Tag: live-european-tour

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European Tour

Rahm and Thomas set to star in Scottish showpiece

Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas tee off at the Scottish Open. (Photo: Getty)
Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas tee off at the Scottish Open. (Photo: Getty)

Two of global golf’s biggest stars are set to light up the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open with Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm – the current World Number Two and Three – confirming their participation in the second Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai.

The two former World Number One players bring further star power to an impressive field gathering at the Renaissance Club on July 8-11, 2021 and fans can book their places to take in the action now, with a strictly limited number of tickets currently on general sale at ET.GOLF/ASISO2021

Rahm was crowned European Number One in 2019 as the swashbuckling Spaniard continued to impress on the world stage, and the 26 year old will go in search of a fifth Rolex Series title when he makes his debut in Scotland’s national open this summer.

Major winner Thomas returns to the Renaissance Club after recording a top ten finish on his 2019 debut in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open. The 28 year old former World Number One is returning to where it all began, after making his first start as a professional in Scotland, the Home of Golf at the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Rahm and Thomas join fellow World Top Ten stars Tyrrell Hatton, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schaufele in East Lothian as the tournament once again takes its place in the week before The Open at Royal St George’s.

Rahm will attempt to become the only the second Spaniard to win the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open title since the formation of the European Tour in 1972, after Rafa Cabrera Bello in 2017, while Thomas will look to follow in the footsteps of four fellow American winners – Michael Allen (1989), Tom Lehman (1997), Phil Mickelson (2013) and Rickie Fowler (2015).

European Ryder Cup star Rahm, whose six European Tour victories include four on the Rolex Series at the 2017 and 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in the same seasons, said:

“I’m looking forward to teeing it up at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open for the first time. I always enjoy playing in Rolex Series events, and I’ve had success in them in the past few years, so it will be pretty cool to try to add another title in Scotland this summer ahead of The Open.”

Thomas’s impressive CV includes the 2017 US PGA Championship and two World Golf Championship titles and, like Rahm, the American’s impressive form in recent years led to a Ryder Cup debut at Le Golf National in 2018.

He said: “I can’t wait to get back to Scotland and the Renaissance Club. I have a lot of good memories of playing in Scotland and it would be an awesome place to win a first Rolex Series title. I’ve said before it’s a goal of mine to win on different tours and in different countries, and I would love to be successful when I come back to the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open in July.”

A strictly limited number of tickets are currently available for each of the four Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open competition days at ET.GOLF/ASISO2021

Tickets are priced at £10 for juniors (14-18 years), £30 for concessions and £35 for adults, with under 13s going free. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available on site during the tournament.

A percentage of the tickets available for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open will be donated to key frontline workers in recognition of their dedicated work throughout the pandemic.

The only official sales channel to purchase tickets for the 2021 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open is via the ticketing platform Eventbrite. The resale of tickets on unofficial platforms contravenes the European Tour’s ticket terms and conditions and such sales render the ticket void.

(Text: European Tour)

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Team UK

Lee Westwood named 2020 Seve Ballesteros Award winner as Players’ Player of the Year

Lee Westwood recieves Seve Ballesteros award. (Photo: Getty)
Lee Westwood recieves Seve Ballesteros award. (Photo: Getty)

Lee Westwood has been named the winner of the Seve Ballesteros Award as the 2020 European Tour Players’ Player of the Year following a remarkable season which culminated in the 48-year-old topping the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex and being crowned European Tour Number One for the third time in his storied career.

The announcement coincides with the ten year anniversary of the passing of the Spanish legend Ballesteros, who died on May 7, 2011 following a battle with cancer. Westwood’s first of ten Ryder Cup appearances came in 1997 under Ballesteros, who captained Europe to a famous win at Valderrama.

The Englishman had long ago secured his status alongside the late Ballesteros as one of the European Tour’s greatest ever players, but a memorable 2020 campaign has earned him another accolade after his fellow European Tour Members voted him the Players’ Player of the Year.

It was a season bookended by two of his most impressive performances. In his first appearance of the season, Westwood claimed his second Rolex Series title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, overcoming his fellow Englishmen Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood as well as France’s Victor Perez.

He capped off his season on a high too, his runner-up finish behind Fitzpatrick at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai earning him the title of 2020 Race to Dubai Champion.

