A week ago, Girrbach was still "devastated" in Scotland.
14.10.2025, 04:00
14.10.2025, 07:24
SDA
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- Joel Girrbach plays the best week of his career at the Spanish Open in Madrid and finishes third, just one shot behind the winner.
- With this success, he secures important points for the 2026 tour card and gains new self-confidence. A week earlier, he was still devastated.
- Now he is aiming for a place in the top 50 in order to take part in the season finale in Dubai for the first time.
A week ago in St. Andrews, Scotland. Girrbach played fantastically for two days and stayed in the top positions on the leaderboard. On the third day, he crashed to 71st place - no prize money, no points. "That was an incredibly big disappointment for me," said Girrbach in an interview with Keystone-SDA. "There were three courses in St. Andrews. I played the somewhat easier courses in good conditions on the first two days - and the most challenging course in the most difficult conditions on the third day. After the third day, I was down - and above all, I was pretty angry."
At the time, Girrbach was fighting for a tour card for 2026. Before the Omega European Masters in Crans-Montana, where he finished seventh, he was ranked 123rd in the annual rankings. Before the tournament in Madrid, he was number 109. He urgently needed prize money and points to avoid being left without a job next year. The 32-year-old now got rid of all these worries with a brilliant week at the tournament in Madrid. "Of course I'm very happy now. I played very solid golf on all four days. It's the first time I've played in the last flight at such a big tournament, and even on Saturday and Sunday. I was confirmed in my opinion: I can keep up with everyone up there if I play well."
Interim lead on the final round
Back in Crans-Montana, where he also played for the tournament victory on Sunday, Girrbach said that he only looked at the leaderboard twice during the final round. In Madrid, he knew what was going on at all times in the final flight with all the contenders for victory. He led the field solo on the final round. He was still co-leader after 11 holes. He didn't let himself get nervous or rattled. The disappointment that his first victory on the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, slipped away in the end was limited. "Of course, winning the tournament would have been the crowning glory. But I said on Saturday that my main priority was the tour card for next year."
Girrbach cannot explain why he is doing so much better than in the first half of the season. "I'm not doing anything differently than before. I've always kept to my routine. Of course, doubts creep in when things don't go well over a longer period of time. But I always kept in mind that everything could turn around quickly."
"I want to be in the top 50"
Girrbach flew back to Switzerland from Madrid on Sunday. On Monday afternoon, he flew on to India for the next tournament, which begins on Thursday. The success in Madrid has had an impact on Girrbach's plans. Until last weekend, he feared that he would have to fight to the last stroke to be eligible to play in 2026. "Now I'm thinking," says Girrbach, "of taking a week's break after the tournament in India and forgoing the tournament in South Korea." The tour play-offs will then follow, first in Abu Dhabi and then in Dubai. "I'm currently 60th in the rankings. Now I want to make it into the top 50 so that I can tee off at the season finale in Dubai for the first time."
And then there is the story of Marco Penge, the Englishman who won the oldest and most traditional tournament on the tour in Madrid on Sunday. A year ago, Penge only secured his tour card for 2026 with the very last putt. This season, Penge has celebrated three tournament victories in 16 starts. He has even already secured his tour card for the big US PGA Tour. "Everything can happen extremely quickly in golf," says Girrbach. "If Penge misses that crucial putt a year ago, he won't play on the tour this season and won't win the tournaments either." Perhaps Girrbach will do Penge next season - and make a breakthrough. At 32, Girrbach is certainly not yet an old hand at golf.
