Seven of the BMW International Open's top stars enjoyed a trip out to one of Munich’s most famous landmarks yesterday. The Opening Show Event in the sun-drenched English Garden attracted big crowds. For those of you who were unable to make it, here is a taste of what you missed.

With nine of the top fifty players in the world, no less than eleven former BMW International Open winners and five of the top ten in the Race to Dubai on display, deciding which flight to follow at Germany’s only European Tour event is no laughing matter.

It goes without saying that the crowds at Golfclub München Eichenried will have their fingers crossed for a second German triumph, following BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer’s victory back in 2008. Fans arriving at the Championship Course early on Thursday will be in time to see one of the most promising young German golfers to emerge for some time. Dominic Foos is just 15 years old, but already boasts the lowest handicap ever achieved by any German before turning pro. If his amateur career is anything to go by, the youngster from Karlsruhe has a big future ahead of him. Making his debut at the BMW International Open, Foos tees off at 07:30 from the tenth tee.

Marcel Siem has a score to settle. The number 59 in the world spurned an excellent opportunity to win his home tournament in Pülheim last year, when a disastrous triple-bogey on the seventh hole of his final round derailed his challenge. Having won the prestigious Trophee Hassan II in March this year, he arrives at the BMW International Open looking for his second win of the season.

Siem will be in the company of another two current titleholders when he tees off at 08:30 from the tenth tee: Open Champion Ernie Els (RSA) and Matteo Manassero (ITA), who won last month’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Els arrives in Munich on the back of another excellent performance at last week’s US Open, where he finished fourth. Manassero’s win at the Wentworth Club catapulted the 20-year-old Italian to 27 in the world rankings.

BMW Golfsport Ambassador Maximilian Kieffer begins his campaign alongside a European Tour legend at 08:20 on the tenth tee. At 22 years of age, the rising star of German golf will be hoping he can emulate flight partner Miguel Angel Jiménez. The ever-popular Spaniard passed the 600-event mark on the European Tour when he finished one shot off the lead at this year’s BMW PGA Championship. A winner in Eichenried nine years ago, the 49-year-old is still very much a force to be reckoned with. They are joined in a high-class flight by 2009 BMW PGA Champion Paul Casey (ENG).

Two former winners and a US Ryder Cup star tee off together from the first at 13:20. Back at the scene of one of his biggest wins back in 2008, BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer (GER) plays alongside 2006 winner Henrik Stenson (SWE), whose results this year show signs of a return to the kind of form that saw him win the BMW International Open in 2006. The third man in the flight is American Dustin Johnson. The 2010 BMW Championship winner is back for a second crack at the Championship Course, having made his first appearance two years ago.

Flight number 33 is guaranteed a big following when it tees off from the first at 13:30. World number 15 Sergio García narrowly missed out on his first BMW International Open two years ago, when he lost to fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal in a four-hole play-off. He is joined by an exciting young Dane: 23-year-old Thorbjørn Olesen – the current number 36 in the world.

As a result of the unseasonal heavy rain experienced in recent weeks, it is not possible to use all the car parks at the tournament site (Golfclub München Eichenried) as planned. We would like to ask visitors planning to travel to the 25th BMW International Open by car to take note of the following information, which is intended to help reduce your travelling time.

The car parks at the BMW International Open are usually meadows. The exceptional amount of rain that has fallen in recent weeks means the water table in Eichenried is far higher than usual, and only very limited use of the saturated car parks is currently possible. We regret this deeply, but are powerless against such external influences.

Before setting off on your trip to the tournament, please make sure you check out the latest parking situation on site and take note of our travel recommendations. These are updated continuously here on this website. Thank you for your understanding!

A free shuttle bus service between the S-Bahn (train) station at Ismaning (S8) and the tournament site will be provided every day of the tournament. This will coincide with each train arriving in and departing from Ismaning station, between 7:00 and one hour after end of play.

The buses will run from the start to the end of play, ensuring you are able to get home again with the minimum of fuss. On Saturday, the bus service will run until the end of the Public Area Party.

Bright blue skies, well over 30 degrees Celsius and green grass as far as the eye can see: this is how the people of Munich love the English Garden – and the "Green Lung" in the heart of the Bavarian capital was at its brilliant best for the golf stars at the "Opening Show Event" ahead of the 25th BMW International Open.

Ernie Els (South Africa), Sergio García (Spain), Dustin Johnson (USA), Maximilian Kieffer (Germany), Matteo Manassero (Italy), Miguel Ángel Jiménez (Spain) and Marcel Siem (Germany) descended on the vast expanse of parkland – a favourite spot for residents of Munich and tourists to escape from the stress of everyday life and enjoy the sun – and put on a spectacular show to mark the opening of the 25th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday. In the grand finale at the “Seehaus Beer Garden”, it was Kieffer who received a BMW bike as reward for his first win of the tournament week.

The illustrious group of golfers kicked off proceedings at the Monopteros. The first round of the “Nearest-the-pin” competition began from a specially constructed tee at the foot of the circular temple, which was built in 1836 and boasts a wonderful view of Munich city centre with its countless landmarks. The honour of hitting the first shot of the competition went to Open Champion Els. The pros – accompanied by hundreds of spectators – then made their way to the Chinese Tower, where they refuelled with an original Bavarian ‘Brotzeit’ (snack) and refreshing drinks. From there, the ‘Magnificent Seven’ were taken by rickshaw to the second hole in the Werneckwiese area of the English Garden. The final challenge awaited them at the “Seehaus Beer Garden”: a spectacular island green in the middle of Kleinhesseloher See (Kleinhesseloher Lake).

Two direct hits gave Kieffer three points overall – sufficient to win the competition between the top stars. “I always have too much luggage on my flights anyway,” joked the BMW Golfsport Ambassador. “But I will definitely make room for the BMW bike. That was really a great event today and a completely new experience. To play golf in the middle of a city, in a world-famous park – that is not something you do every day. I think it did a very good job of bringing golf to the people. I was positively surprised how many fans were watching us. I had great fun in the English Garden.”

The other pros were also thrilled by their very special round of golf. Jiménez enjoyed his time with the spectators and his visit to the English Garden. “I have played at the BMW International Open here in Munich countless times, but never experienced anything quite like that. The atmosphere was superb and the weather fantastic. What more can you ask for to kick off the week?” Siem was also making his debut in the world-famous park: “I have never done anything like that before,” said the local favourite: “That is the ideal way to show people how great our sport is – and that we are ok guys. It is great to be so close to the fans. This is how it should be.”

Wednesday is show time at Golfclub München Eichenried: the Pro-Am tournament provides many of the pros with a first opportunity to get competitive rounds under their belt. However, the golf stars are not the only ones in the spotlight at the traditional Pro-Am – the crowds will also have their eye on their illustrious playing partners. The anniversary tournament will once again be graced by the presence of big-name stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment.

In no other flight is the term “big” more appropriate than that of Open Champion Ernie Els and boxing world champion Wladimir Klitschko: at 1.90 metres tall, Els towers over many of his colleagues. However, even “The Big Easy” must look up to Klitschko, who has won 60 fights over the course of his heavyweight career. Spectators will have no problem recognising the 1.98-metre tall Ukrainian from a distance. When it comes to sheer size, the third player in the flight is dwarfed by his flight partners. That is not the case when it comes to sporting achievement, however: “Brazzo” won countless titles with Bayern Munich, including the 2001 Champions League. TV chef Frank Rosin completes the flight with the three champions, which tees off from the first tee at 12:40 on Wednesday.

When Thongchai Jaidee starts his round from the tenth tee at 09:20, he will be able to find out more about a couple of sports that his home of Thailand is not exactly well known for: Jaidee will be joined by alpine skiing stars and BMW Sports Ambassador Rosi Mittermaier and Christian Neureuther, who will face the challenge of the Championship Course, which has been modified ahead of the anniversary tournament, alongside highly successful former biathlete Fritz Fischer.

The other players in the Pro-Am are also looking forward to their outing in München Eichenried and to taking on the pros. Among them this year will once again be a number of very talented young golfers, who will tee off in the Pro-Youth tournament – an excellent opportunity to gain experience at the highest level of golf. The nine youngsters from clubs all over Germany will attend a “Meet & Greet” session on Wednesday, during which they will meet some of the top players at this year’s BMW International Open. The youngsters will then take part in the Pro-Am. Evidence of just how successful BMW’s promotion of junior golfers can be comes in the form of Dominic Foos, who will also tee off at the BMW International Open. Now 15 years old, he took part in the Pro-Youth tournament at Golfclub München Eichenried back in 2011. Two years later, he possesses the lowest handicap ever achieved by a German golfer before turning pro.

The stage is set: the stars of the European Tour are headed for Munich for the 25th time, and for a very special tournament: the BMW International Open. From 20th to 23rd June, the pros will do battle for a share of the two million Euros prize purse and the coveted title at Golfclub München Eichenried.

The anniversary celebrations will kick off on Tuesday with the “Opening Show Event” in the English Garden. The action then shifts to Eichenried for the Pro-Am tournament on Wednesday. Admission is free up to and including Friday.

"25 years of the BMW International Open – that is a special anniversary. Not only for us, but also for the European Tour, the pros, Golfclub München Eichenried golf in general in Germany," said Eckhard Wannieck, Head of BMW International Sponsoring, Cooperations and Product Placement. "No other European Tour event has been held under the same name for such a long time. The 1989 BMW International Open signalled the start of BMW’s successful commitment to professional golf. Nowadays, the company is one of the world’s most important promoters of this fascinating sport. To a certain degree, the 25th anniversary of the BMW International Open sees us return to our roots. For one week, the eyes of the golfing world will be on Munich, as the sport’s top stars thrill the crowds. The city is looking forward to this tournament, and we feel just as happy at Golfclub München Eichenried today as we did when the tournament made its debut 25 years ago. We would like to thank the city of Munich, the Free State of Bavaria, all those responsible at GC München Eichenried, the players, the countless volunteers and, of course, the fans. It is their enthusiasm for golf that has made this tournament what it is today."

Visitors can look forward to another attractive field this year, and a modified Championship Course, which will be at its very best for the anniversary. Tournament Director Marco Kaussler says: "We are all really looking forward to the anniversary of the BMW International Open. Everything is in place for it to be a fantastic tournament week. The Championship Course has been made even more demanding, particularly on holes 2, 6, 16 and 18. The public will also be treated to an extremely interesting line-up. Big names like Ernie Els, Sergio García, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer will be on display. They will be joined by some extremely popular and familiar faces, such as Miguel Ángel Jiménez, José Maria Olazábal and Colin Montgomerie, as well as rising stars like Matteo Manassero, Thorbjörn Olesen and Max Kieffer. Last but not least is the German contingent, which features Marcel Siem, Alex Cejka and a very interesting youngster by the name of Dominic Foos who, at just 15 boasts the best handicap (6.4) ever achieved by a German at that age. All in all, plenty of good reasons to get on down to Golfclub München Eichenried for the 25th staging of the tournament."

The impressive anniversary of BMW as a global golf partner is by no means an everyday event, even in hectic professional golf circles. The list of those sending their congratulations is a long one. Rory McIlroy, world number two and winner of the 2012 BMW Championship (PGA TOUR): "Up until recently I did not know that BMW had been supporting golf tournaments for as long as I have been alive. That is a bit scary really, but is says a lot about the strength of the BMW brand. It has a magnificent global presence in golf, and we players are very grateful for the brilliant support. I am planning to reduce the number of tournaments I play in this season to 22, but three of these will be BMW sponsored events. I am looking forward to every one of these tournaments and wish BMW all the best for another successful season of golf."

Reigning Open Champion Ernie Els, who fans in Germany will be able to see at the 25th BMW International Open, said: “Congratulations to BMW on organising the BMW International Open for 25 years. The company has always been a great supporter of golf, and BMW has always organised fantastic tournaments. I have definitely played more BMW events than I can remember these days. And I have a lot of fond memories – not just of Germany, but of tournaments all over the world. Great job, guys – and all the best for the next wonderful 25 years!"

Anyone who owns an iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone can now download the new BMW International Open App free of charge. The app features live scoring with the option to follow your favourite players, push notifications, a player tracker, and much more. It is now available in both English and German.

Join in the BMW International Open celebrations! Germany’s only tournament on the European Tour takes place from 18th to 23rd June 2013 at Golfclub München Eichenried. Make your smartphone your own personal tournament HQ with the BMW International Open App.

Stay in touch with the latest scores and track your favourite players with the live scoring feature, starting on Thursday. Be the first to hear any news. Receive push notifications to keep up to date with the latest issues and news, as well as the results of your favourite players. Do you want to know who is playing what hole? The Player Tracker can provide you with this information within seconds. As well as all this, you will truly have the tournament “in the palm of your hand”: the full programme, multi-media hole guides, player portraits, directions, and many more features leave no wish unfulfilled. Simple, quick and bang up to date!

You can download the App via the iTunes Store and Google Play.

Apple iTunes Store
Download-Link

Google Play
Download-Link

25th BMW International Open: In the big preview interview, the BMW Golfsport Ambassador talks about his victory in 2008, his love of cars, and his goals.

Mr. Kaymer, can you remember when you first heard of the existence of a BMW International Open?
Martin Kaymer: “When I was crowned Austrian amateur champion in 2003, the national coach told me I might have done enough to earn an invitation to the ‘BMW Open’. At first I had no idea what tournament he was talking about. When I then actually received the invitation, I knew what he meant. And when I arrived in Eichenried, I was completely overwhelmed.”

By what, in particular?
Kaymer: “There were free Titleist balls on the driving range! I immediately took a BMW M3 for a test drive, and the Players’ Party was obviously also a highlight. With all the great distractions, it is a wonder I actually made the cut back then.”

The last time the BMW International Open celebrated a big anniversary – its 20^th – you won the tournament. In doing so, you became the first ever German winner. Now we are all set for the 25^th anniversary – a great opportunity to repeat your feat of five years ago.
Kaymer: “Let’s see what happens. As a rule, I’ve done quite well when at the BMW International Open in Eichenried. I can still remember the amazing atmosphere when I won in 2008, with all the German flags in the stands around the 18^th. Unbelievable.”

It is traditional for admission to be free apart from on the weekend at the BMW International Open. Free entry on Thursday and Friday – how important is that to the sport of golf?
Kaymer: “That is something very positive, a good idea that is definitely good for our sport. You can recognise the positive involvement of the people at BMW in this idea. They want to make the tournament bigger and more popular – and have been striving to achieve that for the last 25 years. Name me one tournament on the European Tour that has existed with the same title sponsor for anywhere near as long…”

…there isn’t one.
Kaymer: “That speaks for itself.”

As we know, you are a keen driver. Can you remember when you first became interested in cars?
Kaymer: “That must have been 1998 or 1999. I was 13 or 14 years old and started to go karting. Back then, I was even a member of a club and did a kart driver’s license course. It was the smell in the air that I liked – the smell of petrol and engine oil.

Then your real driving test must have been a stroll in the park for you …
Kaymer: “Not exactly. I actually failed first time around.”

Really?
Kaymer: “Yes. Twenty five minutes into the practical exam I failed to spot some people on a zebra crossing. The examiner just said to me: ‘Come on, let’s go back.’ I could drive ok, but did not necessarily observe all the rules back then.”

But there is no need for pedestrians to be concerned about Martin Kaymer the driver nowadays, is there?
Kaymer: “No, of course not. I just really enjoy driving – and I passed my test at the second time of asking anyway.”

What was the first car you ever owned?
Kaymer: “A MINI, which I bought in 2009. Before then, I was always privileged to have BMW support me with regard to cars – first the branch in Mettmann, then the headquarters in Munich. Therefore, I have been driving BMWs since I was 17.”

17? But you have to be 18 to get a driver’s license …
Kaymer: “Because I was a member of the national amateur team back then, I was allowed to take my test a little earlier than other people. However, we were only allowed to drive to practice and tournaments.”

What do you like about BMWs?
Kaymer: “It is always great fun to be sat in a BMW. I find the interior super, it is not so square – especially compared to other luxury brands. The design is rather sporty and minimalist. I like the colour design and, particularly in M models, the steering wheel. It is just very comfortable to touch – not so soft, but relatively hard and very sporty. You can easily sit in the cars for five or six hours at a time, and it is just a pleasure to drive these cars.”

How important is speed to you?
Kaymer: “I am not that interested in the pure speed of a car. Travelling at 250 or 280 km/h on the motorway does nothing for me. I prefer driving round a course. I would go for driving technique first, then speed. I have really enjoyed such driver training courses in the BMW Z4, and then later in my BMW M3.”