In a disrupted campaign due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Westwood’s consistency was something to behold – in 15 appearances he missed just one cut and produced eight top 20 finishes.

On top of that, Westwood continued to give back to the game and to the European Tour through hosting the 2020 Betfred British Masters at Close House, which marked the first of six events in the UK Swing and was won by Italian Renato Paratore.

“It means a lot that it is voted for by my fellow players, the guys I play with week-in week-out,” said Westwood. “Awards like this are always very special because I feel like they as players know what you have to go through.

“I played a lot of good golf under pressure when I needed to in 2020. The win in Abu Dhabi at the start of the year and then to have a chance to play so well in the final event at the DP World in Dubai, I was really pleased with those two tournaments, but I was also consistent and that was important to me. It was a very difficult year with the pandemic for everyone, and we were very fortunate to play golf during this time.

“Seve was an icon of the game, and still is. When I started playing golf, I was looking at the Europeans and Seve’s name was at the top of that list as somebody to aspire to. The first tournaments I ever went to watch were Ryder Cups in 1989 and 1993, and Seve’s name is synonymous with the Ryder Cup.

“I remember looking at these guys like Seve and Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam wanting to be like them. Then in 1997 I am in a Ryder Cup team captained by Seve Ballesteros, so it was a very short gap between looking and watching and learning from my heroes to actually being amongst them trying to win points in a Ryder Cup. That for me was really one of those pinch yourself moments, like is this really happening to me. Seve was a huge part of that and inspirational in the team room, and just a phenomenal and very calming presence.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer at the European Tour, said: “I don’t think it is any surprise that Lee Westwood has won the Seve Ballesteros Award after such a tremendous season. At 48 years of age he is an icon, a former World Number One, our most recent Race to Dubai winner and like Seve, Lee is a true champion. He has an unwavering will to succeed, and he has proven that over and over again in his career.

“Lee is one of the few remaining European Tour players to have competed alongside Seve and to have had the honour to call him a friend. They are two players who will be long remembered in the pantheon of European Tour and Ryder Cup greats.”

Javier Ballesteros, Seve’s oldest son, added: “I am personally very happy Lee Westwood is the winner of the Seve Ballesteros Award for his incredible season. Lee is playing some great golf, I think he is physically in great shape and when you enjoy not only golf but life away from the game, things go well for you, and that has shown in how he has played not only last year but over the past few years around the world.”

David Howell, European Tour Tournament Committee Chairman, said: “It’s obviously not the first time Lee has won the Race to Dubai, and last year was of course a strange year, but it seems fitting that whenever something slightly different comes along Lee Westwood is there to remind us that things are normal.

“Whilst Seve was a worldwide player, a Major winner and one of the biggest stars in the game, you always felt that his heart was with the European Tour. I think that came out with his Ryder Cup heroics and you just knew Seve cared deeply about the growth of the European Tour, and similarly with Lee, while he has been at the top of the tree for many years you just know his heart is with us and he has always supported the European Tour where possible. He has been one of the biggest names for over two decades now and it is great to see someone so loyal to our Tour coming up trumps again last year.”

(Text: European Tour)

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European Tour

Global stars set for Scottish Open showdown at Renaissance Club

Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Tyrrell Hatton. (Foto: Getty)
Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Tyrrell Hatton. (Foto: Getty)

Press Release 

Three of the world’s highest ranked players have confirmed their participation in the 2021 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, with American stars Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele set to tee it up alongside multiple Rolex Series winner Tyrrell Hatton at the Renaissance Club from July 8-11, 2021.

World Number Six Morikawa, who burst onto the world stage with a maiden Major Championship victory at the 2020 US PGA Championship, and World Number Four and four-time PGA Tour winner Schauffele, who finished third at The Masters last month, are set to make their debuts at Scotland’s National Open.

They will be joined by World Number Eight Hatton as the Englishman goes in search of a record fifth Rolex Series title and his second this season, following his success at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January.

Morikawa and Schauffele will bid to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson by finding success in Scotland, the Home of Golf, as the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open once again takes its place in the week before The Open at Royal St George’s.

“I’m excited to play in Scotland for the first time,” said Morikawa. “I’m looking forward to making my debut in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and playing in the Home of Golf. I’ve heard a lot about the tournament, and it will be a lot of fun to tee it up on the European Tour again.”

