Category: European Tour

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European Tour Live

Race to Dubai Update: McIlroy Leads, Top 5 US Players

McIlroy in the lead and five US Players in the Top 120. (Photo: Getty)
McIlroy in the lead and five US Players in the Top 120. (Photo: Getty)

As the DP World Tour progresses, we have already witnessed a series of thrilling tournaments, with the most recent event won by Dylan Fritelli, who has climbed to eighth place in the Race to Dubai rankings. Rory McIlroy is still at the top of the rankings. McIlroy further solidifying his dominance with a total of 1596 points from playing in 2 events and notching up 1 victory. Among the cream of the crop in the rankings, American players have made their presence felt, with 5 of them placed within the top 120.

Race to Dubai’s Top American Contenders

Johannes Veerman, worth keeping an eye on, is the leading American in the Race to Dubai standings. He has gathered 185.7 points and ranks 41st after participating in 5 events. Hot on his trail is Sean Crocker, who has accrued 151.97 points, making him the second-best American on the list at the 56th spot, followed by John Catlin, who collected 109.35 points in three tournaments played, putting him in 79th place. Next US Player in the Race to Dubai Ranking is Chase Hanna in 107th position with 67.65 points. Last but not least, Julian Suri completes the American round. He scored 63.75 points in two tournament starts and is currently in 112th place.

Dominance in the Race to Dubai

Rory McIlroy is the dominant force in the Race to Dubai 2024 so far, maintaining a healthy lead over his closest competitors. He’s followed in the rankings by Poland’s Adrian Meronk, with 1023.4 points, and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who boasts 966.73 points. Not far behind is South Africa’s Zander Lombard, who climbed 6 positions this week to rank 4th, while Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino rounds out the top 5 with 715.35 points in his kitty.

How the DP World Tour Race to Dubai works

The Race to Dubai is the season ranking of the DP World Tour (former European Tour). The top 60 players in the Race to Dubai ranking are allowed to take part in the final play-off tournament of the former European Tour at the end of the season. The season ranking also determines who is allowed to play on the DP World Tour the following year. At each tournament, the players who make the cut collect points. The total number of points awarded at a tournament depends on the value of the event. Major tournaments earn the most points. For winning a DP World Tour tournament, the winner receives at least 460 points and a good 300,000 euros.

(Created with AI)

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European Tour

DP World Tour: Rory McIlroy wins fourth Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Rory McIlroy wins Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy wins Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy won a record-breaking fourth Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour as he successfully defended his title on a dramatic afternoon at Emirates Golf Club.

The Northern Irishman claimed a maiden Rolex Series crown at this event 12 months ago but came into the weekend ten shots back before a stunning third-round 63 put him into the final group on Sunday.

He then turned a two-shot deficit into a four-shot lead with six holes to play before a bogey on the 13th gave the chasing Adrian Meronk and Cameron Young a glimmer of hope.

Full Leaderboard for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Rory McIlroy wins in Dubai “where everything started”

“It’s a great start to the season”, McIlroy said after his win. “I started well last year with the win here. A couple of little things still to work on but these weeks are great. You learn a ton from them and obviously great to get the competition and come out on top as well.”

He went on to reminisce about his history with the event. “Just to think like 18 years ago, and what it meant to come here and play in this event, to be sitting here, you know, having won it four times, and all the great experiences that I’ve had in Dubai and the friends that I’ve met and everything sort of along the way, it’s always been a place where I come back to and reminisce about my career because I really feel like it’s where everything started.”

“So it’s amazing to sit here. The first Desert Classic, I took a media credential and I walked inside the ropes to follow Tiger and Ernie and Thomas Bjorn, and then just to think about even the arc of that: Thomas Bjorn was my Ryder Cup Captain; I ended up buying Ernie Els’s house; I’ve become really good friends with Tiger Woods. It’s just amazing to think back on the last 18 years and sort of where I find myself.”

Meronk and Young came short

Pole Meronk cut the lead to one as he signed for a 71 but McIlroy held his nerve down the stretch and carded a 70 for a 14 under par total and a one-shot win.

American Young finished with a 74 to sit at 12 under, two shots clear of Canadian Aaron Cockerill, Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal and Chilean Joaquin Niemann.