What does the partnership with a brand like BMW mean to you?
Kaymer: “BMW is simply right for me. I can identify 100 per cent with the brand. It is a sporty company, which is always developing in the right direction. The people I have been working together with for years at BMW are great. And let’s not forget BMW has been committed to the sport of golf for 25 years. It is a strong global partner. Everything fits together perfectly. BMW is a great company, with which I would like to continue working for more than just a few years, but rather a very long time.”

Can you still remember how the cooperation with BMW began?
Kaymer: “Yes, it began when I received an invitation to Munich for the BMW International Open as a 17-year-old. Then the head of the BMW branch in Mettmann, who was a member of our golf club, asked me whether he could lend me a car for the journey to Munich. That made me very proud.”

You are known as a world-class golfer, Major winner, Ryder Cup hero and, of course, as the only German winner of the BMW International Open to date. We know relatively little about the man behind these sporting achievements. It seems always to have been important to you to keep your private life private.
Kaymer: “Let’s put it this way: earlier in my career I often preferred to say nothing, because I had the feeling I needed to get to know this professional world first. I was reserved, maybe even shy. I have learned a lot more about myself since playing on the Tour. I meet a lot of people, learn about a diverse range of cultures all over the world, and give countless interviews. And yet I am often amazed that one or two people are surprised that I have my own opinion or take a certain stance on various things. Or that I show emotion and come out of my shell after the decisive putt for Europe in the Ryder Cup. Do you know what: I may seem quiet, and some may feel I am well-adjusted, but I live my own life and have definite values. One of these is to maintain a certain demeanour.”

Would you like to reveal a secret about yourself, that nobody knew until now?
Kaymer: “I enjoy listening to classical music – particularly quiet pieces. I have an online radio app on my mobile phone, from which I can select classical music. This allows me to listen to various titles and, by my selecting ‘Like’ or ‘Not Like’, the app can then offer me similar music. That way I am able to learn a bit about composers and their style of music.”

You currently live in Düsseldorf and Scottsdale. Is there anywhere in the world you can imagine living in the future?
Kaymer: “I can well imagine living in Germany all my life. Preferably around Munich, as I just really like it there. I value the quality of life: you have a lot of lakes in the region, and mountains for skiing. Generally speaking, I have very fond memories of the city. I like the people there and there are some very good restaurants. However, it all depends on what I plan to do with my life – I do not have a wife yet, let alone a family. When I do have my own family, it will have to be happy at home, wherever it may be.”

The putt that secured the Ryder Cup for Europe. Can you talk us through that moment last year again. What was going through your head?
Kaymer: “I was actually just concentrating on the basics. I was not shaking and did not hesitate. I was well aware of what I had to do. I knew the putt had to drop. This is all that counts now. This is for everything. I had great faith in myself. I saw where I had to aim – and holed it. My thoughts were clear at all times.”

You have already won one Major, in the form of the US PGA Championship. However, you once said that your greatest dream would be to win the Open Championship.
Kaymer: “Yes, if I could choose one Major, it would be the Open Championship. And if I had another wish, I would like to win it at St. Andrews in 2015 – a year before the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where golf will be back on the menu.”

England’s 17-year wait for a winner at one of the golf’s four Majors is over. For 32-year-old Justin Rose, victory was a childhood dream come true.

It is quite possible that Justin Rose was sat in front of the television watching his compatriot Nick Faldo win the Masters Tournament on the first Sunday of April 1996. What neither Faldo nor Rose could possibly have envisaged back then was that it would be the last victory for an Englishman at one of the four Majors for a rather long time. And Rose, 15 at the time, could have had no idea that he would be the next English winner of a Major.

This Sunday, Justin Rose once again found himself sat in front of the television screen – this time at Merion Golf Club, where he watched nervously as an American failed to prevent an Englishman from winning the 113th US Open. Rose had already completed his round, but had to wait to see whether the mighty Phil Mickelson could produce the birdie on the 18th that would force both players to return the following day for an 18-hole play-off.

But Mickelson, who once again produced his entire repertoire – flying high one minute and down the next – and had put on a great show over the course of the tournament, was unable to produce the goods on the final hole. A bogey five meant a first Major victory for Rose, the only player among the leading group to produce consistently good golf over the four days. Mickelson finished tied in second place with Australia’s Jason Day, two shots behind Rose.

Mickelson and his compatriot Hunter Mahan went into the final 18 holes tied for the lead and already seemed to have lost too much ground by the time he reached the turn. However, the left-hander bounced back into contention with an eagle on the par-4 tenth. Unfortunately, this was followed by three bogies in the last six holes. As such, Mickelson was forced to settle for runner-up at a US Open for a record-breaking sixth time. “It’s heart-breaking,” said the crowd favourite afterwards.

Hunter Mahan’s challenge also faded towards the end of his round: double-bogey on the 15^th followed by further dropped shots on 17 and 18. And other candidates for the title faded after starting the final day in promising positions: Luke Donald (England) and Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) both carded 42 on the outward nine, while a triple-bogey on the second hole was enough to end Steve Stricker’s (USA) dreams of winning.

Only Rose was able to produce any sort of consistency, and looked to the sky on the 18^th green to thank his father Ken, who died of leukaemia in 2002. He was then embraced by fellow Englishman and flight partner Luke Donald. “It’s just an incredible experience and a childhood dream come true.”

US Open organisers have given the spectators what they wanted to see this week: the top three players in the world rankings will play alongside each other in one flight for the first two rounds of this season’s second Major – and BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer will also be accompanied by two former world number ones.

Kaymer tees off alongside English duo Luke Donald and Lee Westwood at 12:52 (local time) on Thursday at the sold-out Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. This high-class flight features three players who have spent time at the top of the world rankings. Despite this, the main focus of the fans’ attention at the start of the 113^th US Open will be the trio stepping onto the first tee 22 minutes after Kaymer, Donald and Westwood on Thursday.

The organisers have opted to pair Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott – the current numbers one, two and three in the world – in one illustrious flight. The fact that Woods will play the first 36 holes in the presence of his former caddy Steve Williams promises to add a little extra spice: after 12 hugely successful years together, the pair parted company in rather unfriendly circumstances in 2011. Shortly after going separate ways, Williams took over on Adam Scott’s bag.

The Australian, who won the first of this year’s four Majors at the Masters Tournament, sees himself as the “third wheel” in the flight with Woods and McIlroy. Scott has already had the pleasure of experiencing the incredible hype surrounding a flight including Woods almost five years ago to the day. Back then, he took the course in Torrey Pines with Tiger and his old rival Phil Mickelson for a round of the US Open. “It was an experience that I’ll never forget,” Scott recalls. This year’s US Open promises to be just as memorable.

Golf can be played in any green space – particularly when you are among the best in the world. Seven of the high-class field’s many stars will be out to prove just this in Munich's English Garden on Tuesday 18th June, 17:00.

"No presents on offer at this birthday celebration" – that is the motto of this year’s BMW International Open, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary. That is not entirely true when it comes to the opening event at Germany’s biggest week of golf: the regional capital Munich and the Free State of Bavaria, who own the English Garden, have presented the only professional golf tournament in Germany with an exclusive present.

On Tuesday 18^th June, Ernie Els, Sergio García, Dustin Johnson, Maximilian Kieffer, Matteo Manassero, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and Marcel Siems will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to a wider public in one of the largest urban parks in the world, set against the picturesque backdrop of the city on the River Isar.

"We are delighted to be able to start the countdown to the 25^th BMW International Open in the middle of the English Garden," said Magnus Wiese, Head of Events, Exhibitions and Sports Marketing BMW Germany. "A big vote of thanks goes to the Free State of Bavaria, the Bavarian capital Munich and the city of Munich’s park administration, who have given us this unique and historic present and allowed us to stage this event in the heart of Munich. This just goes to show that the entire city is behind this tournament – and has been for almost a quarter of a century now. Golf fans can look forward to an atmospheric start to the tournament week, which will allow them to watch world-class golf stars at close hand."

The illustrious group of golfers will demonstrate their ability – and their showmanship – in a "Nearest-the-pin" competition on a mightily impressive stage, the likes of which even they are unlikely ever to have experienced before. At 17:00, the seven pros will tee off on the 70-metre opening hole from the Monopteros, with the goal to to land their ball as close to the pin as possible. After dropping into the Chinese Tower, probably the best-known tourist attraction in the English Garden, the international stars will head to the Werneckwiese for the second hole (17:45). This year’s "Opening Show Event" ends at the renowned "Seehaus Biergarten". Here, the pros will meet guests at the BMW International Open "Draw Party" and take aim at the spectacular island green on Kleinhesseloher See (18:15). The winner of the competition will receive a BMW Bike – the perfect mode of transport for the 3.75km² park in Munich city centre.

Just one more week and the waiting is over: between 18th and 23rd June, the BMW International Open is celebrating its 25th anniversary at Golfclub München Eichenried. Our video will put you in the mood for the star-studded tournament.

American Harris English produced a magnificent final spurt to win his first title on the PGA TOUR. Significantly, with the US Open starting later this week, English defeated Phil Mickelson on his way to victory and also benefitted when another of his rivals stumbled with the line in sight.

Two birdies in the final three holes of the FedEx St. Jude Classic allowed English to pull away from his closest rivals and compatriots Phil Mickelson and Scott Stallings, and ultimately to claim the title at the TPC Southwind in Memphis. For 23-year-old English, who started the day in second place behind fellow American Shawn Stefani, this was his first win in his second year on the PGA TOUR.

English did not make the best of starts to the final round. After four bogies and just two birdies his title challenge appeared to be all but over. But the man from Georgia then benefitted as his rivals, Stallings in particular, faltered in the latter stages of the tournament.

Two-time Tour winner Stallings first double-bogied the 15th, which allowed English to pull level with a birdie on 16. Another bogey from Stallings on the final hole left the door open for English to clinch the title. "I was feeling good about my ball-striking and just had to get those putts to fall," said English. And they did.

The triumph in Memphis was doubly valuable for English. Not only has he secured his place at next year’s Masters Tournament, but he will also tee off at the second Major of the season next week: the 113^th US Open at Merion Golf Club, on the outskirts of Philadelphia, which promises fireworks right from the word go.

The USGA, which organises the tournament, has put the numbers one, two and three in the world – Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott – together in one flight for the first two rounds.

BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer will play the first 36 holes in the company of two old acquaintances, in the form of Ryder Cup team-mates Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. The Englishman has another thing in common with the two Englishmen: all three have spent time at the top of the world rankings.

Not even a veteran of the European golf scene was able to stop Holland’s Joost Luiten winning this season’s only European Tour event in Austria – which is supported by Official car Partner BMW.

Despite the best efforts of Thomas Björn, who carded a final round of 68 at the Diamont Country Club in Atzenbrugg, Austria, the experienced Dane was still unable to prevent Holland’s Joost Luiten winning the tournament by two shots.

Leading by three shots going into the last 18 holes, Luiten shot a final round of 70 to finish on -17 and clinch his second European Tour title at the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity. The 27-year-old’s maiden victory in Europe’s top golfing division came two years ago at the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia.

The key to the Dutchman’s success was a one-hour suspension in play due to a threat of lightning on Sunday in Atzenbrugg. "The break came at a good time, because I wasn’t playing that well," explained Luiten. “I had some food and tried to refocus, and then went back out to try to make par and sneak in a couple of birdies. And that’s what I did."

Tied in third place behind Luiten and Tour veteran Björn were Frenchman Romain Wattel and Chinese star Liang Wen-chong, whose round of 66 was the lowest of the final day. Defending champion and local favourite Bernd Wiesberger, who is supported by BMW, finished 14th.

US star Matt Kuchar seals his second win of the season at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, which is organised by legend Jack Nicklaus. A seemingly inevitable success.

After finishing runner-up last week at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth last week, Kuchar was among the favourites to win on the par-72 course at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. The fact that he had always finished well up the leaderboard at Nicklaus’s tournament in recent years also spoke in his favour.

Kuchar then put together an excellent final round of 68 to maintain the two-shot lead he started the day with and fend off the late challenge of compatriot Kevin Chappell. Chappell shot three birdies on the closing four holes, but was unable to close the two-shot lead.

This was Kuchar’s second win of the season, following his triumph at the WGC Accenture Match Play in February, and catapults him to fourth in the world rankings – the highest ranking of his career so far. "This is such an amazing feeling," said Kuchar. "To have Jack Nicklaus congratulate me is a real treat. This is as special as it gets."

At the other end of the scale, the tournament ended in disappointment for the world number one, defending champion and five-time winner: Tiger Woods. He had won three of his four previous starts this season, but was at odds with himself and the course in Dublin.

After a 44 on the back nine on Saturday – the highest nine-hole score of his professional career – Woods ended with a final round of 72 to finish tied in 65^th – a full 20 shots behind Kuchar. It remains to be seen whether woods can pick himself up in time for the second Major of the season in two weeks: the US Open. After all, he still has his sights set on Jack Nicklaus’s record …

Six years ago, when the European Tour event in Sweden was still known as the Scandinavian Masters, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen won against no lesser opponent than BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer. This weekend, Ilonen clinched victory number two.

Sunday’s victory at the Bro Hof Slott Golf Course, not far from the Swedish capital Stockholm, was ultimately a relatively comfortable affair for Ilonen. The 33-year-old Finn, who was born in Lahti, ended the tournament on -21, three shots ahead of runner-up Jonas Blixt (Sweden). Third place went to BMW-supported Austrian Bernd Wiesberger a further shot back.

The win was Ilonen’s first on the European Tour for six years. The Finn’s most recent victory came at the predecessor to the Nordea Masters at the golf course in Arlandastad. Back then, he finished just ahead of a group of five players, including BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer, who narrowly missed out on his first victory on the European Tour in 2007.

Six years after that triumph, Ilonen took a two-shot lead into Sunday’s final round at Bro Hof Slott. The Finn carded just one bogey on his way to a round of 69. Ilonen had already caught the eye with some fine performances this year, including second places in Morocco and China, and led the BMW PGA Championship after the first round.

"It’s pretty special," said Ilonen. "I could feel a lot of support from Finland, especially today, and it means a lot to win this event for the second time."

Next week, the European Tour heads to the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg: from 6th to 9th June, the course near Vienna will host the 23rd Austrian Golf Open, which has borne the title "Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity" since 2012. BMW will be involved as "Official Car" partner of the tournament for the first time this year. Furthermore, BMW Austria has just entered into a cooperation with Austria’s most successful golfers.

Bernd Wiesberger, Markus Brier and Martin Wiegele now hit the road in innovative BMW cars. The high level of performance and commitment the pros demonstrate at every tournament is something they share in common with the BMW brand. The three players have already come to appreciate not only the driving pleasure and efficiency they experience on a day-to-day basis in their BMW touring models, but also the versatility, functionality and space they offer.

It goes without saying that all three will also tee off at the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity, where Wiesberger is defending champion. Brier’s name is also in the list of previous champions, having won his home tournament in 2006. BMW Austria will contribute to the success of the tournament, which boasts a prize purse of one million Euros, with a fleet of about 20 shuttle cars.

Boo Weekley had to wait five long years for his third win in the top division of US golf. And the popular American was made to sweat at the traditional Crowne Plaza Invitational, as the tournament at the Colonial Country Club came down to the final hole.

Weekley arrived at the 18^th tee at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth (Texas) on Sunday evening with a two-shot lead. A two-shot advantage over his compatriot and defending champion Zach Johnson, who was already back in the clubhouse, and his flight partner Matt Kuchar, who led going into the final round.

As such, all Boo had to do was to see off the challenge of Kuchar on the 441-yard par 4. Kuchar duly applied the pressure with a birdie on the final hole, but Weekley carded the par he needed to secure his first victory on the PGA Tour for five years. Ryder Cup star Kuchar had to settle for runner-up, with Johnson a further shot back in third.

“It was my time to win,” said Weekley, for whom the title at the Crowne Plaza Invitational was the result of a consistent and positive development: in 14 appearances this year, the 39-year-old from Florida has made 12 cuts and finished in the top ten on three occasions. Sunday’s victory sees Weekley, who was a member of the 2008 US Ryder Cup team, climb to number 55 in the world rankings, earning him an automatic starting place at next month’s US Open.

Incidentally, Boo Weekley’s previous two wins on the PGA Tour came at the tournament in Harbour Town in 2007 and 2008 where – as at the Colonial Country Club – the winner is presented with a chequered jacket. Asked whether the two jackets looked any different to the latest in his collection, Weekley replied: “I couldn’t tell you, it’s been so long.”

Enjoy the best of the action from the final round of the 2013 BMW PGA Championship in our highlight video.