Schauffele will be making his first appearance in Scotland since The Open at Carnoustie in 2018, where he finished in a share of second place behind Italy’s Francesco Molinari.

“I have great memories of playing in Scotland a few years ago at Carnoustie, so I hope to rekindle some of that form and find myself in contention at the Renaissance Club,” said Schauffele. “It’s a tournament with a proud history and I’d love to add my name to the list of great champions as I prepare to tee it up at The Open again.”

First European Tour title in Scotland for Tyrrell Hatton

Hatton started the 2021 Race to Dubai with victory in Abu Dhabi, adding to the Rolex Series titles he won at the 2017 Italian Open, 2019 Turkish Airlines Open and the BMW PGA Championship last season.

The 29-year-old is no stranger to success in Scotland, recording his first European Tour win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2016 and then successfully defending his title the following year. He also finished second behind Sweden’s Alex Noren at the 2016 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

 “Winning my first European Tour title in Scotland was a huge milestone and something I will always remember. It would be special to add the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open title to my achievements in the Home of Golf.

“I’ve had chances at the Scottish Open before, so I’m looking forward to playing at the Renaissance Club again and hopefully I can find myself in position to win another title that week.”

The European Tour is cautiously optimistic that a certain level of spectator attendance will be permitted at the 2021 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, with details to be confirmed in due course.

To be the first to hear ticket and event news, fans can register interest at ET.GOLF/ASISO2021

(Text: Press Release European Tour)

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European Challenge Tour

Hurly Long eyes big year as Road to Mallorca begins in Limpopo

Image: Getty

Germany’s Hurly Long is determined to secure one of the 20 European Tour cards on offer on the 2021 Road to Mallorca, with the season set to get under way with the Limpopo Championship at Euphoria Golf Club from April 22-25.

This week’s event in South Africa is the first of three co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour to begin the European Challenge Tour’s 2021 campaign, as players battle it out over 26 events across the globe for one of the 20 graduation spots on offer through the Road to Mallorca Rankings.

Long finished eighth on the Rankings in 2021 following a strong maiden campaign which yielded the 26-year-old’s first Challenge Tour victory at the Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil, and he now has his sights set on securing graduation this year.

“I had a pretty good season last year on the Challenge Tour, finished eighth and just missed my card,” he said. “I’m more focused on doing what I can do, but at the same time if I play well and to my abilities I will have a good season, and playing on the European Tour next year is the goal.

“My game is good. It’s early in the season, so you’re fiddling around with some things. My putting hasn’t been quite sharp, but the ball-striking is good and I’m looking forward to it.”

The 2019 Pro Golf Tour Order of Merit winner made his Challenge Tour debut in last year’s Limpopo Championship and, despite missing his first three cuts, is excited to be back in South Africa.

“I’m loving it,” he said. “Literally the only thing I was talking to my caddie about in Austria was how I was looking forward to the weather, it was going to be so much nicer.

“Austria was a nice course, but I love it here. It’s special. It’s my second trip to South Africa. I loved it the first around, it’s one of the coolest places on earth.

“I love the nature aspect of this place. That’s one of the cool things about our job, we see so many different places and cultures. It’s still new to me, in a way. It’s special. Golf is very important to me, but enjoying life and seeing the world is all part of the journey. You have to live in the moment.”

Long is joined in this week’s Limpopo Championship field by defending champion JC Ritchie. The South African triumphed at the first two editions of the event in 2019 and 2020 and is bidding for a hat-trick as he tees it up on home soil this week.

World Number 98 and three-time European Tour winner Brandon Stone and World Number 80 Daniel van Tonder, who won his first European Tour event at the Kenya Savannah Classic supported by Absa last month, will also tee it up at Euphoria Golf Club this week.

The Limpopo Championship begins at 6:30am local time on Thursday April 22, with Long teeing off from the tenth alongside Chris Swanepoel and Jordan Wrisdale at 12:50pm.

(Text: European Tour Communications)

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European Tour Highlights Tours

BMW International Open: Major winners Kaymer, Harrington, García, Oosthuizen and rising star Hovland head strong field

This year’s BMW International Open will once again see a top-class field battle it out for the title at Germany’s most prestigious professional golf tournament. Making his first appearance will be Norway’s rising star Viktor Hovland, who will be taking on a selection of major winners, Ryder Cup stars, tournament legends and an impressive German quartet.