The win takes McIlroy past Ernie Els’ hat-trick of Desert Classic victories and hands him his third Rolex Series triumph, having won three of the last five blue riband events.

He also becomes just the second player to successfully defend this title after Stephen Gallacher lifted the Dallah Trophy in 2013 and 2014 and makes it six wins in Dubai with his two victories at the DP World Tour Championship.

The 34-year-old has started the defence of his Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex crown with a runner-up finish and a win as he looks to become Europe’s Number One for a sixth time, moving to the top of the Rankings for the 2024 title and the International Swing.

Dane Nicolai Højgaard, Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, China’s Li Haotong and Australian Adam Scott finished five shots off the lead.

(Text: DP World Tour)

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European Tour

Seve Ballesteros Award: Adrian Meronk wins Player of the Year 2023

Adrian Meronk wins the Seve Ballesteros Award 2023. (Image: Getty)

Adrian Meronk has won the 2023 Seve Ballesteros Award after being voted Player of the Year by his peers on the DP World Tour.

The accolade is one of a number of the 31-year-old’s history-making achievements as he becomes the first player from Poland to receive the honour after a season in which he won three times and finished a career-high fourth on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.

Meronk earned 38% of the votes cast by his fellow DP World Tour members, with Race to Dubai Champion Rory McIlroy taking second place. Ryder Cup debutant Nicolai Højgaard and Viktor Hovland, who clinched the PGA TOUR’s FedEx Cup, were in joint third place.

Meronk was presented with the trophy by one of Seve’s sons Javier, who travelled to Dubai ahead of this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, won by his father more than 30 years ago.

The Pole started the 2023 season in stunning fashion, earning his second DP World Tour title at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, holding off a final day challenge from home favourite – and one of his golfing heroes – Major champion Adam Scott.

His victory in Australia earned him a place inside the Top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the 2022 calendar year, enough to secure a maiden appearance at the Masters Tournament and thus become the first player from Poland to compete in all four Major Championships.

Another national open title followed shortly after as he triumphed at the DS Automobiles Italian Open, birdieing the 72nd hole at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club to win the title by one stroke. He then moved to a career-high 45th on the OWGR shortly after his win in Italy.

His next victory of the campaign, and fourth DP World Tour title, came at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters at Sotogrande, as he secured his position inside the top ten on the season-long rankings, ultimately going on to finish in fourth position and earn dual membership on the PGA TOUR for 2024.

The Player of the Year Award, named after the legendary Seve Ballesteros, incorporates the former Golfer of the Year Award after the two accolades were combined in 2021 to become one single honour voted for by the DP World Tour’s members.

Meronk, said: “It feels amazing. I’m shocked to be honest, I didn’t expect that. You got me by surprise but seeing my name next to all of these players, it’s unbelievable. I’m very grateful for this award. It means a lot to me that other players appreciate my season last year. It’s a great feeling. 

“Last year was the best season so far in my career. I’m really happy that other players saw that, as well and give that award. Just thank you for that and I have to keep going.

“I enjoy this week. I love playing here in Dubai. It’s probably one of my favourite tournaments of the year. So I’m excited to be here. We have such a great field this week, so I will just enjoy every moment.”

“It’s actually very nice to be here,” added Ballesteros. “I used to come here with my dad many years ago, and to have an award with his name that the players vote for the Player of the Year, we are very grateful and very happy that there’s a prize with his name. 

“Adrian played fantastic last year, he won multiple times and he’s a well-deserved winner of this award. 

“We were very happy when the Tour came to us to say that they were going to put the Seve Ballesteros Award for the Player of the Year, and we really do like it.  We are very grateful, and the special thing that we like is the prize is voted by the players.” 

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, added: “Adrian has made history throughout his career, and I’m delighted to congratulate him once again, this time for becoming the first Polish player to add their name to the illustrious list of winners of the Seve Ballesteros Award.

“Any season that includes three trophies – including two national opens – is always impressive, and Adrian’s peers clearly thought so. 

“I also want to thank Javier Ballesteros for travelling to Dubai to present the award to Adrian. It meant a lot to have him there to represent his father.”