The 2013 BMW PGA Championship came to a dramatic conclusion in front of 26,412 fans on a sunny Sunday evening in south London. You can find the best pictures of a thrilling day’s golf in our final photo gallery.

Two years ago an emerging Italian was tied for the lead going into the final round of the BMW PGA Championship. This year, an understandably delighted Matteo Manassero returned to the Wentworth Club to finish the job. In doing so, the 20-year-old became the youngest winner in the history of the European Tour’s flagship event. Here’s what he had to say about his victory on the magnificent West Course.

Question: “The youngest champion we’ve had at this prestigious event, so can you describe your feelings after that hard-fought win.”

Matteo Manassero: “I obviously feel amazing. I feel really proud and honoured to have won the flagship event. Anyone out on the course could see how unbelievable this tournament is and how big the crowds are. It has a Major feeling. Thanks to the European Tour and BMW for being such a great sponsor. I feel extremely happy because this place has always had a really special feeling to me.”

Question: “You mentioned the crowd: even though you were an Italian up against some English guys, you still had terrific support out there?”

Manassero: “I did. The crowd in general has been unbelievable this week. I think the weekend they have had was reward for the people who were here on Friday in that miserable weather. I was there on Friday afternoon and I had people following me – and it wasn’t just my coach and my physio.”

Question: “You were in contention two years ago. How badly did you want to get over the line this time when you got into the play-off?”

Manassero: “I wanted to win it right from the beginning. Last year I started trying not to drop shots, rather than going for birdies. That was not the right attitude to have. But it was a huge event for me at that time, to be leading after three days. It certainly helped me between yesterday afternoon and this morning. I was able to relax and not think too much about what was going to happen.”

Question: “How important and satisfying was it to stay in contention in the appalling conditions on Friday?”

Manassero: “Very important. I celebrated the birdie on the last because I felt that -1 was a good score on that day. They were probably the hardest conditions I’ve played in my life – not that I’ve played that many. It was extremely tough though, so it was important.”

Question: “Which of the great names on that prestigious trophy stand out to you?”

Manassero: “Two in particular: Seve Ballesteros and Costantino Rocca. Costantino was the first guy to win the European PGA Championship and Seve has always been my idol. He had a lot of success here.”

Matteo Manassero has won the 2013 BMW PGA Championship in dramatic four-hole play-off. The Italian defeated Simon Khan (ENG) and Marc Warren (SCO) in extra time to win his fourth title on the European Tour since turning pro just three years ago. In doing so, the 20-year-old from Verona becomes the youngest ever winner of the European Tour’s flagship event, beating the previous record of Bernard Gallacher in 1969, who was 60 days older.

The final round at the Wentworth Club was full of twists and turns, with the lead changing hands regularly as challengers came and went over the course of the day. Manassero teed off in the penultimate flight, two shots behind overnight leader Alejandro Cañizares (ESP, T4, -9) and one back from tournament favourite Lee Westwood (ENG, T9, -7). As their challenge faded at the start of the back nine, thanks in Westwood’s case to a disastrous double-bogey on the 12th, Warren moved to the top of the leaderboard. At the same time, Khan shot a round of 66 to post an early target of -10.

Manassero, meanwhile, was playing beautifully consistent golf. Eventually, both he and Warren stepped onto the 18th tee on -10, knowing a birdie would be enough to beat Khan, who – as in 2010 when he came from behind to win the tournament – was watching on anxiously with his family. Both players had to settle for pars, and Warren, Manassero and Khan headed back to the 18th tee for a three-man play-off.

Warren was first to bow out. The Scotsman drilled his tee shot into the rhododendrons, forcing him to play his third shot from the tee. That found the ditch running across the fairway, from where he landed his ball in the water. That was game over after a fine tournament for the number 202 in the world.

And so there were two. And the pair matched each other shot for shot over the first three extra holes (the par-5 18th on each occasion). Then came the crucial moment. Khan went for the green with his second shot and came up just 30 centimetres short – in the water hazard. That left the door open for Manassero, and he made no mistake: the 20-year-old found the heart of the green with his second shot, meaning Khan needed something of a miracle. Having taken a drop, his fourth shot came up just short of the hole, leaving the Italian with two putts for victory. He put his first to within 6 inches and then, with emotion showing on his face, holed the birdie putt to claim the biggest win of his career so far and pick up a winner’s cheque for 791,660 Euros.

One of the most remarkable performances of the tournament came from 49-year-old Miguel Ángel Jiménez (ESP, T4, -9). Playing his 600th tournament on the European Tour, the Spaniard looked like missing the cut at +4 with four holes to play on Friday. But “The Mechanic” was not ready to go home yet, finishing with a hat-trick of birdies before then shooting consecutive rounds of 67 to finish on -9. One shot further back was another of the old guard: Ernie Els (RSA, T6, -8). The “Big Easy” finished with three birdies to record a second successive top-ten finish at Wentworth. Els, like winner Manassero, Jiménez and Sergio García (ESP, T19, -5) will be in action in Munich next month, when the BMW International Open celebrates its 25^th anniversary from 18^th to 23^rd June.

Play-off drama at the BMW PGA Championship. Marc Warren (SCO), Matteo Manassero (ITA) and Simon Khan (ENG) will head back down the 18th to determine the winner of "The Players’ Flagship" after all three finished on -10.

An eventful Sunday saw Khan shoot a six-under final round of 66 to post what seemed like a beatable target. However, early leaders Lee Westwood (ENG, -7) and Alejandro Cañizares (ESP, -9) faded on the back nine, and neither Warren nor Manassero was able to produce the birdie they needed to clinch outright victory.

They will now go head to head on the 18^th in front of the huge galleries that have once again lined the fairways and greens of the iconic West Course. Up for grabs is the prestigious trophy and a winner’s cheque for 791,660 Euros.

Ernie Els fired five birdies in the last seven holes to move to -8 and take the clubhouse lead at the BMW PGA Championship. The 43-year-old South African, who won his fourth Major at last year’s Open Championship, can now only sit back and watch as the remaining flights look to post a lower score by the end of the day.

One man well placed to do so is 2010 champion Simon Khan (-9). The Englishman, who shot a final round of 66 on his way to his second European Tour title two years ago, is hoping to repeat the feat in 2013. Currently playing the 16^th, Khan is yet to drop a shot on Sunday and has moved into a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard courtesy of five birdies.

Also in the group on -9 are overnight leader Alejandro Cañizares (ESP), Matteo Manassero (ITA) and home favourite Lee Westwood, who had moved into a two-shot lead early on, before back-to-back bogies on six and seven. With young Englishman Eddie Pepperell (-7) and Marc Warren (SCO, -7) also just two shots off the lead and still out on course, it promises to be a thrilling climax to the 2013 BMW PGA Championship.

Peter Uihlein is in danger of putting together one of the rounds of the tournament on day four of the BMW PGA Championship. The 23-year-old American – the only player from across the pond in this year’s tournament – has soared up the leaderboard into a tie for second place with Lee Westwood (ENG) on -8.

After a par on the first, Uihlein, who won last week’s Madeira Islands Open in Portugal, has since hit five birdies in a row. At -5 through six holes today, the man from Massachusetts, who was the number one ranked amateur in the world before turning pro last year, looks set to beat the current lowest round this week of 66, achieved by James Kingston (RSA, -4) and Richie Ramsay (SCO, -4).

If Uihlein continues in this fashion, the tournament could have a new name at the top of the leaderboard by the time overnight leader Alejandro Cañizares (ESP, -9) tees off alongside English hope Westwood at 13:15.

Another man making a charge up the leaderboard is 2007 BMW International Open winner Niclas Fasth (SWE, -7). The Swede, who played in the victorious European Ryder Cup team back in 2002, is four under through eight holes, climbing 17 places into a tie for fourth. Just one shot back, popular Spaniard Miguel Ángel Jiménez (-6) has also made a fine start to the final round of his 600th European Tour event. “The Mechanic”, the only man to win three different BMW tournaments, is currently -2 through three holes.

Golf fans are pouring into a sun-drenched Wentworth Club, eager to make the most of their final opportunity to catch a glimpse of the stars of the European Tour at this year’s BMW PGA Championship. Whilst leader Alejandro Cañizares (ESP, -9) does not tee off until 13:15, there is still a wealth of talent on display on Sunday morning. And, far from simply going through the motions, the early starters will be going all out to finish as high up the leaderboard as possible, with plenty of ranking points and prize money up for grabs at the European Tour’s flagship event.

Welshman Jamie Donaldson (level par) was the biggest mover in the opening two hours. The winner of this year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is currently number 38 in the world and 16th in the Race to Dubai and, with a number of big-name players having failed to make the cut on Friday, knows that a good final round in Surrey could see him climb even higher in the European Tour money list. He has made a good start on Sunday morning, and is currently -3 for the day through ten holes.

Just six places ahead of Donaldson in the world rankings is BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer (GER, +1). The man who holed the decisive putt in last year’s Ryder Cup saw his hopes of lifting the prestigious trophy at Wentworth scuppered by two triple-bogies in his third round. Kaymer did fight back with a birdie on the 17th followed by an eagle on the 18th, but will have to produce a spectacular round if he is to equal his best ever finish of eleventh, which came back in 2009.

With temperatures set to reach a dizzy 18 degrees later in the day, the action towards the top of the leaderboard will also heat up on Sunday afternoon. A good start for Sergio García (ESP, -5) could see the Ryder Cup star apply some pressure to the front-runners. Making his first appearance at the tournament for 13 years, the Spaniard will certainly not be short of support from the huge galleries expected on the West Course. García tees off alongside Italy’s Edoardo Molinari (-5) at 12:45.

They are followed onto the first tee by 2011 BMW International Open winner Pablo Larrazábal (ESP, -5) and Shane Lowry (IRL, -6), who hit a stunning round of 67 on the final day two years ago to climb into fourth place. Another such round could just put the popular Irishman right in contention.

The penultimate flight of the day sees Scotland’s Marc Warren (-7) tee off alongside the youngest man in the tournament, 20-year-old Matteo Manassero (-7). The Italian was in contention going into the final round two years ago, but slipped back into 7th place after a round of 75. Manassero hopes he will learn from that experience as he looks for his fourth European Tour win since turning pro in 2010.

Overnight leader Alejandro Cañizares (ESP, -9) will have the pleasure of playing alongside one of the most popular Englishmen on the Tour in front of his home crowds. Lee Westwood has twice come within a whisker of winning the BMW PGA Championship, and at times looked to be in cruise control yesterday as he put together a sumptuous round of 67 to move to within one shot of his Spanish playing partner. The stage is set for a stunning day of golf in sunny London.

Enjoy the best of the action from the third round of the 2013 BMW PGA Championship in our highlight video.

After two cold, rainy days that put both the players and crowds to the test, the Wentworth Club was back to its beautiful best in glorious sunshine today. "Moving Day" lived up to its reputation, with a number of outstanding rounds providing for plenty of movement on the leaderboard. Check out the story of the day in pictures.

Alejandro Cañizares (207, -9) is sitting pretty at the top of the leaderboard going into the final day of the BMW PGA Championship. The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since being diagnosed with viral meningitis earlier this month, looked to be tiring when he dropped two shots in three holes late on in his round. However, the 30-year-old finished in style with back-to-back birdies to card a third-round score of 68 (-4 for the day).

England’s Lee Westwood (-8) is just one shot off the lead. The former world number one, twice a runner-up at the Wentworth Club, dropped just one shot on the sixteenth hole on his way to a five-under round of 67. Playing in front of huge galleries lining the fairways at his home tournament, Westwood gave the crowd something to cheer about early on in his round with an eagle on the par4 fourth. A fourth birdie of the day on the 17th looked like giving the Ryder Cup star a slender lead with one round to play, until Cañizares spoiled the party late on Saturday afternoon. Should Westwood win, he would set a record for the most appearances before winning the Championship for the first time, beating the previous record of 19 attempts before winning for the first time, set by Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP, -4) in 2008.

Two players are tied two shots off the lead on -7. Young Italian Matteo Manassero (-7) outscored his more illustrious flight partner Ernie Els (-3), matching his first-round score of 69 (-3 for the day) to remain right in contention with 18 holes to play. Manassero will tee off alongside Scotland’s Marc Warren, who dropped two shots in the middle of his round before steadying the ship with a string of pars and a birdie on the 17th.

Sergio García (ESP, -5) paid tribute to the large crowds at the sunny Wentworth Club after his round of 68 saw him climb 15 places into a tie for sixth, four shots behind Cañizares. The Spaniard will be hoping to get out of the blocks quickly tomorrow and apply some pressure to his compatriot at the top of the leaderboard. The group of eight players alongside García on -5 includes 2011 BMW International Open winner Pablo Larrazábal (ESP), 22-year-old rookie Eddie Pepperell (ENG) and Molinari brothers Edoardo and Francesco (ITA). The two Italians had at one point shared the lead, until simultaneous collapses, including a triple bogey for overnight leader Francesco, saw them drop down the leaderboard.

Here is what the leading protagonists had to say after round three of the 2013 BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club.

Alejandro Cañizares (ESP, leader, -9): “It was a great day for me. I hit the ball a lot better than previous days. I didn’t see some putts, but overall I’m very satisfied. Eddie [Pepperell, ENG, -5] and I had a great day of golf. He’s got great talent and I think he’s going to have a great career. I enjoyed playing with him today. I’m sure I’ll be more nervous than Lee Westwood, but I’m just going to try to enjoy it, play my golf and see what happens. That’s all I can ask for.”

Lee Westwood (ENG, 2nd, -8): “A lot more happy faces in the crowd today. A lot more people prepared to take their hands out of their pockets because they were not trying to stay warm. One of the most fun days I think I’ve ever had on the golf course. It is going to be a good day tomorrow. I’m in a good position and it should be exciting for everybody. I will have to play as well or better than I played today.”

Matteo Manassero (ITA, T 3, -7): “I didn’t actually play that well today, so I hope I can bring my A game out tomorrow and do something nice. It’s a course that pushes you to the limit, especially off the tee, as you know that you have to put the ball in a certain position. I’m just looking forward to getting out there. It’s a pleasure and an honour to be competing in our main event.”

Sergio García (ESP, T6, -5): “I hit a lot of good shots. I’m struggling a little with the pace of the greens and missed a couple of short putts, but other than that it was a much nicer day and nice to shoot a decent score. I don’t have words to explain how I feel towards the crowds here. They’ve been amazing – every single tee and every single green, cheering me on. I can never pay them back.”

Edoardo Molinari (ITA, T6, -5): “Today I played some really good golf. I hit just one shot on 14 that ended up short and I made a double-bogey. Apart from that, I think I’m playing very well. There have been a few people over the years that have come from behind to win, so I think I’m in a really good position.”

Enjoy the best of the action from the second round of the 2013 BMW PGA Championship in our highlight video.

The top of the leaderboard at the BMW PGA Championship resembles a merry-go-round at the moment, with players coming and going on a regular basis. The man currently in the hot seat is Spain’s Alejandro Cañizares (-9), who has moved into the lead with six holes to play, courtesy of four birdies. A duo of Englishmen is currently tied in second: Lee Westwood and Mark Foster (both -8).

2011 runner-up Lee Westwood (-8) is yet to drop a shot on day three of “The Players’ Championship” and is -5 through 14 today.  Foster (-8) and flight partner Marc Warren (SCO, -6) have also been going along nicely, and have benefitted from a collapse by both overnight leader Francesco Molinari (ITA, -3) and his playing partner George Coetzee (RSA, -3).

Molinari at one point shared the lead with his older brother, before Edoardo (-5) double-bogeyed the par-3 14^th hole. Shortly afterwards, Francesco suffered an even worse fate. A first bogey at the seventh was followed by a disastrous triple-bogey seven on the eighth. Far from steadying the ship, the Ryder Cup star dropped another shot on the ninth to fall to -3 at the turn. 20-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero (-6, T5) is now the best-placed of the three Italians who had earlier threatened to monopolise the top of the leaderboard.

As carrots go, the one being dangled in front of the European Tour’s top players on the 14th tee at the Wentworth Club is pretty spectacular: the BMW M6 Gran Coupé. This is the hole-in-one prize awaiting the first player to ace the picturesque 14th hole. This is not proving to be an easy task, however.

The new BMW M6 Gran Coupé becomes the third distinctive design to be added to the M6 model range. The newest member of the M6 family brings together M performance characteristics with extra luxury and aesthetic appeal. Hallmark M design features directly influence this car’s technical considerations and provide a window into its performance capabilities.  Air cooling, chassis geometry, weight balance and aerodynamics have all dictated the striking muscular form of the car. Meanwhile, under its bonnet a high-revving 560hp V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology propel the BMW M6 Gran Coupé in true supercar performance style.