The decision whether to allow spectators and, if so, how many, will be taken over the coming weeks in close cooperation with authorities and the European Tour. Until then, tickets will not go on sale. Organiser BMW will offer all golf and sport fans an extensive and multimedia tournament experience.

“After the unavoidable cancellation of the tournament last year, we are delighted that Munich will host world-class golf again in June, and that we are able to continue the history of the BMW International Open, which stretches back as far as 1989,” says Christian Masanz, Head of Sports Marketing BMW Germany. “Recent months have shown that professional tournaments can be run safely with appropriate concepts in place. Health and safety takes top priority, even if this unfortunately means that we are unable to allow as many spectators, if any at all. We are working closely with the European Tour and authorities on various scenarios.”

The following players have already confirmed their participation in the 2021 BMW International Open:

Martin Kaymer: In 2008, the two-time major winner won the 20th BMW International Open at the age of 23 years and 177 days. This makes Kaymer the youngest winner in the history of the tournament, and the only German to lift the coveted trophy.

Viktor Hovland: The rising star from Norway is set to make his debut in Munich this year. At just 23 years of age, the world number 15 (as of 19th April) has already established himself among the very best in the world and has his sights set on a first Ryder Cup appearance this year.

Padraig Harrington: The current European Ryder Cup captain and two-time major winner is a welcome guest at the BMW International Open. The Irishman may not have won the tournament yet, but he and Retief Goosen came very close in 2006, missing out in a play-off to eventual winner Henrik Stenson.

Sergio García: The 2017 Masters winner was part of an all-Spanish play-off in 2011, which went down in the annals of the BMW International Open as the most dramatic conclusion in the history of the tournament. In the end, García had to settle for second place behind Pablo Larrazábal.

Bernd Wiesberger: The Austrian has claimed eleven tournament wins over the course of his career – however, victory at the BMW International Open is still missing from his collection. His best result to date: fourth place in 2013.

Louis Oosthuizen: At the start of the millennium, the South African was a regular guest at GC München Eichenried. However, he has yet to claim a top-ten finish. The biggest success of his career so far came at the legendary Old Course in St. Andrews, when he won the Open Championship in 2010.

Rafa Cabrera Bello: The Spaniard is a popular regular at the BMW International Open and has been in contention at Germany’s most prestigious tournament on several occasions. In 2010 he was third. Four years later, he went one better, finishing runner-up after a play-off.

Thomas Bjørn: With two wins to his name, the Dane is the joint record winner of the BMW International Open alongside Paul Azinger, Pablo Larrazábal and Henrik Stenson. The 2018 Ryder Cup captain won the tournament in 2000 and 2002.

Andrew Johnston: “Beef” made his debut at the BMW International Open in 2012. Since then, the Brit has regularly featured in the high-class field – and has always been hugely popular with the fans at the course. Alongside the German contingent, Johnston is always one of the crowd favourites.

Stephan Jäger: The man from Munich, who grew up around the corner from the venue in Eichenried, returns home again in 2021. In April, Jäger celebrated his sixth tournament victory on the US Korn Ferry Tour – and he would love to repeat the feat on the European Tour.

Alex Cejka: Second place in 2003, third in 2004 and 2010: Alex Cejka regularly hits top form at the BMW International Open. Now 50 years old, he played at the inaugural tournament back in 1989.

Max Kieffer: A BMW International Open without Max Kieffer? It’s hard to imagine! Kieffer is in excellent form: just two days ago, the German narrowly missed out on his first European Tour victory, coming up just short in a play-off.

As well as a total prize purse of 1.5 million euros and 2,750 Race to Dubai points, the pros will also have their sights set on a spectacular Hole-in-One Award at the BMW International Open. The first player to hit an ace on the 17th hone (par 3) will be rewarded with a BMW iX. The BMW iX heralds a new era of mobility. The BMW Group’s new technology flagship impresses thanks to sheer driving pleasure with zero local emissions, the sportiness you have come to expect from BMW, efficiency, and excellent range, as well as a holistic understanding of sustainability that is of implemented consistently from scratch.