(Text: DP World Tour)

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European Tour Ladies European Tour

Golf Boom: Rising ticket sales for professional tournaments

Biggest tournaments in Great Britain and Ireland in 2023 have seen strong increases in ticket sales and spectator numbers compared to pre-pandemic levels (Source: DP World Tour)
Biggest tournaments in Great Britain and Ireland in 2023 have seen strong increases in ticket sales and spectator numbers compared to pre-pandemic levels (Source: DP World Tour)

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, golf has experienced a surge in popularity, attracting an increasing number of enthusiasts. This trend seems to extend its positive influence to professional golf as well. According to a report from the DP World Tour, R&A, and Ladies European Tour, major golf tournaments in the UK and Ireland in 2023 have witnessed a significant boost in popularity, marked by increased ticket sales and higher attendance numbers.

DP World Tour with 43 percent higher income from ticket sales

The report focuses on the most prominent golf tournaments in the UK and Ireland, highlighting the DP World Tour’s remarkable achievement. In 2023, the DP World Tour managed to increase its revenue from ticket sales by an impressive 43%, compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Notably, the four major tournaments (excluding Majors) showed substantial increases. The BMW PGA Championship saw a 41% rise in revenue compared to 2019, while the Genesis Scottish Open more than doubled its ticket sales revenue. Overall attendance for the four events, including the BMW PGA Championship, Genesis Scottish Open, Horizon Irish Open, and Betfred British Masters, exhibited a slight upward trend, with nearly 300,000 attendees – around 30,000 more than the previous year. The Ladies European Tour also reported modest increases in audience numbers, with a 20% rise at the KPMG Irish Open in late August.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Golf is gaining popularity and attracting a more diverse audience. The numbers confirm this, and the biggest events of the DP World Tour in the UK and Ireland have never been more popular. We are witnessing a similar trend in our historic national Opens across Europe. The natural outdoor appeal of golf led people to try the sport at a record pace in 2020, and the DP World Tour is now reaping the benefits. Golfers of all ages want to witness the world’s best players showcasing their skills, and we are focused on ensuring that our audience experience meets their expectations.”

Record Year for the British Open

The pinnacle of golf in the UK, the British Open, also celebrated significant success. Since 2019, all tournament days have been sold out, and the 151st Open in 2023 recorded a 30% increase in attendance compared to the previous edition at Royal Liverpool in 2014. The growing popularity of the tournament led to the introduction of a ticket lottery in 2022 to accommodate the surging demand.

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European Tour PGA Tour

New Membership Opportunities outlined for PGA Tour Members on the DP World Tour

Since 2021, the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour have been in a Strategic Alliance. (Photo: Getty)
Since 2021, the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour have been in a Strategic Alliance. (Photo: Getty)

The DP World Tour today announces new membership opportunities for PGA TOUR members in its 2024 season, a further illustration of the strength of the relationship between the two Tours through the existing Strategic Alliance.

DP World Tour 2024: Two new memberships

The opportunities fall into two categories: (i) Full membership of the DP World Tour available for players who finish in positions 126 to 200 on the 2022-2023 FedExCup Fall Points List; or (ii) Affiliate Membership of the DP World Tour available to any other PGA TOUR Member when participating in any Race to Dubai ranking tournament in the 2024 season. Affiliate Members and Non-Members will now automatically appear on a new ‘Non-Member Race to Dubai Points List’ following the first tournament where they earn points.

This list will see players accrue Race to Dubai Points and, based on their points, can see them potentially qualify for (a) the DP World Tour play-offs in 2024 and (b) the season-ending Bonus Pool in 2024 if they have played four or more counting tournaments outside the Majors, in line with the current DP World Tour Member regulations.

Should they choose to additionally take up Affiliate Membership, this will give them the potential to earn full ranked membership of the DP World Tour in the following season if their final ranking qualifies them.

PGA TOUR Members who take up Full Membership (Option (i) above) will play from a newly created Category 12 in the 2024 DP World Tour Exemption Category list. Only five players from this category can play in a DP World Tour event in any given week.

To access this category, eligible players must join the DP World Tour as members by Wednesday, December 20, 2023, to compete in tournaments in the 2024 calendar year, but by Wednesday November 22, 2023, if they want to compete in any of the 2024 season tournaments scheduled for November or December 2023.