Whilst the BMW PGA Championship has produced four hole-in-ones since it made its first appearance on the European Tour in 2007, none of these have come on the 179-yard 14th. This year’s tournament has already yielded two eagles on a par-3 – the first time the championship has witnessed two hole-in-ones in the same year since 2006. However, unfortunately for Englishmen Jason Levermore and Andy Sullivan, there moment of glory came on the 154-yard second.

Interestingly, the last man to ace the 14th is still in the field at this year’s BMW PGA Championship: Thomas Björn, at the 2003 World Match Play Championship. Were the Dane to repeat the feat, he would be rewarded with the keys to a new car befitting the European Tour’s flagship tournament.

As the leaders get their campaigns back underway on day three of the BMW PGA Championship, a familiar figure has drawn on his vast wealth of experience to produce a remarkable turnaround. At four over par with just four holes remaining and the cut coming at +2, it looked for all the world as though Miguel Ángel Jiménez’s 600th European Tour appearance would come to a premature end on Friday evening. Well, what a difference a day makes.

The 49-year-old Spaniard shot three birdies in the final four holes yesterday, and has continued where he left off today. Since staring into the abyss, “The Mechanic” has carded 9 birdies in the last 22 holes and has climbed into contention on -4, courtesy of an excellent third round of 67.

Whilst all that was going on, overnight leader Francesco Molinari (ITA, -6), who teed off at 13:15, has been joined at the top of the leaderboard by England’s Lee Slattery. A birdie on the second followed by an eagle on the par-5 fourth and another birdie on the fifth have propelled the 34-year-old, who won last year’s Madrid Masters, from -2 at the start of the day into a tie for the lead on -6 after just five holes. Slattery’s compatriot Lee Westwood (-3) opened his third round with two pars, as he looks to mount a challenge for the title that he so narrowly missed out on in 2011, when he lost to Luke Donald in a dramatic play-off.

Scottish pair Richie Ramsay (-4) and Greig Hutcheon (-3) took full advantage of improved conditions on the morning of day three of the BMW PGA Championship to make an early move up the leaderboard. Hutcheon, ranked 1,510 in the world, was the first man out onto the West Course on Saturday and a fine back nine, which included an eagle on the par-5 twelfth hole, resulted in a round of 67 (-5 for the day) that saw him climb 46 places into a tie for tenth on -3.

Teeing off in the next flight, Ramsay went one better than his compatriot, ending the penultimate day of the European Tour’s flagship tournament on -4, courtesy of three birdies in the last four holes on his way to a stunning round of 66. With fellow Scot Marc Warren (-5) one shot off leader Francesco Molinari (ITA, -6) and still to tee off, it promises to be a good day for those fans who have travelled down from north of the border.

An air of anticipation surrounds the majestic Wentworth Club on the third morning of the BMW PGA Championship. Gone are the heavy rain, strong winds and perishing cold of yesterday. Instead, the large crowds arriving at the European Tour’s flagship event have been greeted by blue skies, bright sunshine and the prospect of an intriguing day’s golf.

With the opening flights already at the turn, the early signs are that the beautiful West Course might just take it a little easier on the 71 remaining players, having really put them through the mill on days one and two.

Scotland’s Richie Ramsay (-1) and Marcel Siem (-1) of Germany appear to be enjoying the improved conditions, each picking up 3 shots on the front nine to move to –1, five shots behind overnight leader Francesco Molinari (ITA, -6). The Italian Ryder Cup star tees off in the final flight of the day alongside South African George Coetzee at 13:15.

They follow two players onto the first tee who are becoming rather well acquainted with each other. Mark Foster (ENG, -5) and Marc Warren (SCO, -5) played together on Thursday and Friday, and will be hoping they can continue to inspire each other to shoot another low round when they tee off at 13:05 on day three.

Flight 33 is guaranteed a big following when it steps onto the first tee at 12:45. Four-time Major winner and former Wentworth resident Ernie Els (RSA, -3) will play alongside a young man less than half his age in Matteo Manassero (-4). The 20-year-old Italian is regarded by many as the next big thing to come out of Europe and made many friends at Wentworth when he finished 7th on his debut in 2011, aged just 18.

Whilst yet to hit the front of the field, former world number one Lee Westwood (-3) has never been far from the top of the leaderboard throughout the opening two days. The Englishman has a score to settle with the tournament on the outskirts of London, having narrowly lost out to compatriot Luke Donald in a play-off two years ago. His flight partner on Saturday is a man who knows how it feels to go one better than runner-up: Simon Khan (-3) fired a final round of 66 to lift the coveted trophy back in 2010.

Winter returned to Wentworth on Friday, with heavy showers and temperatures failing to get out of single figures. Despite this, fans and players braved the elements to produce more magical scenes on the iconic West Course.

Waterproofs, woolly hats and mittens were the order of the day at the Wentworth Club near London on Friday. Temperatures failed to make it out of single figures, and blustery wind and heavy showers made the stars of the European Tour toil on the iconic West Course.

This did not deter the fans, however. 19,764 spectators braved the elements to encourage the players as they battled with the unseasonal weather. Nor did it trouble Ryder Cup star Francesco Molinari. The Italian hit seven birdies on his way to a round of 68 (-4 for the day), which sees him top the leaderboard on -6. His flight partners Lee Westwood (ENG, -3) and Ernie Els (-3) also coped better than many and are well positioned to launch an attack over the weekend.

One shot off the lead is Alejandro Cañizares (ESP, -5), who is playing his first tournament since suffering a bout of viral meningitis during the China Open. Despite still not being 100 per cent, the Spaniard went round in two under par today, thanks in no small part to a hat-trick of birdies on holes six, seven and eight. Cañizares is tied in a group of four players on -5 that also includes Mark Foster (ENG), Marc Warren (SCO) and George Coetzee (RSA).

The youngest player in the field, 20-year-old Matteo Manassero recovered from the disappointment of a double-bogey on the 15^th by holing a short birdie putt on the final hole for a round of 71 (-1 for the day). The Italian starts the second half of the tournament two shots off the lead on -4. Manassero is tied in sixth place with the second youngest player at Wentworth, 22-year-old rookie Eddie Pepperell (ENG, -4), who birdied the last four holes to move into contention

Meanwhile, the second oldest player in the field, Miguel Ángel Jiménez (ESP, +1) produced a superb round of 69 to prolong his participation in his 600^th European Tour event. The 49-year-old was staring into the abyss with four holes to go, but pulled a rabbit out of the hat with three birdies in a row, narrowly missing out on a fourth on the final hole.

It was a day of mixed fortunes for the victorious European Ryder Cup team: in contrast to Francesco Molinari, his team-mates defending champion Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Paul Lawrie will all be left watching the action on TV over the weekend, having failed to make the cut. Among the heroes from Medinah who will still be in action on the final two days are Sergio García (ESP, -1), BMW Brand Ambassador Marin Kaymer (GER, level par) and Justin Rose (ENG, +2), whose birdie putt at the 18^th was enough to ensure he returns to the course tomorrow, when the weather is forecast to be much improved.

Here is what the leading protagonists had to say after round two of the 2013 BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club.

Francesco Molinari (ITA, leader, -6): “Obviously conditions were quite tough. But I’m hitting the ball well off the tee and with the irons. I’m getting a few chances, and the putter is working too, so I’m really happy at the moment. It’s a really tough golf course, so anyone even around six or seven shots behind is still in it.”

Mark Foster (ENG, -5): “I remember playing one Sunday when it was horrific like this, but I think this is the worst two days we’ve had here. You know you’re going well and you’re pleased with yourself, but you’re in and out of the umbrella, trying to dry the clubs. You don’t enjoy it in weather like this, but you appreciate the position you’re in. I come here every year with the same optimism and, for once, I actually played alright.”

Eddie Pepperell (ENG, -4): “It’s amazing to be here. When the entry lists came out I didn’t think I had a chance to be honest. This is probably the best event I’ve ever been a part of, so it’s great. To have this many fans out on a day like today says everything you need to know about the English and the way we feel about our golf in this country. People love to come and watch you whether it’s raining or sunny.”

Lee Westwood (ENG, -3): “My short game’s been red hot. I had a nice up-and-down on the 18^th after finding the hazard. Those sorts of things can make a big difference to your week, so I’m going into the weekend with momentum. I ran a few putts that burned the edges. A couple of them, I don’t know how they missed. If my long game starts to come together, I could be dangerous.”

Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL, -2): “It is blowing quite a lot and it’s pretty cold. When you go out in such conditions, you try to minimise the bad shots and plot your way around a little steadier than you would otherwise do, when you would maybe fire at the pins and take advantage of some tee shots.”

With some of the pre-tournament favourites entering the finishing straight on day two of the BMW PGA Championship, a number of the European Tour’s stars are facing anxious times as they strive to avoid the cut, which comes at the end of today’s second round.

The cut is currently projected at +2, meaning anyone on +3 or above come the end of the day can pack their bags and head to the driving range for the weekend. Bad news for world number two Rory McIlroy (NIR), who has struggled with his game all week and is +4 through 14. His flight partners and fellow Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell (NIR, +4) and Paul Lawrie (SCO, +5) are faring no better and will have to pull out all the stops over the remaining four holes if they are to return to the West Course on Saturday.

Miguel Ángel Jiménez’s 600^th tournament on the European Tour could also be coming to a premature end. With four holes to play, the Spaniard also finds himself languishing below the cut-off on +4. Two flights behind Jiménez, Justin Rose is battling to keep his championship alive. The Englishman has dropped from par at the start of the day to +3 with just three holes remaining. It looks like coming down to the final two par-5 holes for the world number four.

With many a big name struggling, Rose’s flight partner Martin Kaymer is steadily putting himself in a good position going into the final two days of competition. The BMW Brand Ambassador is currently four shots off leader Francesco Molinari (ITA, -6) after a second consistent performance around a West Course that is certainly bearing its teeth in the wind and rain.

20-year-old Matteo Manassero has provided further proof that he not only has a great game, but also a mature head on his young shoulders. While his more experienced peers have been left scratching their heads, the Italian is currently two under for his round (through 14) and has moved to within just one shot behind his compatriot Molinari. He joins a group of five players on -5, which includes George Coetzee (RSA), Alejandro Cañizares (ESP), Marc Warren (SCO) and best-placed Englishman Mark Foster.

He came into the tournament with great expectations. And why not? Luke Donald had won the last two BMW PGA Championships. "The course suits me," the Englishman stressed time and time again. However, today was another fine example of just how unpredictable the game of golf can be. The former world number one took 150 shots (+6) to complete his two rounds and looks certain to miss the cut, which is currently projected at +1.

Donald did manage to produce a round of 72 (even par) today, but that was nowhere near good enough to compensate for yesterday’s miserable 78. As such, the dream of replicating Colin Montgomerie’s hat-trick of titles is over. It will come as no consolation to Donald that his compatriot and fellow Ryder Cup hero from Medinah endured an even worse two days: Ian Poulter (+8) signed for a second round of 76 and will not be here at the weekend either.

It was a very different story for a third player from the victorious European team of 2012. A round of 68 was sufficient for Italy’s Francesco Molinari to draw level with overnight leader James Kingston, who is yet to begin his second round. Both are currently tied on six under par with Scotland’s Marc Warren, who is 14 holes into his round.

The applause that greeted the players on the first tee at 12:20 was even louder than usual. The reason: Spain’s Miguel Ángel Jiménez, whose appearance at the BMW PGA Championship is his 600^th on the European Tour. However, this mightily impressive achievement is not the only reason the 49-year-old enjoys such adulation wherever he tees off – and rightly so.

He is one of the most eye-catching players on the European Tour. The ginger ponytail, the unmistakable swing – Jiménez is immediately recognisable. And once you have seen the man from Andalusia, you are unlikely ever to forget him. His popularity undoubtedly has something to do with the impressive amount of success “The Mechanic” has enjoyed – but that is only half the story. All the same, it would be rude not to mention at least some of his greatest triumphs.

Jiménez is the seventh pro, and the first from continental Europe, to reach the 600-tournament mark. In doing so, he follows in the footsteps of Sam Torrance (706), Barry Lane (682), Roger Chapman (619), Eamonn Darcy (610) and Malcolm McKenzie (605). With a cheeky twinkle in his eye, as always, Jiménez said: “I think I have survived four generations on the Tour. When I started I was playing with Seve, with Lyle and Woosnam and all those players. Then came Olazábal, Faldo and Monty and their generation. Then you had Clarke and Westwood guys like that. And now when I go on Tour, they are kids. Rory and all of these young boys are children!”

Jiménez has amassed 19,980,346 Euros in prize money on the European Tour and has an impressive 19 tournament wins to his name, including the BMW PGA Championship (2008). The triumph at Wentworth saw the winner of the BMW Asian Open and BMW International Open in 2004 achieved a unique milestone: he remains the only pro ever to have won three different BMW tournaments. Jiménez has also played in four Ryder Cups, winning two (2004, 2010). And the petrolhead has also represented his continent twice as vice-captain: in 1997 at the side of his good friend Seve Ballesteros in Valderrama and at last year’s “Miracle in Medinah”.

It does not take a great stretch of the imagination – if you know Miguel Ángel Jiménez – to envisage the Spaniard playing a major role in the European team’s fairy-tale comeback: Jiménez is so positive and so intoxicating, and his love of life and golf is so genuine, that no team could resist being infected by his enthusiasm. And this lust for life also transcends to the crowds. A smile is never far from Jiménez’s lips – and that is what makes him so enormously popular.

His laid-back approach also gives amateurs lining the fairways that reassuring feeling that golf is an easy game, in which you can still enjoy great success at a more advanced age. Last November, Jiménez won the Hong Kong Open at the age of 48, making him the oldest winner of a tournament on the European Tour.

Next year, the man from Malaga will turn 50. Time for the Seniors Tour then? It has not even crossed his mind: “I still feel like I can win on the Tour, and as long as I can stay healthy and away from injuries then I will be here for a few more years,” promised Jiménez. Great news for golf fans, including those in Munich. Jiménez will tee off at the 25^th BMW International Open (18^th to 23^rd June), where he will share an anniversary: Jiménez, like the tournament, has been a permanent fixture on the European Tour for the last 25 seasons.

As the first flights out on the West Course on the second morning of the BMW PGA Championship approach the end of their rounds, James Kingston is still sitting pretty at the top of the leaderboard, courtesy of his opening round of 66 (-6). However, two players are closing in on the South African.

Kingston’s compatriot George Coetzee (-5) is one of few players moving in the right direction, and the 26-year-old’s two birdies on the front nine were enough to see him close to within one shot of the overnight leader. He is joined on -5 by 2010 champion Simon Khan (ENG), courtesy of an eagle on the par-five fourth hole.

A further shot back is the best-placed of the 2012 Ryder Cup stars, Francesco Molinari (-4). The Italian recovered from a bogey on the first with back-to-back birdies on three and four to move to -4 after nine holes. Three-time PGA Championship winner Colin Montgomerie is also showing glimpses of the kind of form that saw him win the European Tour Order of Merit a record eight times. The Scot fired two birdies in his opening seven holes to join a group of seven players on -3.

While the first of Thursday’s flights at the BMW PGA Championship are already out on the course, 15 players are still yet to complete their opening rounds. The threat of lightning caused the tournament organisers to suspend play for approximately 90 minutes yesterday. As a result, the final five flights out on the course had to stop play when it became too dark at 20:54 on Thursday. They will return today at 08:30 to complete their opening rounds, before then teeing off on their second rounds.

Among the 15 players is Austria’s Martin Wiegele, who picked up five shots in six holes around the turn to move to -4 with five holes to play.

With heavier rain and stronger gusts of wind expected early in the afternoon, the morning starters will be looking to make an impression on the leaderboard while they can. The good news for those who make it through tomorrow’s cut, and for fans planning on visiting the Wentworth Club, is that the weather is set to improve on Saturday.

The combination of dramatic clouds, bright sunshine and dazzling golf on the magnificent West Course made for some awesome images on day one of "The Players’ Flagship" at Wentworth. Here are the best of them.

James Kingston takes a one-shot lead into day two of the BMW PGA International Open. The 47-year-old South African, who is only playing at Wentworth courtesy of a sponsor’s invite having lost his Tour card at the end of last year, carded an excellent opening round of 66 (-6) to take the clubhouse lead before the threat of a thunderstorm caused play to be suspended for approximately 90 minutes

With the wind gradually picking up over the course of the day, the morning starters monopolised the top of the leaderboard at the end of Thursday. One shot off the lead is a man who, like Kingston, has two European Tour victories to his name. Mikko Ilonen (FIN, -5) came into the tournament in a rich vein of form and showed just why he has picked up two top-ten finishes in the last month, dropping just one shot on the 16th hole. He is followed on -4 by rookie Scott Henry (SCO).

