Staff WriterIn a finish that had more twists than a Dutch braid in a wind tunnel, Pieter Milan Werner produced a final-day masterclass to clinch the 2025 McGregor Trophy at Radcliffe-on-Trent Golf Club, edging out Netherlands teammate Youp Orsel by a single shot and sealing his name among the tournament’s storied greats.
Werner, all of 15 and full of fire, came from the chasing pack with back-to-back rounds of 67 (-3) on the 36-hole finale to vault past Italy’s Matteo Manini, who’d looked destined to lift the silverware after leading every day except the one that counted.
“It feels grand,” Werner said, with all the glee of a kid who just found out school’s cancelled for a month. “I had a rusty start to the season but now I’m here, my game was out, but I won, so it’s incredible!
“I just kept telling myself to keep doing what I was doing all week. The birdies on the final stretch of the third round were important but I think the key moment was the putt on 14 in the last round from about 10 metres, and I drained it.
“I’ll put the trophy in my case and I’ll celebrate with all my mates in the Dutch squad by having a party or something tonight!”
That putt on 14 wasn’t just clutch—it was titanium spine, cold-blooded, drop-the-mic kind of stuff. Werner’s back-nine blitz in round three—an eagle and three birdies—launched him into serious contention.
By the time he teed off in round four, the leaderboard looked like a game of whack-a-mole, with names popping up and dropping off faster than a budget airline flight list.
He opened the final round with three straight birdies—yes, three—immediately applying pressure to Manini and Ireland’s Harry O’Hara, both of whom blinked first.
From there, it was a Dutch duel down the stretch as Orsel answered Werner’s fireworks with birdies of his own on 14 and 16, keeping the pressure dialled up to eleven.
But Werner wasn’t rattled. A cautious tee shot on 18 left him with a difficult approach. He missed the green and couldn’t save par, signing for -6. Orsel, in the group behind, knew what he needed—one last birdie to force a playoff.
His chip from just off the green flirted with destiny but stayed above ground, sealing Werner’s triumph and igniting a jubilant celebration from the Dutch contingent.
Orsel took runner-up honours at -5, while O’Hara settled for third at -3. Manini—whose iron play was sharper than a sushi knife for three days—slipped to fourth at -2. Spain’s Miguel Fuertes Burdeos finished fifth, courtesy of a holed wedge for eagle on the par-4 9th that gave the leaderboard a healthy jolt.
Meanwhile, Marcus Smith of Castle Royale rocketed into the top-10 with a morning 67, while Sweden’s Junes Chirband put on a fireworks show of his own: a back-nine 29 featuring five birdies and a jaw-dropping eagle-two over his final seven holes to grab a share of eighth.
In a neat footnote to his win, Werner also received the Jean Case Memorial Salver for being the leading under-15 player—because why not pick up two trophies when you’re playing like a young Seve with a double espresso?
With his name now alongside former McGregor Trophy champions like Justin Rose, Rasmus Højgaard, and Edoardo Molinari, Werner hasn’t just announced his arrival—he’s made a statement in all caps.
Final leaderboard? Oh, it’s worth a look. Just make sure you’re sitting down. This one had everything.