Consequence of the Strategic Alliance between DP World Tour and PGA Tour

These initiatives – which were discussed and ratified by the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee – follow on from the one announced last year that will see the leading ten players on the 2023 Race to Dubai (not otherwise exempt) earn PGA TOUR cards for the 2024 season – these cards being ranked after the top 125 finishers on the 2022-2023 FedExCup Fall Points List.

David Howell, Chairman of the DP World Tour’s Tournament Committee, said: “When we announced our Strategic Alliance with the PGA TOUR in November 2021, one of the prime objectives was to give as many opportunities as possible to members of both Tours, and this is another perfect example of how this is working.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: “Our Ten Cards initiative will give the opportunity for DP World Tour members to excel on the PGA TOUR next season and this new membership opportunity announced today will give PGA TOUR members the chance to do exactly the same on our Tour. I am excited at the possibilities.”

(Text: European Tour Group Communications)

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European Tour PGA Tour

World Golf Ranking: Collin Morikawa approaches the Top 10

Collin Morikawa wins in Japan. (Photo: Getty)
Collin Morikawa wins in Japan. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick continue to hold their own in the top 10. There was no movement in the top 10 of the world ranking this week. In the latest World Golf Ranking, Rory McIlroy (NIR) seized the impressive second place, reinforcing his status as the highest-ranking British player. Right behind him, Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG) is holding steady in the seventh position. Also Tyrrell Hatton keeps his rank: He is still on rank 12.

Click here for the full World Golf Ranking

Tommy Fleetwood loses a place due to Collin Morikawa’s rise and is now 15th. Meanwhile, Justin Rose, another British Ryder Cup player, makes up two places and climbs to 37th.

Top Three of the World Golf Ranking

At the top, the players in the top 3 continue to consolidate their positions. Scottie Scheffler remains the undisputed number 1, Rory McIlroy stays on their heels and Jon Rahm rounds off the trio.

A look at the other ranks shows: Norwegian Viktor Hovland is still in fourth place, followed by Americans Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele in fifth and sixth. After Englishman Fitzpatrick in 7th place, the three Americans Max Homa, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark occupy the last three places in the top 10.

(This article was written with the help of AI)

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European Tour Live PGA Tour

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy Hunting For Number 1

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy und Jon Rahm hunt for the worlds lead (Foto: Getty)
World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy und Jon Rahm hunt for the number one spot. (Foto: Getty)

English Charge in the World Golf Ranking

There is only slight movement in the World Golf Ranking for British players. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is holding firm at seventh for the second consecutive week, demonstrating consistent top-level performance. Tyrrell Hatton, also from England, falls one position to 12th. Slightly further down the rankings, Tommy Fleetwood has dropped one spot to rank 14th.

Check out the entire World Golf Ranking here

Shuffling Order for the Brits Beyond the top 10

British representation continues in the World Golf Ranking with Justin Rose of England sliding three positions to 39th. Scotsman Robert MacIntyre sits in 56th spot. He’s followed by Aaron Rai and Jordan Smith. Completing the best-performing British professionals this week is Matt Wallace, who has made an eight-position surge to reach 89th position.

Review of the worlds top 3

Examining the top of the World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler of the United States remains in pole position, echoing his firm hold on the top spot these last few months. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy follows him at second place, with Jon Rahm of Spain close behind at third.

No movement in the top 10 of the world

The middle and tail end of the top ten in the world see an unchanging continuity of strong performances. Norway’s Viktor Hovland, USA’s Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are steadfast at positions four to six, respectively. Max Homa, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark, all from the United States, have also managed to maintain their ranks at positions eight to ten.

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European Tour

DP World Tour: Prize Money payout at the BMW PGA Championship

Prize money at the DP World Tour's BMW PGA Championship 2023. (Photo: Getty)
Prize money at the DP World Tour's BMW PGA Championship 2023. (Photo: Getty)

The BMW PGA Championship, which is not only part of the Rolex Series but is also considered the flagship event of the DP World Tour, will pay out a total of $9 million in prize money. The tournament takes place at Wentworth, the home of the European Tour. 79 players made it into the weekend, and the prize money will be split among those players. The winner will receive 1.5 million dollar.