The early-starters did not have things all their own way, however, and a number of big names will have to lift their game tomorrow if they are to avoid missing the cut. World number two Rory McIlroy (NIR, +2) looked on course for a decent score, until he arrived at the thirteenth. The 2012 PGA Championship winner suffered a mini collapse, dropping five shots over the last six holes to slide to two over par. He is joined 8 shots off the lead by fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, courtesy of a double-bogey on the final hole. Spain’s Sergio García (level par) looked destined for the same score, until an eagle on the 18th gave the large crowds around the last green something to cheer about.

McIlroy’s woes were nothing compared to those of 2011 and 2012 champion Luke Donald. The Englishman, aiming for a hat-trick of titles, finds himself tied in 144th place on +6. It will take quite some turn around for the former world number one to make the cut tomorrow.

When the skies cleared later in the evening, a number of the afternoon starters began to appear further up the leaderboard. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño (ESP, -3) shot five birdies on the back nine to move into a tie for third place on -4, while George Coetzee (RSA, -3) and Ryder Cup vice-captain Thomas Björn (DEN, -3) both battled hard to remain within three shots of the lead with three days to go. Lurking a further shot back are Ryder Cup duo Lee Westwood (ENG, -2) and his flight partner Francesco Molinari (ITA, -2), as well as BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer (GER, -2).

Here is what the leading protagonists had to say after round one of the 2013 BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club.

James Kingston (RSA, leader, -6): “It was nice to get an invite to this event. What a great feeling it is to be back here. I think I made the most of the invitation today. I knew it was going to be a tough day, but I got off to a decent start and just built on that.”

Mikko Ilonen (FIN, -5): “It was pretty nippy in the morning. All day I was thinking, can I get these waterproof trousers off my legs, but I really couldn't. Wentworth has not been the best of places for me, but I've always enjoyed coming over here because the tournament is first class, the best we have. Hopefully I can put some scores together this week.”

Scott Henry (SCO, -4): “This is the first time this year that I have put everything together. I bogeyed the first and then holed from about 45 feet on the second. That settled me down to be honest. It feels like a big occasion. There are loads of people around and the course is awesome.”

Matteo Manassero (ITA, -3): “I putted really well. The most important thing was that I felt really good addressing the ball and hit good putts. That was the main thing. It seems the tournament is getting bigger every year. I definitely wasn’t in the main group today, but even in these conditions there were still so many people out there watching.”

Martin Kaymer (GER, -2): “It was very tough and cold. It played very long, so I’m very pleased with two under par. I didn’t play the best golf, but I scrambled well and kept the ball in play. I hit a lot of fairways and although I didn’t give myself many birdie chances, I made them when they did come along. I was very pleased to finish with two birdies.”

Justin Rose (ENG, level par): “It’s disappointing. I played a lot of really nice golf today and felt good. I’m going to take the positives out of the day. It was the kind of day where you can only lose a tournament. It was tough out there and quite easy to shoot a high score, so par is not the end of the world if you look at the big picture over the course of the week.”

As the BMW PGA Championship reaches the midway point on the first afternoon, a new name has shot to the top of the leaderboard. James Kingston fired 5 birdies on the back nine on his way to an opening round of 66 (-6). Kingston, one of 14 South Africans in the field, made light work of the blustery conditions on Thursday afternoon. Having birdied the second hole, the 47-year-old dropped his only shot of the day on the third, before bouncing back with a further 6 birdies.

Kingston leads Mikko Ilonen (FIN, -5) by 1 shot, with rookie Scott Henry (SCO, -4) a further shot back. Luke Donald’s (ENG) bid for a third consecutive title, meanwhile, appears to be fading. The former world number one carded a double-bogey on the eighth hole to drop back to +4, already a whole ten shots off the lead.

With the afternoon starters facing the day’s toughest conditions, Paul Casey continues to show signs of a return to the kind of form that saw him lift the prestigious trophy back in 2009. The Englishman is currently -2 through six holes, level with a group of eleven players that includes BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer (GER) and Francesco Molinari (ITA).

Martin Kaymer (-2) birdied the final two holes to remain in contention after his opening round at the 2013 BMW PGA Championship. The BMW Brand Ambassador trails leader Mikko Ilonen (-5) by three shots, after the Finn had earlier carded an excellent round of 67.

The German bogeyed the opening hole, before steadying the ship with a string of ten consecutive pars – a run that came to an end with a welcome birdie on the par-5 12th hole. Wind and rain have made for tricky conditions so far at the Wentworth Club, so Kaymer will be happy with the consistency that saw him drop just that one single shot early on in his round.

Matteo Manassero (ITA, -3), who already has two top-twenty finishes at "The Players’ Flagship" to his name since making his Wentworth debut in 2010, also produced another mature performance on day one. The 20-year-old carded a three-under round of 69 to finish within two shots off Ilonen. Manassero is joined on -3 by Scotland’s Scott Henry and South African Keith Horne.

Shot of the morning was undoubtedly that of little-known Englishman Jason Levermore (-1), who holed his tee shot on the 155-yard, par-three second for a spectacular hole-in-one. Levermore, who clinched the very last qualifying place for the prestigious tournament, will be hoping he can repeat his feat on the 14^th hole, when he would be rewarded with the BMW Hole-in-One car – the BMW M6 Gran Coupé.

With gusts of over 30 mph forecast, it promises to be a windy and challenging opening round for the afternoon starters at the BMW PGA Championship.

The high trees lining the fairways mean the wind swirls around the West Course, adding to what is already a formidable challenge. However, with another stellar field assembled for the European Tour’s flagship event, the players out on course certainly possess all the qualities required to put on a spectacular show of golf for the large galleries on day one at the Wentworth Club.

The first of the afternoon’s big names is José María Olazábal. Reunited with his Ryder Cup winning team, the two-time Masters champion tees off at 12:20 alongside Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin – winner of last month’s Open de España. They are joined by another big name – quite literally: Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, who arrives at Wentworth on the back of five consecutive top-20 finishes, including victory at the Malaysian Open in March.

England’s Ryder Cup talisman Ian Poulter is guaranteed a great reception from the local fans when he tees off at 12:40. The number 17 in the world is partnered with his team-mate from Medinah, big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts. They are joined by Aussie Brett Rumford, whose rich vein of form has seen him claim back-to-back victories at the Ballantine’s Championship and the China Open within the last month.

Next out at 13:00 is defending champion Luke Donald. The former world number one has his sights set on a hat-trick of BMW PGA Championship titles. He tees off alongside Spaniards Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño and Sergio Garcia, who is making his first appearance at Wentworth for 13 years.

They are followed onto the West Course by reigning Open Champion Ernie Els and Lee Westwood, who narrowly lost out to fellow Englishman Donald in a play-off two years ago. The third in what is bound to be a popular trio with the crowds is the younger of the two Molinari brothers, Francesco.

Finland’s Mikko Ilonen has started where he left off at the China Open earlier this month, where he finished runner-up. The 33-year-old leads the BMW PGA Championship on -3 as he heads into the back nine.

In gusty conditions, the Finn is one of only three players not to have dropped a shot on the outward nine. The other two are Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley (-1) and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell (par), who arrives at Wentworth on the back of last week’s victory at the World Match Play Championship.

The group of six players tied in second place on -2 includes another man from the Emerald Isle – Ireland’s Shane Lowry, whose only dropped shot so far came at the par-4 third hole. Last year’s runner-up Justin Rose also bogied the same hole, but responded in style with back-to-back birdies before picking up another shot on the eighth. Rose’s flight partner and Ryder Cup team-mate Martin Kaymer (+1) dropped a shot on the first hole, but has steadied the ship with seven pars in a row.

Italy’s Matteo Manassero finished seventh at Wentworth two years ago, and has made a promising start to this year’s tournament, shooting three birdies on his way to -2 through 7 holes. Meanwhile, world number two Rory McIlroy is lurking just two shots off the lead on -1. With the wind picking up, course management looks like playing a key role on the opening day of the European Tour’s flagship tournament.

Now 32, Justin Rose can quote a list of achievements that most professional golfers would be proud of: 4th place at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale aged just 18; the first of five European Tour wins at the 2002 Dunhill Championship; four wins on the US PGA Tour, including the prestigious BMW Championship in 2011; winner of the 2007 European Tour Order of Merit; runner-up in the 2012 Race to Dubai; and two Ryder Cup appearances, including last year’s ‘Miracle in Medinah’, when Rose’s final-day singles victory against Phil Mickelson was instrumental in the European Team’s successful comeback.

Not a bad CV, I think you’d admit. So, now 32 years old and in his 15^th year as a pro, what is it that keeps the South African-born Englishman ticking. Speaking ahead of this week’s BMW PGA Championship in London, Rose discussed his desire to go one better than his two runner-up spots at the Wentworth Club and that momentous weekend Medinah last year.

Question: “Having finished runner-up last year, you could say that this course has treated you well in the past, so you must be looking forward to this week?”

Rose: “Or you could say it has treated me badly: this is a tournament I dearly want to win. Having lost in a play-off and come close last year, it definitely lights the fires even more. The BMW PGA Championship is on a short list of tournaments that I would love to win. Outside of the Majors, there are very few tournaments ahead of this one. It is obviously always a nice feeling for me to come back here with friends and family around.”

Question: “Last year you arrived at Wentworth on the back of some good results and a big win, and you’ve had another good start to this year. Do you feel good vibes ahead of the tournament?”

Rose: “Yes. I have probably been playing as well as last year, but without the big week. Provided I stay patient and keep doing all the good things I have been doing, that week will be just around the corner.”

Question: “The victorious Ryder Cup team is reunited this week and you had the European Tour dinner last night. There must be a nice atmosphere around the place. Does that put an extra spring in your step?”

Rose: “Absolutely. I find that night quite inspiring, as you get to see all the silverware lined up and see what is up for grabs every single year. You dream of winning those tournaments, but to actually see the fruits of those wins all in one room really gets me very motivated. It’s obviously great to have the Ryder Cup team together as well. It’s rare to have all 12 in the same field.”

Question: “Rory McIlroy says the Ryder Cup is his greatest experience on the golf course. How does it compare to the tournaments you’ve won?

Rose: “The highs and lows are extreme: losing hurts more and winning means more. Last year was the first time I’ve been on a winning team – the first time I ever experienced the elation of celebrating together and feeling the accomplishment of the whole team. I think the Ryder Cup transcends golf. It attracts sports fans rather than golf fans.”

Australia’s Andrew Dodt, Graeme Storm (ENG) and Welshman Phillip Price had the honour of opening proceedings at the BMW PGA Championship at 07:00 this morning, as the great and good of the European Tour assemble at its headquarters on the outskirts of London for its flagship tournament. All 12 members of the victorious European Ryder Cup team are reunited at the majestic Wentworth Club, along with the mastermind behind last year’s ‘Miracle in Medinah’, captain José María Olazábal.

Whilst last year’s triumphant Ryder Cup captain must wait until the afternoon to tee off (12:20), his successor Paul McGinley (IRL) is among the early starters, teeing off at 07:40. The 46-year-old, himself a four-time winner on the European Tour, is joined on the iconic West Course by top Chinese golfer Wen-chong Liang and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry.

McGinley is followed onto the first tee at 07:50 by a former winner and two players who will be hoping to impress the Ryder Cup captain over the next year and a bit. Miguel Angel Jiménez (ESP) won in Wentworth in 2008, completing a hat-trick of BMW titles in the process. ‘The Mechanic’ plays alongside German Marcel Siem, whose third European Tour victory came at the Trophée Hassan II in March, and 2011 BMW Italian Open winner Robert Rock (ENG).

One of the rising stars of European golf is Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen. The 23-year-old shot onto the scene when he finished sixth at this year’s Masters Tournament in Augusta. This and a further four top-twenty finishes in 2013 have seen the exciting young prospect rise to number 34 in the world and fifth in the Race to Dubai. He tees off alongside the winner of this year’s Joburg Open, Richard Sterne (RSA) and the 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke (NIR) at 08:00.

BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer (GER) will hope to continue a return to form that saw him finish fifth at last week’s HP Byron Nelson Championship on the PGA Tour. He tees off at 08:15 with last year’s runner-up Justin Rose (ENG) and world number 43 David Lynn (ENG).

Ryder Cup partners Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell (NIR) are certain to receive a warm welcome when the step onto the first tee in front of the magnificent clubhouse at the Wentworth Club. World number two McIlroy will be out to make up ground on Tiger Woods in the world rankings, while his compatriot McDowell arrives in London on the back of a great win at last week’s World Match Play Championship – a victory that took him to number one in the Race to Dubai. Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, another member of ‘that’ Ryder Cup team, tees off alongside the two Northern Irishmen at 08:25.

If the crowds at Wednesday’s Pro-Am are anything to go by, “The Players’ Flagship” promises to produce another special atmosphere at the Wentworth Club – one that “Friend of the BMW Brand” Maximilian Kieffer (GER) will experience for the first time when he takes to the course alongside Swede Niclas Fasth and Denmark’s Soren Hansen at 09:40.

A Park and Ride scheme for spectators is being implemented to relive as much pressure as possible on the road infrastructure around The Wentworth Estate and to ensure a smooth and safe journey to The BMW PGA Championship.

Spectators using the scheme will be dropped off at the new Welcome Pavilion giving immediate access to the superb BMW PGA Championship Tented Village and incorporating a dedicated ticket collection point and other spectator information on arrival.

All Public Ticket holders (INCLUDING ADVANCE TICKET HOLDERS) will be directed to a Park and Ride site.

BMW Owners, Pay to Park and Official Badge Holders will be able to access car parking on site as in previous years. There will be NO parking charge for BMW Owners and Official Badge Holders. If you are travelling in a BMW vehicle you do not need a car park label, just follow the event signage to BMW Owners Car Park. If you have a dedicated car park label please follow the event signage to your car park label. Access and Entry points will be shown on your car park label and also on the event road signage.

When travelling to the Park and Ride Car Parks, please follow the event signage when near the area rather than your Satellite Navigation System. 

THE WEST PARK AND RIDE – POSTCODE SL5 0HD - Click here for a map

· Located in Sunningdale for spectators travelling from the WEST (M3 and M4).

THE EAST PARK AND RIDE – POSTCODE SL4 2BA - Click here for a map

· Located on the Review Ground of Windsor Great Park Crown Estate for spectators travelling from the M25/London/East/North.

ALL CAR PARKING IS FREE AND THERE IS A FREE BUS SHUTTLE FROM THE PARK AND RIDES TO THE TENTED VILLAGE AT THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP.

Shuttle Bus Hours of Operation:

Tuesday 21^st May                No shuttle bus operation. All Parking on Wentworth Estate

Wednesday 22^nd May         07.30hrs                -               18.30hrs

Thursday 23^rd May              06.30hrs                -               21.00hrs

Friday 24^th May                   06.30hrs                -               21.00hrs

Saturday 25^th May              06.30hrs                -               19.00hrs

Sunday 26^th May                 06.30hrs                -               19.00hrs

The bus shuttle service will run from 06.30hrs – 21.00hrs continuously

SPECTATORS ARE REMINDED TO FOLLOW THE EVENT SIGNAGE WHICH WILL BE IN PLACE DIRECTING THEM TO THE CORRECT OFF SITE CAR PARKS FOR ONWARD TRAVEL TO THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP.

Windsor Great Park and Sunningdale have been selected as the only two official Park & Ride locations for The BMW PGA Championship. There is NO public parking facility at or near The Wentworth site other than for those with accredited vehicle labels.

PARK & RIDE OPERATING TIMES

Both Park & Ride schemes will be open for parking at 06.00 hours. The transfers to The BMW PGA Championship will begin at 06:30. The last bus will depart for the course at approximately 15.00 hours. The last bus to the Park &Ride car parks will leave at approximately 21:00 hours and the Park &Ride car parks will close at 21.30 hours.

TRAVELLING TO THE EAST PARK & RIDE (WINDSOR GREAT PARK)

POSTCODE: SL4 2BB

·         Located approximately 7 miles from The BMW PGA Championship Welcome Pavilion.

