The European Tour heads to Germany this week to celebrate the 25th Edition of the BMW International Open, which has the longest streak of any European Tour event with the same sponsor. This week also starts the European Open Championships season off with six different country’s Open Championships in six weeks.
The €2,000,000 BMW International Open, starting Thursday June 20, signals a new run of important tournaments on the European Tour schedule, and it usually attracts a good field. In the coming weeks, the European Tour will play host to national opens in Ireland, France and Scotland before Muirfield hosts the 142nd Open Championship. This will be the only event of the year to be staged in Germany.
The tournament returns to the Golfclub München Nord-Eichenreid in Munich after a one-year hiatus. The Par-72, 7157 yards-long course is rated as one of Germany’s finest. Last year the event was held at Golf Club Gut Larchenhof, in Cologne where Danny Willett survived a marathon four-hole playoff to claim his maiden European Tour title.
Although the event was not hosted here last year, this is its traditional home and in the past players have managed decent scores, owing in part to the four par fives which present great birdie opportunities. Should the wind pick up though, the course is fairly exposed, so the ability to cope with strong winds is a plus. The fairways are fair and narrow so accuracy should be favored over length off the tee.
The BMW International is generally a low scoring event, and there have been four playoffs in the last seven years. It usually provides a quality winner as well, with names like Paul Azinger, Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, Thomas Bjorn, John Daly, Lee Westwood, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer on the list as former champions. Broadcasters Frank Nobilo and David Feherty have also won this tournament, with Feherty winning the inaugural event back in 1989.
The solid field this week features 17 players who did battle in the grueling U.S. Open over Merion’s tight fairways and treacherous greens last weekend. Ten of those players played all four rounds: Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Marcel Siem, Henrik Stenson, Morten Orum Madsen, Paul Casey and David Howell.
The ones who had to leave Merion by the weekend after missing the cut were: Matteo Manassero, Thorbjorn Oleson, Thongchai Jaidee, Chris Doak, Jaco Van Zyl, Estanislao Goya and Jose Maria Olazabal.
Thomas Bjorn, two-time winner (’00,’02), will be joined by 10 other former champions teeing up this week: Peter Fowler (‘93), Colin Montgomerie (‘99), Miguel Angel Jimenez (‘04), David Howell (‘05), Henrik Stenson (‘06), Niclas Fasth (‘07), Martin Kaymer (‘08), David Horsey (‘10), Pablo Larrazabal (‘11), Danny Willett (‘12).
The depth of the field is rounded up also by the participation of two-time winner this year Brett Rumford, recent Lyoness Open winner Joost Luiten, Bernd Wiesberger (OWGR No. 64) and Alexander Noren (OWGR No. 67).
For a complete entry list and tee times, click here.