By finishing fourth in the Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit, Mauro Gilardi has earned promotion to the HotelPlanner Tour. In an exclusive interview, the Swiss PGA board member talks about the secret behind his consistency, his breakthrough win in the Netherlands and his biggest dream.

The player from Graubünden, who turns 27 in November, looks back on an exceptional 2026 season. He won the Staan Open in the Netherlands and recorded ten further top-10 finishes, including three podium places. Next year, he will compete on Europe’s second-highest professional tour. He does not attribute his consistency to any single area: “I’d say it was a good mix of everything. I don’t feel that one part of my game improved massively, but rather that I was able to improve and develop in every area.”

Patience as the recipe for success

The mental side was also decisive. Since his first Pro Golf Tour win last year, Gilardi knows he can win at this level. “I’ve learned to stay patient and not force anything,” he says. That mindset helped him stay mentally present at every tournament, even when his game wasn’t at its best. “That way, at the end of the year, I can’t blame myself and think: if only I hadn’t thrown in the towel here and there towards the end …”

The turning point came in August with his victory in the Netherlands. “A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders,” he recalls. Before that, despite many strong results, he had repeatedly come up just short. The win brought a lot of points and a big jump in the rankings. “For a moment it was also overwhelming, because I suddenly found myself in a completely new situation.”

The celebrations are still to come

His mother was with him at the Grand Final in Belgium. Together with the family of Max Schmitt, a good friend on the Pro Golf Tour who was also promoted, he briefly enjoyed the moment. Then it was straight back home by car. “So I still have some catching up to do with my friends and family,” he says with a laugh.

He describes the people closest to him as his most important support. “I’ve always wanted to go my own way, and my family and friends support me 100 percent.” Sponsors and patrons are equally essential, as they make the whole undertaking financially possible. So are his coaches and training partners, who both challenge and encourage him.

Switching off with curling and web design

Away from the golf course, Gilardi is currently working on web design projects for athletes and small businesses together with Jeremy Freiburghaus. For several years, his great passion has been curling, both as a spectator and on the ice himself in winter. On top of that come padel, tennis, road cycling and hiking in summer, and ice hockey and skiing in winter. “It keeps my coordination sharp, and it’s a great way for me to switch off.”

Player and board member

Both sides benefit from his dual role as a playing member and board member of the Swiss PGA. “I’m close to the flow of information, so I’m always one step ahead,” he explains. In return, he contributes his IT skills to find innovative solutions for the playing professionals and the Swiss PGA as a whole.

His advice to young Swiss pros hoping to make the jump to a bigger tour is to follow their own path. For major decisions, it is worth bringing in a neutral person or a mentor. “There are thousands of experts who know what’s important for one person. But what’s right for one person can be completely wrong for you.”

The dream are the Olympic Games

For his first season on the HotelPlanner Tour, Gilardi deliberately sets no results-based goals. “The focus is clearly on the process, not the results, because it will be a very instructive season either way.” In the long term, he has a clear goal in mind: the Olympic Games. Despite the huge prize money at tournaments such as the Masters, the Olympics mean the most to him. And, he adds with a smile, he would finally have something to show at home, as his partner, curler Selina Witschonke, already owns an Olympic silver medal.