Indiana Professional Golfers Association, Winona Lake, IN. (June 15, 2026)
Eric Steger set the pace early at the 2026 PGA Northern Open, and by the end of the day, no one was able to catch him.
Playing in the morning wave at Stonehenge Golf Club, Steger fired a 5-under-par 66 to claim the title on Monday, June 15. His round held up through the afternoon wave as several players made pushes of their own, creating a tightly packed leaderboard near the top but leaving Steger’s number just out of reach.
The chase behind him was close throughout the day. Vince Drahman and amateur Jamison Ousley each finished one shot back at 4-under-par 67, while Nick Bienz and amateur Kenny Cook tied for fourth at 3-under-par 68. Gavin Hare, Franklin Crist and Michael Walters finished tied for sixth at 2-under-par 69, with Gary Robison and Timothy Wiseman rounding out the top 10 at 1-under-par 70.
For Steger, the win came after an unusual stretch of preparation. Instead of a typical tournament lead-in, he spent the previous several days in Michigan on a family vacation celebrating his father’s 70th birthday. Outside of hitting balls for about an hour with his son at a municipal golf course, Steger said he entered the event with some uncertainty about where his game stood.
“As far as preparation goes, it was not even close to where it normally is,” Steger said. “That, tied with how busy I’ve been at Pebble Brook, made it a little bit of an unknown. I just really tried to stick to the same swing thoughts and get it around in the manner that I know how to, and not do anything extra.”
That approach proved to be enough. Even after a double bogey on No. 16, Steger stayed patient and continued to give himself opportunities. He said the biggest key was not forcing anything, especially knowing that scoring chances remained available if he kept himself in position.
“I shot even on the front and had two birdies, but I lost a ball on 16,” Steger said. “I didn’t hit a bad shot, but I hit it left and we didn’t find it. I just kept the same mindset and stayed patient. I knew there were some opportunities, and I just tried not to count them up. I kept plugging away and ended up with 30 on the back, which was lower than what I originally thought it was.”
Steger’s ball striking and putting carried him throughout the round. He hit 14 greens in regulation and consistently gave himself birdie looks, converting several from the 20- to 30-foot range. On Stonehenge’s greens, where speed control is often the difference, Steger found a rhythm that helped him build and maintain his lead.
“I hit 14 greens, which was nice,” Steger said. “I didn’t necessarily hit it really close, but I hit it to 20 or 30 feet a lot today and made four or five of those. I putted it nice too. The greens up at Stonehenge are always really awesome, and if you get the speed down, I feel like you’ve got a really good chance of making them.”
With his score posted early, Steger had to wait as the rest of the field finished play. Drahman and Ousley came closest, each finishing one shot behind, but Steger’s 66 remained the number to beat throughout the day.
After entering the week with uncertainty, Steger left Stonehenge with another Indiana PGA title, relying on patience, experience and a strong closing nine to separate himself from a crowded leaderboard.