·         Opening Times Competition Days: 06.00am

·         Opening Times Pro-Am: 08.00am

·         Operating Times Pro-Am: First Bus – 08.00hrs and Last Bus – 18.30hrs

·         Operating Times Thursday/Friday: First Bus – 06.30hrs and Last Bus – 21.00hrs

·         Operating Times Saturday/Sunday: First Bus – 06.30hrs and Last Bus – 19.00hrs

·         Journey Time: 15 minutes

Vehicles approaching from the East and South of the venue will access via the M3, M4 and M25, leaving at J13 of the M25. Vehicles can then access the site via the A308 and A322.

Vehicles access the site from the local area will use the A329 and A322 will signs will capture them at strategic junctions.

Cars approaching from the North will use the A308 and A355 which are also accessed from the M4 Motorway.

All routes will be signposted by the AA.

Upon arrival at the East Park and Ride:

• Spectators will be directed to car parks and onwards to the ticket check/purchase and the waiting shuttle buses onwards to The BMW PGA Championship.

•The arrival point for the Shuttle Bus will be at the BMW PGA Championship Welcome Pavilion which is at the entrance of the Tented Village.

• Catering and toilet facilities are available at the East Park & Ride.

• Under normal traffic conditions, the transfer time from the East Park & Ride to The BMW PGA Championship is approximately 15 -20 minutes.

TRAVELLING TO THE WEST PARK & RIDE (SUNNINGDALE)

POSTCODE SL5 0HD

·         Located approximately 3 miles from the Wentworth Estate.

·         Opening Times Competition Days: 06.00am

·         Opening Times Pro-Am: 08.00am

·         Operating Times Pro-Am: First Bus – 08.00hrs and Last Bus – 17.00hrs

·         Operating Times Thursday/Friday: First Bus – 06.30hrs and Last Bus – 21.00hrs

·         Operating Times Saturday/Sunday: First Bus – 06.30hrs and Last Bus – 19.00hrs

·         Journey Time: 10 minutes

Cars approaching from the South will access via the M3, leaving at J3. Vehicles can then access the site via the A322 and A30.

Cars approaching from the North will use the A329(M) and A322 which are also accessed from the M4 motorway before joining the A30 to access the site in Sunningdale.

Cars accessing the site from the local area will use the A329, A330 and A322 where signs will capture them at strategic junctions.

All routes will be signposted by the AA.

Upon arrival at the West Park and Ride:

• Spectators will be directed to car parks and onwards to the ticket check/purchase and the waiting shuttle buses onwards to The BMW PGA Championship.

•The arrival point for the Shuttle Bus will be at the BMW PGA Championship Welcome Pavilion which is at the entrance of the Tented Village.

• Catering and toilet facilities are available at the East Park & Ride.

• Under normal traffic conditions, the transfer time from the East Park & Ride to The BMW PGA Championship is approximately 10-15 minutes.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Ticket purchase points will be in place at both Park & Rides. Please allow appropriate time in your schedule for these elements and the transfer journey via the Park & Ride.

• Remember the location of your car when it is parked. There will be signage to help you do this.

• Please do not leave personal items on the Park & Ride shuttles. Inquiries regarding any lost property should be directed to the Lost Property/BMW PGA Championship Welcome Pavilion located in the Tented Village. There will be a Left Luggage point adjacent to the Welcome Pavilion at the entrance to the Tented Village.

• Prohibited Parking zones are in place on all roads around the Wentworth Estate and any unattended vehicle will be removed.

• Spectator vehicles will NOT be permitted access to the Wentworth Estate unless it is displaying an accredited car park event label.

TICKET PURCHASE AND CHECKING

Spectators who have not purchased a ticket in advance will be able to purchase their tickets prior to boarding the shuttle bus to the Welcome Pavilion at the BMW PGA Championship. All tickets will be checked at the Welcome Pavilion prior to entering the Tented Village.

CAR PARKING FEES

Please note that all car parking at the Park and Rides is free.

DISABLED CUSTOMERS:

There will be dedicated reserved disabled car park bays at both Park and Ride Car Parks for those spectators who have vehicles indicating a blue badge.

Wheelchair users and those who cannot avail of the FREE public park and ride shuttle scheme should contact our hotline on 0800 023 2557 or email tickets@europeantour.com for further arrangements.

It is reminded that blue badge holders will not automatically be admitted access to the Wentworth estate. Any spectator who requires special assistance and parking on site must contact 0800 023 2557 or email tickets@europeantour.com to ensure they are issued with a car park label to access the event.

PRIVATE LIMOUSINE HIRE/TAXIS

Private limousines and taxis will be directed to the YELLOW ENTRANCE at Wentworth Drive located off the A30 where there is a drop off facility at the junction of Portnall road (red post box). The occupants will then be checked for tickets by CSP staff prior to entering the event.

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCE TICKET HOLDERS:

We would encourage all our spectators to make use of the FREE Park and Ride service, however for those who wish to still park on site, there is an opportunity to pre-pay for a very LIMITED number of parking spaces on site at a cost of £10 per day from Wednesday to Sunday. On site car parking is only available by booking in advance in conjunction with the purchase of advance tickets.

ON SITE CAR PARKING WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FROM WEDNESDAY 22^ND MAY – SUNDAY 26^TH MAY UNLESS THE VEHICLE HAS A VALID EVENT CAR PARK LABEL 1-8. ALL OTHER VEHICLES WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE PARK AND RIDE.

PAY TO PARK, BMW OWNERS AND OFFICIAL BADGE HOLDERS:

Pay to Park, BMW Owners and Official Badge Holders will be able to park on site as in previous years. There will be NO parking charge for BMW Owners and Official Badge Holders. If you are travelling in a BMW vehicle you do not need a car park label, just follow the event signage to BMW Owners Car Park. If you have a dedicated car park label please follow the event signage to your car park label.

Pre-Paid Parking labels will be issued in advance with 8 label passes. Please follow the event signage to Car Park 8 and Pay to Park.

TRAVEL BY TRAIN:

Virginia Water Station is only a five minute bus trip from the entrance to the Welcome Tent and a FREE shuttle service will run on a continuous loop to and from the event throughout each day from Wednesday. This service will run from 07.00hrs – 20.00hrs.

Virginia Water Station can be accessed easily from London Waterloo, Clapham Junction, Reading, Woking, Weybridge and many other stations. For more details on services and timings please visit www.thetrainline.com

SPECTATORS ARE REMINDED TO FOLLOW THE EVENT SIGNAGE WHICH WILL BE IN PLACE DIRECTING  THEM TO THE CORRECT PARK AND RIDE FOR ONWARD TRAVEL TO THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP.

BMW OWNERS AND OFFICIAL BADGE HOLDERS ARE REMINDED TO FOLLOW THE EVENT SIGNAGE WHICH WILL BE IN PLACE TO DIRECT THEM TO THE VALID NUMBERED CAR PARKS 1 – 8.

The Pro-Am tournament at the BMW PGA Championship saw some very familiar faces from the world of sport in rather less familiar 'kit'. Boots, bats, oars, helmets, racquets, saddles and microphones were swapped for irons and woods, as stars past and present faced the challenge of the iconic West Course alongside the biggest names on the European Tour. Large crowds were out in force on the eve of "The Players' Flagship", keen to catch a glimpse of sporting heroes like Sir Steve Redgrave, Tim Henman and Andriy Shevchenko – to name but a few. 

Golf fans were given their first taste of countless stars in action at today’s Pro-Am tournament. Among them: reigning DTM (German Touring Car) champion Bruno Spengler, himself an excellent golfer, and Sergio García, one of the Ryder Cup heroes who pulled off the “Miracle of Medinah” last September.

Joining them in a high-speed flight are two former British racing drivers, Derek Warwick (146 Formula 1 Grands Prix between 1982 and 1993) and Tim Harvey (winner of the 1992 British Touring Car Championship in a BMW 318si).

Spengler’s round on the iconic West Course was a nice way to round off a great week in England. The Canadian was in action with BMW Team Schnitzer at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit this weekend, where he finished runner-up in the second race of the DTM season. “I struggled a bit with my game today, as I was not hitting the ball well. You only need to go slightly to the right or left and you are punished immediately here. But it was so much fun! It was great to have the opportunity to play with Sergio on this great course here at Wentworth. Thank you to Sergio and thank you to BMW for allowing me to be here on this amazing course. I was like a kid today,” said a delighted Spengler, whose handicap of just over 4 sees him playing a level of golf that is virtually on a par with the pros. “I spent a lot of time studying Sergio, the way he sets up and his swing. I find it very interesting. I only started playing golf in 2008 and now play off a handicap of 4.5, so I’m improving. It is a great opportunity to get away from racing for a bit and really helps me a lot with my concentration. You learn to stay calm in any situation. I am very keen to improve. It would be nice to play the odd par round and compete in a few tournaments.”

After an absence of 13 years, García was accompanied around the stunning West Course by large crowds, all desperate for a glimpse of the ever-popular Spaniard. And he arrives at Wentworth in dazzling form, having been right in contention until the penultimate hole of the prestigious Players Championship (PGA TOUR) a fortnight ago. And he enjoyed his round with the trio of racing drivers. “It was great company out there. All three were very nice guys, and Bruno certainly has potential. I’m looking forward to playing this great tournament and will do my best to put on a good show for the fans,” said García, who will also tee off at the 25^th BMW International Open in Munich in June.

Many other well-known sportsmen from a wide range of different sports teed off in the Pro-Am tournament. English tennis great Tim Henman and US Open runner-up Greg Rusedski were also out and about on the fairways at the Wentworth Club. Rugby fans were also in for a real treat, with a large contingent including Chris Robshaw, captain of the English national team, as well as World Cup winners Will Greenwood, Matt Dawson and their victorious coach Sir Clive Woodward. Perennial Pro-Am favourites and multiple Olympic rowing champions Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent are back again this year for another crack at the iconic course.

Just a few days ahead of the Champions League final, which sees FC Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday, Wentworth was also struck by football fever at Wednesday’s Pro-Am: among those showing that they are not only extremely gifted with the ball at their feet were Theo Walcott, Andriy Shevchenko, Gianfranco Zola, Aaron Ramsay, John Arne Riise, Jamie Redknapp, Alan Hansen, Ian Wright and Matt Le Tissier.

Before battle commences for the most important title in European club football, however, the eyes of sports fans in Britain and abroad will be on the BMW PGA Championship. A new crowd record is expected over the next four days. Not only is a world-class field on display, but there could be history in the making: should Luke Donald actually complete a hat-trick of titles at Wentworth, he would equal the record held by Colin Montgomerie. The Scot is currently the only player to have achieved this feat (1998-2000).

Here are some of the key numbers about this week's BMW PGA Championship, including some particularly impressive milestones.

4 - The record number of wins by Sir Nick Faldo in 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1989.

10 - The number of former winners competing this week. They are: Paul Casey (2009), Luke Donald (2011, 2012), Scott Drummond (2004), Ignacio Garrido (2003), Anders Hansen (2002, 2007), David Howell (2006) Miguel Angel Jiménez (2008) Simon Khan (2010), Colin Montgomerie (1998, 1999, 2000) and José María Olazábal (1994). 

20 - The age of Matteo Manassero, the youngest player in the event this year.

600 - Miguel Angel Jiménez will beome the first golfer from Continental Europe to reach this landmark when he tees off on Thursday.

8 - The number of Major Champions in the field. They are: Michael Campbell, Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and José María Olazábal.

24 - The number of holes-in-one in the history of the Championship.

27 - The number of Ryder Cup players competing.

33 - Including 2013, the number of times the West Course has staged the Championship. The years were 1972-74 and every year since 1984.

49 - The age of the oldest competitors in the event, Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jiménez.

103 - The number of different European Tour winners in the field this week.

275 - The average winning score of the event.

7 - The former European Tour Number ones. They are: Luke Donald (2011), Ernie Els (2003, 2004), Martin Kaymer (2010), Rory McIlroy (2012), Colin Montgomerie (1993-1999, 2005), Justin Rose (2007) and Lee Westwood (2000, 2009).

5 - Luke Donald has won the Championship the last two years. Five is the number of players in European Tour history who have won the same official European Tour event for three consecutive years. Also the number of former World Number Ones playing: They are: Luke Donald, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood.`

62 - The lowest recorded round in the history of the BMW PGA Championship by Robert Karlsson, in round three in 2010.

2 - The number of rookies to win the Championship. They are: Bernard Gallacher (1969) and Scott Drummond (2004).

20 - The most consecutive cuts made in Championship history by José María Olazábal.

25 - The number of appearances of Colin Montgomerie and José María Olazábal. This will be the 25th consecutive for Montgomerie, who has played every year since making his debut in 1989

The reuniting of all 12 members of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team and their captain, José María Olazábal, on stage at the Players’ Awards dinner was among the many highlights of a wonderful evening of celebration for The European Tour.

Guests from around the world including players, sponsors, promoters, broadcasters and administrators, gathered at the Sofitel Hotel at Heathrow for the traditional annual ceremony on the eve of the BMW PGA Championship – the European Tour’s flagship event -  to applaud the many and varied achievements of the players throughout a tremendous 2012 campaign.

The highest honour of the Players’ Player of the Year award went to Rory McIlroy as his peers recognised his phenomenal achievements of winning US PGA Championship, topping both the US PGA Tour Money List and The Race to Dubai and reigning supreme as World Number One. McIlroy received the award from the previous year’s recipient Luke Donald, whose feat of winning the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic was matched by McIlroy.

Ernie Els received rapturous applause as his Open Championship victory was replayed and Ricardo Santos, the first Portuguese golfer to win on home soil, collected the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award from 2011 winner Tom Lewis.

There was a special award for Miguel Angel Jiménez, who will become the first continental golfer to play in 600 European Tour events when he tees up in Thursday, with Tournament Committee Chairman Thomas Björn marking the notable milestone with a presentation to the 49 year old Spaniard.

But it was the reuniting of the European Ryder Cup team on stage that brought a standing ovation from the audience and as each member of the team recounted their own special memories of his historic victory last September, Martin Kaymer, the man who holed the putt to ensure Europe retained the famous golden chalice, presented their captain with a commemorative framed picture of their famous victory at Medinah. 

The BMW Brand Ambassador hits form in time for the first big European tournament of the year – this week’s BMW PGA Championship in England.

Düsseldorf’s Martin Kaymer fired rounds of 68, 67, 69 and 68 (-8) to finish tied in fifth place on Sunday at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas – his best result of the season so far. As a result, Kaymer climbs to number 32 in the world and from 132nd to 98th in the FedExCup rankings. The PGA Tour Play-Offs begin in just 14 weeks.

The tournament in Irving was won by Sang-Moon Bae. This was the 26-year-old South Korean’s first victory on the PGA Tour and was achieved in very difficult conditions. Strong gusts of wind swept across the course on the final day. "It feels a little like the British Open, but without the rain," said Martin Kaymer. And the wind very nearly cost Sang-Moon Bae on Sunday.

The South Korean had opened up a comfortable four-shot lead at the TPC Four Seasons Resort, but dropped shots in the middle of the final round opened the door for the chasing pack. His fiercest rival was American Keegan Bradley, who had started the tournament with a course record 60 and won the event two years ago.

Bradley drew level with Bae on the 15^th hole. However, a birdie on the following hole was enough to put Bae back out on his own at the top of the leaderboard, and the South Korean ultimately finished two shots ahead of Bradley with a score of -13. Third place in Irving went to 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (RSA, -10).

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell has always excelled in the match play format and, with Bulgaria hosting the championship for the best match play golfers for the first time, the Ryder Cup star defeated all comers to secure a prestigious victory and ensure he travels to Wentworth leading the Race to Dubai.

McDowell beat Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee 2&1 in Sunday afternoon’s final at the Thracian Cliffs Beach and Golf Resort. Having seen off South African Branden Grace 3&2 in the semi-final – Jaidee had defeated Grace’s compatriot Thomas Aiken by the same score – "G-Mac" only gave his Asian opponent a brief sniff of the title in the early stages of the final.

Jaidee was two up through four holes. McDowell managed to halve the deficit on the seventh hole but was then made to fight hard to prevent the Thai player from extending his lead. McDowell, with a wealth of Ryder Cup match play experience to his name, pulled level on the 12^th and took advantage of a mistake by his opponent to move into the lead for the first time on 14. Another birdie on 15 gave the Northern Irishman some breathing space, and he never looked back.

"I’ll drink a couple of cold ones tonight and enjoy this," said 33-year-old McDowell after clinching the title. "This is a special moment in my career, no doubt about it. "

This was McDowell’s second win of the season, following his PGA Tour victory at the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head a month ago. He is now number seven in the world and has another opportunity to show what fine form he is in at this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Only Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie has ever managed to win "The Players’ Flagship" three times in a row. This week, Englishman Luke Donald will have the opportunity to equal "Monty’s" record at the BMW PGA Championship. In this video, the former world number one discusses his chances and recalls his memorable victories in 2011 and 2012.