DP World Tour: Prize money at the BMW PGA Championship

Platz Preisgeld (in Dollar)
1 1530000.00
2 990000.00
3 567000.00
4 450000.00
5 381600.00
6 315000.00
7 270000.00
8 225000.00
9 201600.00
10 180000.00
11 165600.00
12 154800.00
13 144900.00
14 137700.00
15 132300.00
16 126900.00
17 121500.00
18 116100.00
19 111600.00
20 108000.00
21 104400.00
22 101700.00
23 99000.00
24 96300.00
25 93600.00
26 90900.00
27 88200.00
28 85500.00
29 82800.00
30 80100.00
31 77400.00
32 74700.00
33 72000.00
34 69300.00
35 66600.00
36 63900.00
37 62100.00
38 60300.00
39 58500.00
40 56700.00
41 54900.00
42 53100.00
43 51300.00
44 49500.00
45 47700.00
46 45900.00
47 44100.00
48 42300.00
49 40500.00
50 38700.00
51 36900.00
52 35100.00
53 33300.00
54 31500.00
55 30600.00
56 29700.00
57 28800.00
58 27900.00
59 27000.00
60 26100.00
61 25200.00
62 24300.00
63 23400.00
64 22500.00
65 21600.00
66 20700.00
67 19800.00
68 18900.00
69 18000.00
70 17100.00
71 13500.00
72 13496.80
73 13493.61
74 13490.41
75 13487.21
76 13484.02
77 13480.82
78 13477.62
79 13474.43
Categories
European Tour

DP World Tour: Harrington and Lowry delighted to be back on home soil

Padraig Harrinton and Shane Lowry tee up at the DP World Tour's irish Open. (Photo: Getty)
Padraig Harrinton and Shane Lowry tee up at the DP World Tour's irish Open. (Photo: Getty)

Former champions Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry can’t wait to tee it up in front of the home crowds as they return to The K Club for the Horizon Irish Open on the DP World Tour.

Irish Open at the K Club

Harrington ended a more than 30 year wait for an Irish winner when he claimed the coveted title at Adare Manor in 2007, while Lowry made history two years later when he became the first amateur to win the event at County Louth.

Lowry arrives at The K Club buoyed by his recent selection as part of Luke Donald’s European Ryder Cup team set to compete at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in three weeks’ time, with Harrington also in a rich vein of form after capturing his fifth title on PGA TOUR Champions three months ago.

The pair are part of a world class field teeing it up as the Horizon Irish Open returns to The K Club for the first time since 2016. The tournament will also be played at the County Kildare venue in 2025 and 2027, with 2027 marking the 100th anniversary of the first staging of the event.

Both players are committed to raising money for the tournament’s Official Charity Make-A-Wish Ireland, with each pledging to donate €500 for every birdie and €1,000 for every eagle they card during the week as part of the fundraising efforts.

DP World Tour Player Quotes

Pádraig Harrington: “This is very close to my home. I spent most of my summer practice down here, so very familiar.  This is very close to my home. This is where I do my practice when I’m at home. Love the fact that we’ll have the Irish fans out as I expect – not because of the weather, but because we haven’t had a got in this area for a while. The crowds are going to be big, enormous. The support is going to be brilliant. The weather is going to be great. All we really have to do as the Irish golfers is play a bit of good golf.

“For a tournament, there’s so many exciting shots on the course. You can remember Rory’s second into what we call the 16th of the championship course and the 18th, but the 16th is that one that was an incredible golf shot. There’s so many risk-reward, do-or-die shots out here. It’s a fabulous golf course to come and play, and I’ve got to say, the Smurfits were very good to me, and Michael Fetherston has carried that on. It’s unbelievable how welcome he makes the pros and the young players when they come down here and lets us have the run of the place.”

Shane Lowry: “I think it’s going to be an amazing week. Forecast is very good. Golf course is great.  We’ve got a great field here. It’s very exciting to be here. It’s always one of my favourite events to play, obviously, and with it being so close to home this year, as well, it’s extra special, so it’s nice.

“Obviously there are certain years where you get bad weather where people maybe don’t show up as much as you’d like, even though you get great crowds all the time, but I fully expect the crowds to be huge this week, and I think it’s going to be a great event.

