In 2026, VcG launches the German Swing: three new Pro Golf Tour tournaments in Germany with €40,000 prize money each.
2026 will be a special year for German professional golf: for the first time, the Association of Clubless Golfers in the German Golf Association (VcG) is supporting three new professional tournaments on the Pro Golf Tour in Germany. The German Swing will feature the VcG Bodensee Open, the VcG Köln Open, and the VcG Neuhof Open, where international young talents will compete on three renowned courses in June 2026. Each event offers a prize purse of €40,000.
Three Tournaments, Three Federal States, Each with €40,000 Prize Money
\”With our new commitment to the Pro Golf Tour, we specifically want to promote German talents. Our goal is to provide as many young professionals as possible with international tournament experience and pave their way to higher levels and major tours,\” explains Marco Paeke, Managing Director of VcG. The tournaments will take place in Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Hesse: from June 9 to 11 at Golfclub Owingen-Überlingen (VcG Bodensee Open), from June 16 to 18 at the Golf and Country Club Cologne (VcG Köln Open), and from June 23 to 25 at Golf-Club Neuhof near Frankfurt am Main (VcG Neuhof Open).
The participating clubs are enthusiastic about the premiere. Jean-Claude Parent, President of Golfclub Owingen-Überlingen, emphasizes that hosting a German Swing tournament crowns the club’s sporting ambitions and presents the venue as a top-quality host. Similarly, Achim Lehnstaedt, Club Manager of Golf and Country Club Cologne, states, \”We create a platform for young talents seeking to enter international professional sports – thus connecting our tradition with the future of golf.\” The Golf-Club Neuhof also stresses the event’s importance for promoting young players.
The clubs have an impressive tournament history. Golf and Country Club Cologne hosted legends like Gary Player, Nick Faldo, and Seve Ballesteros during the German Open. Golfclub Owingen-Überlingen was the venue for the INGUN Cup and part of the European Seniors Tour, while Golf-Club Neuhof has hosted multiple German championships for youth and senior categories.
The Pro Golf Tour as a Stepping Stone for Professionals
The Pro Golf Tour itself is considered an official stepping stone for aspiring golfers: the top 5 on the Order of Merit list receive full playing rights on the HotelPlanner Tour, while the best players are exempted from the first stage of Qualifying School, an important step toward eligibility on the DP World Tour. A prominent example of the tour’s success is Martin Kaymer, who won five tournaments on the Pro Golf Tour in 2006 and qualified for the European Tour (now called DP World Tour) via this path and the Challenge Tour (now HotelPlanner Tour).
VcG not only invests in the Pro Golf Tour: for years it has supported high-class tournaments such as the German Challenge powered by VcG on the HotelPlanner Tour and the Amundi German Masters powered by VcG on the Ladies