(Text: BMW Press Release)

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European Tour

Annika Sörenstam to tee it up at mixed event in Sweden

Both Annika Sörenstam and Henrik Stenson will tee up at a mixed European Tour event in Sweden (Photo: Getty)
Both Annika Sörenstam and Henrik Stenson will tee up at a mixed European Tour event in Sweden (Photo: Getty)

Annika Sörenstam has announced she will tee it up on home soil for the first time in 13 years alongside fellow tournament host Henrik Stenson at the Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik and Annika at Vallda Golf & Country Club in Gothenburg from June 10-13, 2021.
 
During her 16-year Hall of Fame career, Sörenstam amassed 89 victories worldwide, including ten Major Championships before retiring in 2008 to start a family. The 50-year-old was initially announced as a non-playing host alongside Stenson for the inaugural edition of the event, scheduled to take place at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club in Stockholm in 2020, however it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m excited to tee it up at the Scandinavian Mixed and to be back playing competitively in my home country of Sweden for the first time in 13 years,” said Sörenstam.
 
After 13 years away from professional golf, Sörenstam made the cut in February this year at her first competitive outing at the Gainbridge LPGA at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Florida and will now return to action in Sweden this June following her last appearance on home soil at the 2008 Scandinavian TPC in Stockholm.
 
The eight-time Solheim Cup player’s decision to join the field of 78 men and 78 women brings a new level of excitement to the innovative mixed tournament co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Ladies European Tour.
 
With a prize fund of €1,000,000 for the entire field and Official World Ranking points on offer for both Tours, plus Race to Dubai and Ryder Cup points for European Tour members, and Race to Costa del Sol and Solheim Cup points for the Ladies European Tour.

“It’s going to be a great week and I’m sure a real thrill for all of the players in the field to have someone of Annika’s stature playing in the tournament”, Henrik Stenson added. “I can’t wait to see the dynamics of having both men and women going head-to-head for the same trophy and putting it all on the line come Sunday afternoon.”

Text: Press Release European Tour

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European Tour

European Tour: Belgium back in European Tour with Soudal Open

Pictured left to right: Bob Verbeeck (CEO, Golazo), Dimitri Rombouts (President, Rinkven International Golf Club), Vic Swerts (President, Soudal), Emmanuel Rombouts (President, Royal Belgian Golf Federation)

The European Tour will return to Belgium in 2022 with the announcement of the Soudal Open.

Golazo, the organiser of the event, Rinkven International Golf Club, Soudal – a leading producer of Sealants, Adhesives and PU foams – and the Royal Belgian Golf Federation are delighted to announce the return of Belgium’s national Open next year.

With a prize fund of €1 million, the Soudal Open will be held in May or June 2022 (exact dates to be confirmed) at The Rinkven International Golf Club in Schilde, near Antwerp. The tournament will be played over four days in a 72-hole strokeplay format with 156 players and a cut after the second round. A pro-am competition will be held on the Wednesday of the tournament week.

The three-year partnership with Soudal, revives the tradition of Belgium’s national Open which spans more than a century.

First played in 1910 at the Royal Golf Club of Belgium, the Belgian Open became part of the European Tour schedule in 1978 following the Tour’s inception six years earlier and it was last held as a strokeplay event at Royal Zoute Golf Club in 2000. It was then reborn in 2018 as the Belgian Knockout, an innovative format combining strokeplay followed by matchplay, which was staged for two years at Rinkven International Golf Club.

Vic Swerts, Founder and President of Soudal, himself an avid golfer, said: “As a global company present around the world, we are very proud to support such an important competition in Belgium. Our current Belgian champions shine around worldwide thanks to their amazing performances. We want to create an event that celebrates golf and becomes a place to be for all golf lovers in Belgium.”

Keith Pelley, CEO of the European Tour, commented: “Belgium has a strong tradition of European Tour events as well as history of producing some terrific talent, so we are delighted the country’s national Open will be part of our schedule again next year. Soudal is a fantastic partner for this tournament, and we are very happy that such a recognised global company is now part of the European Tour family.”

Emmanuel Rombouts, President of the Royal Belgian Golf Federation added: “The organisation of such a tournament is a real honour for our country and will certainly underpin the continued growth of our sport.

“Our current professional champions, as well as our future talents, will be able to benefit from a home tournament and we will be there to support them.”

Dimitri Rombouts, President of Rinkven International Golf Club, welcomed the announcement and said: “We are delighted and proud to welcome back the best Belgian and European players to our club after a two-year absence.