The "Performance Putting Challenge" brings the joy of golf to the centre of London. David Howell, winner of the 2006 BMW PGA Championship, is not the only one looking forward to "The Players’ Flagship" at the Wentworth Club next week.

David Howell, the BMW PGA Champion in 2006 and two-time Ryder Cup winner, has helped launch the BMW PGA Championship’s ‘Performance Putting Challenge’ in central London.  The ‘Challenge’ - a three-hole mini golf course, incorporating BMW car parts as hazards and obstacles - was located in Duke of York Square on the King’s Road for three days, bringing a taste of golf to the heart of London and providing visitors to the area with an opportunity to put their putting skills to the test.

Howell’s appearance at the ‘Performance Putting Challenge’ - located close to HUGO BOSS’ flagship store in Sloane Square, where, throughout May, the front window will feature a BMW M6 convertible and a display dedicated to the European Tour’s premier event - also served to build anticipation ahead of the BMW PGA Championship 2013, taking place at the glorious Wentworth Club, in Surrey, between 21 - 26 May.

After tackling the three-hole ‘Performance Putting Challenge’, Howell said: “This initiative is all about taking golf and the BMW PGA Championship to new audiences. The three-hole course is great fun to play and I’ve seen all sorts of people getting involved; young, old, families, experienced golfers, even complete novices who’ve never picked up a golf club before. It’s been a great event.”

The European Tour has teed up its strongest ever player line-up for this year’s six-day event, including all 12 of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup Team, who will be reunited on European soil for the first time since the ‘Miracle at Medinah’.

Looking ahead to the tournament itself, Howell said: “If you’re a member of The European Tour you want to play in the biggest event we have and that is the BMW PGA Championship. It’s The Tour’s flagship event and, as I live in Surrey, it’s also my home tournament, so it was a big thrill for me to win in 2006 and an achievement I’m very proud of.

“There is a real Major Championship feel about the BMW PGA Championship. It’s the mix of a superb venue at Wentworth, great crowds throughout the week, an amazing atmosphere, the tournament’s heritage and the way BMW put the event on; not to mention the exceptionally high quality field this year. It’ll be great to see all the guys from that miraculous Ryder Cup victory back in town. It’s a fantastic sporting event, let alone golf tournament, and if you’re a golf fan it’s a superb opportunity to see Europe’s best players in action.”

Commenting on his own chances at Wentworth, the popular Englishman added: “I’ve been playing really well recently and over the last year have played my most consistent golf since 2006, when I won the BMW PGA Championship. I’ve been threatening with chances to win tournaments, but haven’t quite managed to seal the deal; but I’m getting closer all the time. It’s exciting. I feel I’m due a bit of luck on a Sunday and there would be nowhere better to do it than at Wentworth next week.”

The BMW PGA Championship ‘Performance Putting Challenge’ moves on to Brands Hatch this weekend (17-19 May), where the three holes will feature as part of a BMW stand at the British round of the DTM Championship.

Peter Walker, General Manager of BMW Sports Marketing, said: “With the ‘Performance Putting Challenge’ we hope to introduce both golf and the BMW PGA Championship to new audiences. DTM at Brands Hatch attracts excellent crowds over all three days, some of whom may never have played golf or considered coming to Wentworth. It will be good to get the fans involved; some of them may be surprised just how enjoyable, accessible and affordable the tournament is. We’re even expecting our own BMW Team RMG drivers to take on the ‘Performance Putting Challenge’, including three–time World Champion and British driver, Andy Priaulx.”

Jamie Birkmyre, Championship Director of the BMW PGA Championship, added: “The BMW PGA Championship marks the start of another great summer of British sport and is an exceptional day out for golf enthusiasts, sports fans and families alike. There really is something for everybody, with a superb package of fun, celebrity-spotting and world class golf taking place over a six-day period. Hopefully we’ll see a few more motorsport fans joining us at Wentworth next week.”

What do BMW DTM driver Martin Tomczyk, Olympic luge champion Felix Loch and golf rookie Maximilian Kieffer have in common? They share the same passion for dynamic and precision – on the racetrack, in the ice channel and on the fairway. BMW recognised this passion and invited the trio of professional sportsmen to demonstrate their ability on varying terrains.

Tomczyk, who lined up for BMW Team RMG at the opening race of the DTM season in Hockenheim, European Tour rookie Kieffer, and reigning Olympic luge champion and World Cup winner Loch took to the track in a BMW M3 at a BMW M Race Track Training session at the Driving Academy in Maisach, to the west of Munich. Racing driver Tomczyk took his fellow sportsmen out for a spin, showing them the correct braking points in tight bends and teaching them how to get the most out of the BMW M3, whilst at the same time keeping the car under perfect control at all times. The session finished with a series of taxi rides, during which Kieffer and Loch witnessed the 2011 DTM champion in his element at close hand.

Next up was a trip to the golf course, where pro Kieffer showed golf enthusiasts Tomczyk and Loch how to drive the fairways of the Championship Course at Golfclub München Eichenried – venue for the 25th BMW International Open.

A surprise was in store for all three sportsmen at the end of the event, when they were joined on the course by a very special guest for the closing competition over three holes. Oliver Bierhoff reached for his iron and hit a few balls with Kieffer, Tomczyk and Loch. The manager of the German national football team, himself a passionate golfer for years, impressed his peers with the length of his tee shots. "The game with Oliver Bierhoff was the perfect way to end an exciting day of sport away from the everyday routine of professional golf, and a day that I will certainly remember for a long time," said Kieffer. "After all, how often do you get the opportunity to tee off with a European Championship winning footballer?"

Twelve years had passed since Tiger Woods won the Players Championship. The world number one added his second title (13 under par) there at the weekend, with the decisive moment coming on the infamous 17th hole.

Woods started the final round on the iconic TPC Sawgrass course tied at the top of the leaderboard with Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Swedish newcomer David Lingmerth, but moved into the outright lead courtesy of three birdies on the opening seven holes. Garcia, who was involved in a row with the American on day three of the tournament, produced a consistent performance to remain in touch with Woods.

On the 14th, Tiger left the door slightly ajar: having found the water with his tee shot, Woods could do no better than double-bogey, allowing Garcia to pull level. The two leaders – playing in different flights – did not let their guard down and looked destined for a play-off. That all changed in dramatic fashion on one of the most attractive stages in golf: Garcia blew his chances of victory on the 17th – the infamous island green with the pin positioned front left for the final Sunday’s play.

Woods already had a par to his name when Garcia stepped onto the tee. The Spaniard courageously, and ultimately foolishly, attacked the flag – and came up one metre too short, in the drink. Rather than play from the drop zone, Garcia opted to try the identical shot – with the identical outcome. By the time the Ryder Cup star moved onto the 18th, he had taken a full seven shots and dropped right out of contention. The fact that Garcia also found the water with his drive on the final hole was rendered irrelevant. Garcia eventually had to settle for a share of eighth. Lingmerth and Americans Jeff Maggert and Kevin Streelman (all -11) finished tied in second.

Woods was typically down-to-earth after racking up his fourth win from seven tournaments so far this season. “I had an opportunity to win the golf tournament when I was tied for the lead today, and I thought I handled the situation well and played well today when I really needed to. That's something I'm excited about it.”

The BMW PGA Championship, one of the highlights of the British sporting summer, has teed up its strongest ever player line-up for this year’s six-day event, taking place at the glorious Wentworth Club, in Surrey, between 21 – 26 May. To celebrate this unmissable sporting occasion, BMW has teamed up with The European Tour and Official Clothing Supplier HUGO BOSS to bring a taste of golf to the heart of London.

The Championship’s ‘Performance Putting Challenge’ – a three-hole mini golf course, incorporating BMW car parts as hazards and obstacles – will be located in one of the most fashionable areas of London; Duke of York Square on the King’s Road. Between Friday 10 and Sunday 12 May visitors to the area will have the opportunity to put their putting skills to the test, with chances to win prizes from BMW, The European Tour and HUGO BOSS, ranging from highly sought after event tickets to a BMW M3 sport convertible children’s car.

The ‘Challenge’ itself will be launched by 2006 BMW PGA Champion and two-time Ryder Cup winner David Howell, on Friday (10 May). In addition to tackling the three-hole ‘Performance Putting Challenge’, the popular Englishman will be back at Wentworth from 21 May, competing for this year’s BMW PGA Championship. 

The ‘Performance Putting Challenge’ is located close to HUGO BOSS’ flagship store in Sloane Square, where the front window has been given a distinctive BMW PGA Championship look and feel. Throughout the month of May, the store window will feature a BMW M6 convertible and a display dedicated to the European Tour’s premier event.

Jamie Birkmyre, Championship Director of the BMW PGA Championship, , Peter Walker, General Manager of BMW Sports Marketing and Bernd Hake, Managing Director of HUGO BOSS UK, recently came together for a photocall to launch the HUGO BOSS BMW PGA Championship window display.

Looking ahead to the ‘Performance Putting Challenge’ in Duke of York Square, Peter Walker said: “This is a fun event, for both adults and children alike, bringing a taste of golf and the BMW PGA Championship to London. Whether you are golfing expert or novice, the ‘Performance Putting Challenge’ is all about having a go and introducing golf, albeit mini golf, to new audiences.  Throughout the three days in Duke of York Square there will be opportunities to win tickets to the championship and I would highly recommend a visit the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.  It really is a fantastic tournament to kick-start the British Sporting Summer.”

Speaking shortly after the launch of the window display, Bernd Hake added: “HUGO BOSS is delighted to be partnering with Wentworth and BMW. Our unique Sloane Square window installation is the perfect way to illustrate our union in the run up to the PGA arriving at Wentworth late May. HUGO BOSS has a long-standing relationship with the golfing world and through our BOSS Green range we ally ourselves with a selection of high profile golfers, including Martin Kaymer. Linking with BMW reflects this passion, and is an equally aspirational and prestigious brand. We look forward to seeing reactions to the window display, which is already turning heads!”

The BMW PGA Championship, The European Tour’s flagship event, has this year announced a record prize fund of €4.75 million, an increase of €250,000 on last year.  The action starts with the Practice round on Tuesday 21 May, followed by the star-studded Celebrity Pro-Am day on Wednesday 22 with the tournament running between Thursday 23 and Sunday 26 May. 

Jamie Birkmyre said: “The BMW PGA Championship is the only international golfing event in England this year, so this is the only opportunity to see your golfing heroes in action, including the European Ryder Cup Team, re-united for the first time since the Miracle at Medinah. It is an exceptional day out, in the most magnificent of settings, for golf enthusiasts and families alike. There really is something for everybody, with a superb package of fun, celebrity-spotting and world class golf taking place over a six-day period.”

With a good six weeks until the first tee shot of the 25^th BMW International Open rings out around Golfclub München Eichenried (18^th to 23^rd June), more top players have confirmed they will be appearing at the anniversary edition of the only European Tour tournament to be held on German soil. A strong German quartet sets sights on second home win in tournament history.

Sergio García (Spain), British Open champion Ernie Els (South Africa), BMW Championship winner Dustin Johnson (USA) and BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer (Germany), who had already announced their intention to play, will be joined my more of the world’s top players in the battle for a share of the two million Euro prize purse.

First and foremost German aces Marcel Siem (Ratingen), Alex Cejka (Las Vegas) and Maximilian Kieffer (Düsseldorf). They are out to follow in the footsteps of their compatriot Martin Kaymer, to date the only German to win the title at the BMW International Open. A good omen: Kaymer’s victory came five years ago, when the tournament celebrated its last big anniversary.

Two things speak in favour of Marcel Siem challenging at the top of the leaderboard: firstly, the man from Ratingen is in scintillating form again this year, as proven recently by his victory at a European Tour event in Morocco. Secondly, Siem laid the foundations for his remarkable professional career at a recently opened Golfclub Eichenried over 25 years ago. He knows the course in the north of Munich better than any other player in the tournament.

Alex Cejka has also played his part at the top of the leaderboard of the BMW International Open in the past: the 42-year-old, who lived in Munich for a long time before succumbing to the draw of the US tour, finished runner-up in 2004 and also has two third places to his name at the BMW International Open. And finally, from a German perspective, there is European Tour rookie Maximilian Kieffer, who BMW recently started supporting as “Friend of the Brand”. The 22-year-old caught the eye at the recent Open de España, when he narrowly lost out to Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin on the ninth extra hole of the longest play-off in European Tour history. That second place was enough to guarantee “Kiwi” his Tour card for the coming season, even at this early point in the golfing year.

“We are pleased that the anniversary tournament will feature a very high-class quartet of players striving to become only the second German to claim the title at the BMW International Open,” said Tournament Director Marco Kaussler. “However, the outstanding international competition in the field means it will definitely not be easy for our guys – and the opposition includes a lot of potential winners. As always: may the best man win.”

For example, Ryder Cup players Edoardo Molinari of Italy and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson will both tee off in Eichenried. Stenson won the 2006 tournament in a memorable play-off on the 18^th hole. And it goes without saying that last year’s winner Danny Willett will be back to defend his title. The Englishman triumphed – in another dramatic playoff, against Australia’s Marcus Fraser – when the BMW International Open made its debut at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof near Cologne.

Spaniards have always played a major role in the history of the BMW International Open. Tournament winners Miguel Ángel Jiménez (2004) and Pablo Larrazábal (2011) will be back in Eichenried again this year. They are joined by Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who won last year’s Dubai Desert Classic, and big-hitting Álvaro Quirós, who was also successful in Dubai on two occasions in 2011: the Spaniard won the Desert Classic and the season finale, the Dubai World Championship.

In Anders Hansen, Eichenried welcomes something of a veteran. The Dane has been active on the European Tour since 1999 and has three tournament wins to his name. He also came within a hair’s breadth of picking up a fourth victory. However, he lost out to local favourite Martin Kaymer in a play-off at the 2008 BMW International Open. And then there is cheery Englishman Paul Casey, who is almost back to his formidable best following a painful shoulder injury. The eleven-time winner on the European Tour, whose successes include the 2009 BMW PGA Championship, is always a welcome guest in Munich.

This year’s Ryder Cup interest will be provided by three European captains, who tee off as part of this year’s 156-man field: Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie – winner of the 1999 BMW International Open – led his home continent to the title in Wales in 2010. Spaniard José-María Olazábal – responsible for one of only two albatrosses ever carded in the history of the BMW International Open – defended that title on a dramatic final day at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago last year. The third of the trio of captains is Paul McGinley, who has the honourable task of completing the hat-trick for Europe in autumn 2014. The Irishman is responsible for selecting the right twelve-man squad when the inter-continental competition comes to Gleneagles in Scotland – with BMW as the “Official Car” partner.

Last but not least, spectators in Eichenried can look forward to a host of fascinating young players, who have already done more than enough to indicate that we will hear a lot more from them in the near future. These include Italian Matteo Manassero. The man from the province of Verona demonstrated his exceptional talent at the young age of just 16 when he became the youngest player ever to win the British Amateur Championship, thus qualifying for that year’s Open Championship, which he ended as the best amateur in a sensational 13^th place. In 2010 he won his first tournament on the European Tour and has since added another victory in Europe’s elite golf class to his collection.

One year ago Thorbjørn Olesen, now 23 years old, won his first European Tour event in Sicily. It was a success that had been coming, as the Dane had already finished runner-up on three occasions. Austrian fans will be particularly pleased to see their compatriot Bernd Wiesberger in action in Eichenried. The 27-year-old made people sit up and take notice in 2012, when he won tournaments on the European Tour and climbed as high as 76^th in the world rankings. Only last week, Wiesberger sent out another reminder of his undoubted talent with victory at the Indonesian Masters, beating no less than Ernie Els in the process.

Rookie Derek Ernst showed a remarkably cool temperament on the way to winning his maiden title on the PGA TOUR. In a final round in Quail Hollow dominated by cold, rain and wind, the 22-year-old showed true class in a dramatic finish.

By the time Derek Ernst had teed off on the final hole of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte (North Carolina), he was 192 yards from the pin and one shot off the lead.

He took the 6-iron from his caddy and drew his approach shot gloriously through the wind and rain to within just over 4 feet of the hole. The subsequent birdie gave him a final round of 70 on the par-72 course and took him into a play-off against England’s David Lynn, who had also shot -2 on the final day and was also yet to win a tournament on the PGA TOUR.

Phil Mickelson, on the other hand, was left a mere spectator for the play-off. The US star threw away a one-shot lead over the final three holes and missed out on the play-off after narrowly failing to sink his putt on the 18^th, which would have taken him into extra time with Ernst and Lynn.

