20.06.2024
+++ Former world number one Luke Donald (ENG) returning to Munich +++ BMW International Open debut for the 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed (USA) +++ Amateur spots go to Tiger Christensen and Yannik Malik (both GER) +++
+++ Former world number one Luke Donald (ENG) returning to Munich +++ BMW International Open debut for the 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed (USA) +++ Amateur spots go to Tiger Christensen and Yannik Malik (both GER) +++
Munich. Two more big names have officially announced that they will be appearing at the 35th BMW International Open (3rd to 7th July 2024, Golfclub München Eichenried). In addition to claiming numerous individual titles, both have also made their mark on the Ryder Cup: Luke Donald, who last year led the European team to victory in the legendary team competition in Rome and is now starting his second term as captain, and Patrick Reed, who was dubbed “Captain America” after adopting the role of emotional leader for Team USA on his Ryder Cup debut in 2014.
Wherever he tees off, the 46-year-old Englishman is a crowd favourite. Sustained cries of “Luuuuke” were a feature of the fairways for many years. Four wins on the PGA TOUR and seven European Tour (now DP World Tour) titles, including successive triumphs at the BMW PGA Championship flagship event (2011 and 2012) saw him top the world rankings, a position that he held for over a year with brief interruptions. In recent years, Donald has been concentrating fully on his duties as Ryder Cup captain. He will be focusing his attention on this tournament again at this year’s BMW International Open. Nonetheless, he remains a master of the short game and is always worth watching out on the golf course.
“I am very much looking forward to teeing off at the 35th anniversary of the BMW International Open,” says Donald. “It is an iconic tournament on the DP World Tour calendar, and like the BMW PGA Championship, it has a great atmosphere and represents everything BMW has contributed to the development of golf over the past decades.”
Nine-time PGA TOUR winner Patrick Reed will be making his first appearance at the BMW International Open. The 33-year-old American celebrated his greatest success at the 2018 Masters, taking 268 strokes (-15) to claim victory. However, Reed will be long remembered for his singles match against Rory McIlroy (NIR) in the 2016 Ryder Cup at the Hazeltine National Golf Club (USA). The two exceptional players delivered a duel of epic proportions that culminated in Reed winning 1 up, and is regarded as one of the best matches in Ryder Cup history.
“The anticipation for the BMW International Open and coming to Munich is great because I have already heard many good things about this tournament,” says Reed. “The BMW Championship in the USA and the BMW PGA Championship are fantastic events; BMW just does it really well. I am sure it will be no different in Munich, and I look forward to the golf fans in Germany.”
This year, the two starting spots for German amateurs are going to 20-year-old Tiger Christensen from Hamburg and the coeval Munich native Yannik Malik.
Tickets for the 35th BMW International Open are available at www.bmw-golfsport.com/tickets
