Staff WriterMaximilian Steinlechner thrilled his home crowd by clinching his first HotelPlanner Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Interwetten Open at Schladming-Dachstein Golf Club.
Steinlechner carded a flawless final-round 64, surging to 21 under and keeping Italy’s Filippo Celli at bay.
Homegrown Triumph
The 25-year-old maintained his composure throughout the final day in Austria, mixing seven birdies with two bogeys to seal a memorable win in front of family, friends and fervent supporters.
“It feels very good,” he said. “It was a fun day, and I knew I had to perform today if I wanted to win. I wasn’t spectacular tee to green but luckily, I holed some good putts on the back nine and overall, I was solid. It was nice to finish with a birdie.
“I knew I could win today, and I managed my game very well. I’m glad it’s over now because it was getting close towards the end, but I tried not to look at the leaderboard.
“It was very enjoyable to win in front of the home crowds. I grew up playing golf in this country and it was a very special day for me. We had great crowds, and I really enjoy playing in that atmosphere.
A Leap Up the Rankings
This victory catapults Maximilian Steinlechner to third on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, well within striking distance of DP World Tour promotion with 13 events still to play.
“A win is huge for me this season and now I’m in a very good position in the Rankings,” he said. We have a lot of golf left to play and I just want to keep this form going.
“I want to play at the biggest events against the best players in the world and today was a good step in that direction.”
Contenders and Context
South Africa’s JC Ritchie and Jovan Rebula shared third place with France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy on 18 under, while Scotland’s David Law lurked one shot further back in sixth.
Italian Renato Paratore still leads the Road to Mallorca on 768 points, with Daniel van Tonder 26 points behind in second. Steinlechner’s breakthrough win means Englishman James Berry and JC Ritchie round out the top five.
Eyes on the Next Challenge
With confidence high and momentum firmly on his side, Maximilian Steinlechner now turns his attention to the D+D REAL Czech Challenge at Royal Beroun Golf Club from 10–13 July.
A young champion on the rise, he’s poised to make further waves as the Road to Mallorca heads east—and his breakthrough win proves he belongs among the game’s emerging talents.