“As I said to somebody earlier, it’s an amazing month to have ahead of you, to be honest. Obviously this week is our fifth major, and it really is – I do treat it like that, and then we have obviously I’m defending at Wentworth, which is one of my favourite events, next week, and then buildup for the Ryder Cup the week after that. Yeah, it’s kind of dream stuff and something that I’m looking forward to the challenge the next few weeks, and very excited for what it could bring.”

(Text by DP World Tour)

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European Tour

BMW International Open 2023 with star-studded field

Luke Donald will tee up at the BMW International Open 2023. (Photo: BMW)
Luke Donald will tee up at the BMW International Open 2023. (Photo: BMW)

The BMW International Open will be held for the 34th time this year. Once again a very interesting field will gather at BMW Group’s headquarters for Germany’s most prestigious and most tradition-steeped pro golfing event. The tournament loved by spectators and athletes alike, thanks to its special atmosphere, will be held at Golfclub München Eichenried from 21st to 25th June 2023. This year, the Ryder Cup, taking place in Rome (ITA) in autumn with Worldwide Partner BMW, will also play an important role.

With only a few months to go until the unique duel between the best golfers in Europe and those of the defending champions, the USA, at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the Ryder Cup teams will slowly take shape, and the captains will become clearer on who they want as wild card picks. Europe’s captain Luke Donald will have the opportunity to take a look at a wide range of aspriants in Munich. The former world number one and two-time winner of the BMW PGA Championship will also be reaching for his clubs himself. The tournament’s huge significance for the Ryder Cup’s Team Europe is highlighted by the fact that all three vice captains – Thomas Bjørn (DEN, two-time BMW International Open champion), Edoardo Molinari (ITA) and Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) – will be teeing off.

No doubt the quartet will be keeping a close eye on the many German players who have been attracting attention with excellent results on the two major world tours in recent months. Yannik Paul in third place on the “European Points List” would even qualify for the European team immediately as it stands. Paul won his first title on the DP World Tour (DPWT) last year, as did Max Kieffer, and both golfers will be in action in Munich. Matti Schmid, who made a splash on the PGA Tour when he finished in tied sixth place at “The American Express” in January, will also be teeing off in his home state of Bavaria.

In Marcel Siem, the player of the hour is returning to the golf club in which he grew up as the child of the then club restaurateurs. The 42-year-old not only recently reached the impressive milestone of 500 DPWT tournaments, he also won the Hero Indian Open last weekend, which saw him celebrate a title win once again, more than eight years after his last victory (BMW Masters). Alex Cejka, who has been enjoying success on the Champions Tour since 2020, has won two majors there, and is currently ranked seventh in the season standings, will return to Germany and the DPTW for the BMW International Open.

A range of younger European players who have increasingly attracted attention and will also be part of the field at Golfclub München Eichenried have good reason to hope for a spot on the Ryder Cup team. These include 21-year-old Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard, who with two and three DPWT wins to their name respectively have already proved they have what it takes on several occasions. In Abu Dhabi, France’s Victor Perez won the first Rolex Series tournament of the year, and his third title on the DPWT. The interesting quartet is rounded off by Robert MacIntyre of Scotland, who so far on the DPWT has won the “Rookie of the Year 2019” award and two tournaments.

Last year’s winner Li Haotong (CHN), whose emotional reaction to winning the play-off will be remembered for many years to come, will be looking to defend his title in June. Last year’s third-placed golfer, Ryan Fox, will also be teeing off again. The New Zealanders was presented with the Seve Ballesteros Award for the best DPWT player of the year after an incredible 2022 season – beating majors winners Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG) to win the award. Spectators can also look forward to seeing three players who are as successful as they are likeable and popular: the two Spaniards Rafa Cabrera Bello and Pablo Larrazábal (two-time BMW International Open champion) and Andrew “Beef” Johnston (ENG), who are also eager not to miss out on the BMW International Open.

Entry to the BMW International Open Pro-Am tournament is free on Wednesday 21st June 2023. Entry is free for children and young people up to the age of 16 on all days.

Day tickets and tournament tickets, as well as VIP tickets for the Fairway Club, are available to purchase online: www.bmw-golfsport.com/tickets

See the online ticket shop for further information on all ticket categories – and on concessions for young people over the age of 16, pupils, students, and people with disabilities.

(Text: BMW Golfsport)