“We would like to thank the title partner Soudal and especially our member, Vic Swerts, for their support. Our members and all our staff will be at the service of this magnificent tournament.”

Bob Verbeeck, CEO of Golazo, said: “With the Soudal Open, we hope to recreate the magic of great golf tournaments in our country.

“We organise many golf events every year and an important tournament of this level fits well with our company’s vision.  We especially want to help with the accessibility of the sport as we believe it’s a great way for Belgians to exercise regularly.”

More information about the event and the full programme of activities will be announced later this year.

Meanwhile, the European Tour also announced it will co-sanction the 2021 Australian PGA Championship with the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

It will take place from December 2-5, 2021 at Brisbane’s historic Royal Queensland Golf Club and will form one of the early events on the European Tour’s 2022 schedule.

(Text: European Tour)

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European Tour

Austrian Golf Open added to 2021 European Tour schedule

View of the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg, Austria. (Image: Getty)

The European Tour today announced the Austrian Golf Open will be played at Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg from April 15-18, 2021.

The tournament returns to the European Tour’s schedule after last being played in July 2020 when it marked the Tour’s resumption following a three month suspension in the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Austrian Golf Open, which has a prize fund of €1million, moves into the date vacated by the Tenerife Open at Golf Costa Adeje, which will now take place from April 29 – May 2 following the postponement on Friday of the Portugal Masters at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course, in Vilamoura, due to ongoing travel difficulties. 

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “Throughout the pandemic, we have had to be agile with our scheduling and today’s announcement is another example of that. 

“We are naturally grateful to Diamond Country Club and the Austrian Golf Federation for once again helping us to continue to provide a full schedule and playing opportunities for our members.

“Diamond Country Club is obviously a venue that we know very well, and we look forward to returning there next month.”

Dr. Peter Enzinger, President of the Austrian Golf Federation, said: “We are very proud that the European Tour has, once again, chosen Austria to host a European Tour event and that the Austrian Golf Federation is able to contribute.

“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to pose major challenges for international sporting bodies, but in spite of this, working together with our partners in the Federal Ministry of Sport, we have been able to provide all the necessary information, in a very short space of time, to the European Tour making their decision much easier.

“Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg has distinguished itself many times as an excellent host already and we are very happy that Europe’s elite will be teeing off again this year in the region of Lower Austria. Obviously, the tournament will go ahead in compliance with the strictest Covid-19 prevention measures, but they will definitely not detract from the delight of the game of golf at its best.”

Christian Guzy, President of Diamond Country Club, said: “Our long-standing collaboration with the European Tour stems from, and is based on, mutual trust, especially given the difficult circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Last year, along with the European Tour, we showed courage in hosting the first European Tour tournament of the COVID-era, a challenge we mastered beyond expectations.

“With this year’s tournament, we hope to once again showcase golf in Austria and use the international media presence to support local tourism as the summer season is nearing.

“I am grateful to the everyone at the Austrian Golf Federation and the Ministry for allowing us to represent our country internationally. Of course, we are also grateful to everyone else who has made it possible to organise the 2021 Austrian Golf Open within such a tight timeframe.”

The Austrian Golf Open was first played on the European Tour in 1990 when Major Champion Bernhard Langer won the title.

This year’s tournament will be the 22nd edition and the 11th consecutive time it has been played at Diamond Country Club, in Atzenbrugg, near Vienna, which is part of the European Tour Destinations network of world class golf venues. Scotland’s Marc Warren became the most recent winner of the Austrian Open last July, finishing one shot clear of Germany’s Marcel Schneider to claim his first European Tour victory in six years.                                                                   

(Text: European Tour Communications)

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European Tour

Linna Golf and Estonian Golf & Country Club renew with European Tour Destinations

Linna Golf, Finland (Image: European Tour)

European Tour Destinations is delighted to announce that its two most northern venues in Finland and Estonia, Linna Golf and Estonian Golf & Country Club respectively, have extended their long-running affiliation with the network. 

Located 100km from the Finnish capital Helsinki and ranked 60th in the Top 100 Resorts in Continental Europe in the recent Golf World rankings, Linna Golf is home to a spectacular 18-hole Championship golf course with a clubhouse, superb practice facilities and a host of other outdoor pursuits which can be enjoyed throughout the long summer days.  There are three restaurants at the venue alongside the Vanajanlinna Hotel & Club Rooms, which offers atmospheric rooms in the main building and modern suites in the golf club area. 

Esa Honkalehto, CEO of Linna Golf, said: “Linna Golf has been a member of the European Tour Destinations network since 2005 and renewing our partnership is testament to both the work they do and support they provide.  As we enter another phase of our relationship, we look forward to continuing to grow Linna Golf and showcasing our venue on a global scale by being part of the European Tour family.”

Estonian Golf & Country Club is situated 25km from the capital Tallinn in a rural, coastal environment beside the Baltic Sea.  Home to the 18-hole Championship centerpiece, the Sea course, and its sister, the 9-hole Stone course, the venue has been a constant in the European Tour Destinations network for over a decade. 

Estonian Golf & Country Club, Estonia (Image: European Tour)

The Sea course meanders more than 7,000 yards through virgin forest which reaches out to the beach and along the Jägala River, while the Stone course lies on a limestone plain between junipers, restored stone fences and a protected national heritage site.  During the winter season when the golf courses are closed, a 5.3km ski trail which weaves through the Sea course opens to guests.

There is also a variety of exclusive and distinct real estate opportunities available at the resort, with each development divided into ‘villages’, where a different architect has designed a unique property cluster. 

Hanno Kross, CEO at Estonian Golf & Country Club, said: “For a young golfing nation like Estonia, we are very happy and proud to be part of the European Tour Destinations network.  Estonian Golf & Country Club has hosted the World Cup qualifiers twice plus multiple individual and team European Championships, and working with the European Tour has given us the chance to get the knowledge and expertise required to achieve our goals.   

“The new contract to extend our relationship is another great point in our 15-year history which allows us to continue our development and service delivery that we pride ourselves on in northern Europe.”

Ian Knox, Head of European Tour Destinations, said “We are delighted to start off 2021 with Linna Golf and Estonian Golf & Country Club both renewing their membership with European Tour Destinations.  Having our two northern European venues extend their long association with us shows the value they place in affiliation with golf’s global brand and maintains the quality of the network. We look forward to supporting them achieve their goals in the years ahead.”

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European Tour

U.S. Open exemptions available over three European Tour events in 2021

The 2021 US Open will take place between the 17 and 20 of June. (Image: Getty)

For the second successive season, ten spots in the U.S. Open Championship will be available to participants in a mini series of European Tour events.

The USGA has confirmed that the top ten aggregate point earners (not otherwise exempt) across the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett (May 12-15), Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJA (May 27-30) and the Porsche European Open (June 3-6) will earn places in the U.S. Open Championship at Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) on June 17-20, 2021.

The traditional U.S. Open final qualifying event in Europe will not take place once again this season due to the continuing impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Local qualifying will take place at 109 sites in the United States and Canada from April 26 – May 18.

The first opportunity for players to earn points towards a U.S. Open spot via the European Tour will come at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, England, when Major winner Danny Willett takes on hosting duties at the Betfred British Masters. Two weeks later, following the US PGA Championship, the action switches to Denmark for Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJA, before the final qualifying event, the Porsche European Open, at Green Eagle Golf Courses in Hamburg, Germany.

Last season, ten spots were available for the highest placed finishers (not otherwise exempt) in a mini order of merit at the conclusion of the first five events of the new UK Swing, with Sam Horsfield, Thomas Detry, Andy Sullivan, Rasmus Højgaard, Renato Paratore, Romain Langasque, Sami Välimäki, Adrian Otaegui, Connor Syme and Justin Harding all qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Keith Waters, the European Tour’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with the USGA in offering European Tour players an opportunity to earn places in the U.S. Open despite the disruption caused by the ongoing global pandemic.

“Last year’s qualifying series added further excitement to the inaugural UK Swing, and I’m sure we can expect more of the same at the three events across Europe this year – the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett, Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJA and the Porsche European Open – where players will have the chance to secure coveted places at the third Major of the season at Torrey Pines.”

John Bodenhamer, USGA Senior Managing Director, Championships, said: “In these challenging times, we are pleased to work with the European Tour in creating an exemption category for the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

“The final qualifier in England has featured a strong field since its inception in 2005 and while qualifying is not possible this year due to COVID restrictions, it is important that a path is provided for players competing on the European Tour to earn a place in this year’s championship field.”

(Text: European Tour Press Release)