World number 1207 Ernst only came into the field as fourth reserve on Tuesday, two days before the start of the tournament at Quail Hollow. On the Sunday of his ninth tournament on the PGA TOUR, the 22-year-old suddenly found himself presented with the opportunity to win an inconceivable amount of prize money, with even the runner-up guaranteed at least 723,600 US dollars.

The rain over the course to the south of Charlotte became heavier, and Ernst once again demonstrated his incredible ability to keep a cool head. He landed his 3-iron on the first play-off hole – the 18^th – just 15 feet to the left of the pin. Lynn pulled his tee shot and then, from a poor lie, found the green bunker with a hybrid. That was game over.

And so it was that Ernst walked away with a cheque for 1.2 million US dollars for his first win on the PGA TOUR. However, the victory also came with a few bonuses for the 22-year-old American: Ernst has now climbed to 32 in the world rankings, has secured his Tour card for the next two years, and has also qualified automatically for The Players Championship next week and the 2014 Masters Tournament. “This feeling is unbelievable right now,” said Ernst.

Australian Brett Rumford backed up last week’s win in Seoul, South Korea, with victory at the European Tour event in Tianjin, China. In doing so, he stirred up memories of 1972.

Over 40 years ago, Rumford’s compatriot Jack Newton was the last Australian to win back-to-back tournaments on the European Tour. In the history of Europe’s top golfing division, another 31 pros had won two events in a row before Rumford pulled off the same feat at the weekend.

After 35-year-old Rumford – nickname “Rummy” – had won the Ballentine’s Championship in South Korea in a play-off seven days earlier, Sunday’s victory at the Volvo China Open, held at Binhai Lake Golf Club in Tianjin, was somewhat less dramatic.

At the end of the four rounds, Rumford (-16) won by a comfortable four shots, ahead of Finland’s Mikko Ilonen. Having started the final round in dazzling form with five birdies, the Australian could even afford a few bogies without ever looking in danger of losing the tournament. A final round of 68 proved to be sufficient and took Rumford’s earnings over the last two weeks to 775,406 Euros.

“I’m kind of speechless at the moment,” said Rumford. “It’s quite surreal – it’s the first time I’ve actually played the week after a win, so I’m more than pleased.”

Even a rain-induced suspension shortly before the end of the tournament could not stop Billy Horschel. The American claimed his first PGA TOUR win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Horschel flew to his maiden victory on the PGA TOUR with a tournament record 64 on Sunday at the TPC Louisiana. The 26-year-old American’s desire to win this tournament was summed up by the final hole.

Horschel arrived at the 18th green with one putt for the title – the only slight problem: the distance of 27 feet. However, the man from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, casually holed the putt to avoid a play-off against his compatriot D.A.Points. Horschel let out a cry of joy before announcing it was “celebration time”.

Horschel had started the final round two shots behind overnight leader and fellow American Lucas Glover. A run of six consecutive birdies later, he found himself at the top of the leaderboard. Then came the first of two rain interruptions on the final day. However, Horschel was not going to allow the break to knock him out of his stride.

Even the second suspension in play for bad weather – shortly before Horschel was about to play his approach shot to the 18^th – could not stop the graduate of Florida State University, who turned pro four years ago. Horschel kept his head to pick up the winner’s cheque for 1.19 million US dollars. In all the excitement, he still managed to take the time to phone his wife and parents from the podium in the media centre before answering reporters’ questions.

Brett Rumford had to wait six years for his fourth title on the European Tour. And when the opportunity presented itself at the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea, the Australian was in no mood to pass it up.

35-year-old Rumford won the 2013 Ballantine’s Championship with an eagle on the first play-off hole. After 72 regular holes of the tournament at Blackstone Golf Club (par 72) in Icheon, to the south east of the South Korean capital Seoul, the Australian was tied on -11 with compatriot Marcus Fraser and Scotland’s Peter Whiteford. For a long time, however, it had looked as though Rumford would secure his fourth European Tour win in normal time.

Leading by two shots with just two holes to play, the Australian found a bush with his tee shot on the par-4 17th hole (446 yards) and went on to card a potentially disastrous double bogey. Rumford hit another poor drive on the final hole, opening the door to his two rivals Fraser and Whiteford to win the tournament on the par 5. However, neither the Australian nor the Scot was able to take advantage of his invitation.

Rumford had a brief chat with his trainer Pete Cowen before heading back down the 18th for the play-off – and the effect was instant. The Australian hit a good tee shot, landed his second to within 4 feet of the pin, and stepped up to hole his eagle putt for the win. “It was an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions out there this afternoon,” said a visibly relieved Rumford once it was all over and he had his hands on the winner’s cheque for 367,500 Euros.

Düsseldorf’s Maximilian Kieffer now has more in common with BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer than just his initials, his home in the Rheinland region of Germany, a career representing his country as an amateur, and a passion for sporty cars: like Kaymer, the 22-year-old can count on the support of premium automobile manufacturer BMW as he continues his rise to the top of the European game.

Eckhard Wannieck, Head of BMW International Sponsoring, Cooperations and Product Placement, is delighted to be working with the Tour rookie: “Maximilian Kieffer’s outstanding performances have proven that he is one of the players of the future in Europe. His personality, exceptional golfing talent and demeanour make him an ideal ambassador for the BMW Golfsport commitment. We are looking forward to accompanying him throughout his sporting career.”

Kieffer is only too happy to return the compliment: “I am very proud of my partnership with BMW. It is an honour to work together with such a well-respected company that is so heavily involved in sport. It goes without saying that I will particularly every kilometre in my new BMW M3.”

As well as possessing a great game, one of Kieffer’s biggest attributes is his mental strength – a fact the German demonstrated emphatically last weekend: for nine play-off holes, the Tour newcomer more than held his own against the experienced Raphael Jacquelin. Kieffer eventually yielded to the Frenchman, nine years his senior, after more than two hours of “extra time” and the longest play-off in European Tour history. This success sees Kieffer climb to 37^th in the “Race to Dubai”, making him the best-placed rookie. At this early point in the season, he has already earned sufficient prize money to secure his tour card for 2014. Kieffer has enjoyed an exemplary career so far: after a successful time on the amateur circuit, he joined the Challenge Tour in 2010, from which he qualified for the European Tour – the pinnacle of professional golf in Europe – for the first time this year. And the rookie has already showcased his ability on this grand stage.

German golf fans must wait another two months before they can watch both Kaymer and the third highest-placed German on the European Tour live: from 18^th to 23^rd June, Kaymer and Kieffer will tee off at the 25^th BMW International Open at Golfclub München-Eichenried – the only European Tour event on German soil.

Europe’s magnificent Ryder Cup Team, which will forever be associated with the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ last year, will be reunited for the first time on European soil since that dramatic day in Chicago when all 12 players and their captain José Maria Olazábal tee up in the BMW PGA Championship 2013 (May 23-26).

Led by World Number Two, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, and defending champion, Luke Donald of England, who is seeking to emulate Colin Montgomerie’s record of three consecutive victories, the Ryder Cup heroes and their inspiring leader, Olazábal, should guarantee a sense of excitement and electrifying atmosphere at the Surrey venue.

Winning captain Olazábal welcomed the news that his team will assemble once more at Wentworth Club and commented: "I am delighted that the British public will get the chance to see all of my Ryder Cup team in action at Wentworth in May. Medinah was an unforgettable experience for everyone who was there, whether it was as a player, captain or spectator, and the BMW PGA Championship is the perfect setting for the players to be reunited to show what they can do as individuals as opposed to the team environment. It promises to be a great tournament."

McIlroy is relishing the chance to get together with his team-mates again, even though, on this occasion, they are intense rivals chasing the record first prize of €791,660 from the increased prize fund of €4.75 million. 

"It will be great to have The Ryder Cup Team back together for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth," he said. "It was such a special Ryder Cup, one that will have a special place in history, and I don’t think anyone associated with that Team will ever get tired of celebrating it."

McIlroy’s fellow Northern Irishman and Major champion, Graeme McDowell, added: "Any time the Tour gets a winning Ryder Cup Team together is pretty special, but this year will have that little bit extra because of the nature in which that particular Ryder Cup was won. To be a part Europe’s biggest ever comeback was just an amazing honour, and I am sure there will be nice Ryder Cup vibe to the BMW PGA Championship this year."

Justin Rose, who lost to Anders Hansen in a play-off in 2007 and was tied second with another of the Medinah marvel, Paul Lawrie, last year, enthused: "The BMW PGA is one of the best tournaments of the year and, for European Tour Members, it’s our big show, the one where we display what our Tour is all about so it’s one that I think every player has an eye on throughout the year and one that we all get going for."

Ryder Cup rookie Nicolas Colsaerts cannot wait for the chance to get together with his fellow history-makers in May. He said: "It’s going to be cool to have the Team back together. The way golf is nowadays and with everybody playing all over the world, it’s pretty rare to get all of the guys together so to have us all in one place at the home of The European Tour will be great."

Heroes of Medinah abound, from the talismanic Ian Poulter to BMW Ambassador, Martin Kaymer, who holed the vital putt which ensured Europe retained the trophy, will be back at Wentworth Club aiming to add the BMW PGA title to the BMW International Open crown he claimed in 2008.

Also lapping up the superb atmosphere created by the Tour’s flagship event will be Francesco Molinari – whose half point secured the outright win – six-time Ryder Cup winner Lee Westwood, former Open Champion Paul Lawrie and Sweden’s Peter Hanson while there is sure to be a special ‘welcome back’ to Sergio Garcia, who last competed in the event in 2000.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell had gone two years without a win to his name – Ryder Cup aside. "GMac" then had to come through a potentially tricky play-off against a Major winner before he could end his drought at the RBC Heritage on the infamous Harbour Golf Links. When it came down to extra time, however, the man from Portrush made short work of his American opponent.

Sunday’s play-off at the tournament on Hilton Head Island (South Carolina) saw McDowell, the 2010 US Open winner, go head to head with the reigning US Open champion – and the galleries did not have long to wait for a victor. A par on the first extra hole was enough to present McDowell with, as he referred to it, his first "authentic tour win". The Northern Irishman’s only previous triumph on the PGA TOUR was the US Open, whilst he currently has six tournament wins to his name on the European Tour.

Conditions on the final day were tailor-made for the Northern Irishman, who is well-versed in coping with the kind of wind that were to be found gusting over the course at speeds of up to 30 mph. The greens had to be watered during the tournament, in order to prevent the balls from being blown off the putting surface.

And while this caused great problems for the opposition, including overnight leader Charley Hoffman, McDowell, who had started the final round four shots off the lead, made steady progress up the leaderboard. By the time he reached the 11^th hole, the Northern Irishman was tied for the lead. Seven shots later he arrived at the 18^th with a one-shot lead, but was only able to card a par on the course’s famous signature hole (Lighthouse!). And so it came down to a play-off against Simpson, which the European Ryder Cup star won on the first extra hole. England’s Luke Donald and American Kevin Streelman finished tied in third place, behind McDowell and Simpson.

McDowell, who like Simpson missed the cut at the Masters in Augusta last week, received a winner’s cheque for just over one million US dollars. And GMac also realised his dream of donning a winner’s jacket on Hilton Head Island. It may not have been the famous green one (presented to the champion in August), but the traditional checked jacket really rather suited Graeme McDowell on this particular Sunday in April.

German Maximilian Kieffer and France’s Raphael Jacquelin made history at the Open de España. The two were at the centre of an unbelievable showdown as the tournament near Valencia came down to a remarkable play-off.

By the time it was all over, nobody would remember the name Marc Warren. And yet the Scot, who led going into the final round, for a long time looked certain to win the tournament at Parador de El Saler. However, two three-putts on the final two regular holes saw Warren drop back to -4 and miss out on the play-off by just one shot – and not just any old play-off, but a historic one at that.

The last time a play-off on the European Tour went to a ninth hole was back in 1989, when Spain’s José María Olazábal defeated Englishman Roger Chapman and Northern Ireland’s Ronan Rafferty after nine extra holes at the Dutch Open.

On Sunday, Chile’s Felipe Aguilar, Raphael Jacquelin of France and German European Tour rookie Maximilian Kieffer went head to head on the course at Parador de El Saler on the Mediterranean coast, south of Valencia, having all ended the tournament on -5.

The organisers had selected the 18th hole, a 466-yard par 4, as the only play-off hole. And when Aguilar bid farewell to the title race after a bogey on the third extra hole, it all boiled down to a duel between the 38-year-old Jacquelin and Kieffer, 16 years his younger.

After the pair had left the 18th green with eight pars, Jacquelin eventually sealed his fourth European Tour title with a birdie on the ninth extra hole. The Frenchman’s last win came over two years ago at the Sicilian Open.

"It’s difficult to describe how I feel," said Jacquelin. "A little bit tired at the moment, after nine holes of play-off, but I’m really happy." And the man from France also recognised the role his German opponent had played in the thrilling end to the tournament: "He’s going to win a lot of tournaments, that’s for sure."

For Max Kieffer this was the best result of a fledgling professional career: "I am obviously a bit disappointed, but that is outweighed by my pride in my performance. After just ten tournaments, I have already achieved my main goal, and have secured my tour card for next year. I can now concentrate on achieving more good results and look forward to the next few weeks full of confidence."

The BMW International is celebrating a big birthday: 25 years of precision and passion, sporting triumphs and tragedies, frustration and joy. Let our video take you on a journey through 25 years of the BMW International Open. Enjoy the ride!

In 1989, Munich plays host to the inaugural BMW International Open. For organiser BMW and golf, this is the start of a partnership that will in time raise the bar and set new standards. In 2013, the tournament is celebrating its 25th birthday (18th to 23rd June, Golfclub München Eichenried). The stars of the European Tour congratulate BMW on its anniversary, and speak about 25 years of BMW in professional golf.

Having finished runner-up on two occasions at the four most important tournaments in the world, Adam Scott won the Masters Tournament in Augusta. The Australian was made to work for his first Major title, coming through to defeat a former champion  in a tense affair on Magnolia Lane.

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera was the last man standing between Scott and his place in the history books on Sunday evening at Augusta National Golf Club. For much of the final round, it looked as though Scott’s compatriot Jason Day, who led the field going into the final 18 holes, was going to be the man to beat on Sunday. However, the 25-year-old succumbed to the pressure late on, carding bogies on 16 and 17 to drop down the leaderboard. When it came down to it, only Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera were still in contention as they stepped onto the 18th tee.

The Argentinean, with son Ángel Cabrera Junior on his bag, had his sights set on a second Augusta title, having previously won back in 2009. Scott, who missed out on his first Major victory at last summer’s Open Championship when he dramatically wasted a winning position to gift the title to Ernie Els, became the first Australian ever to don the famous green jacket presented to the Masters champion.

Scott put Cabrera under real pressure on the final regulation hole, sinking a 20-foot putt for birdie and celebrating ecstatically, as though he was destined to be crowned champion. However, his opponent, the experienced 43-year-old from Argentina, known as “El Pato” (“The Duck”) for his waddling gait, countered successfully: Cabrera landed his 7-iron from 163 yards to within 3 feet of the pin, leaving himself with an easy putt for birdie and drawing level with Scott on -9. Just as it was last year, when Bubba Watson emerged victorious against South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, the tournament was decided in a play-off. Did this perhaps present Cabrera with a slight advantage, having won his first Masters title in a play-off four years ago?

Having both shot pars on the opening play-off hole – the par-4 18^th – the two rivals headed to the tenth hole (par 4), where Scott soon found himself with a putt from 12 feet for birdie and the win. However, deteriorating light meant the Australian had difficulty reading the putting line. Scott turned to caddie Steve Williams to give him the line for this crucial putt. And Williams, who had experienced three Masters victories whilst caddying for a certain Tiger Woods, came up trumps.

His man Scott made birdie – Cabrera could do no better than par – and realised his dream of wearing the green jacket. The Australian was helped into what is probably the most prestigious item of clothing in world golf, by last year’s winner Bubba Watson. Victory in Augusta sees the 32-year-old from Queensland climb to third in the world rankings, behind Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Woods was given a two-shot penalty at the end of Friday’s second round for not dropping his ball in the correct place. The world number one went on to finish fourth alongside one of the surprise packages of the tournament, Australia’s Marc Leishman, four shots off the lead.

The Valero Texas Open in San Antonio was ultimately settled between two Europeans. Scotland’s Martin Laird emerged with the title, securing his place at the US Masters and dashing the hopes of former world number one Rory McIlroy in the process.

A dazzling final round of 63, equalling the course record at the TPC San Antonio (par 72), was enough to hand Glasgow’s Martin Laird his third PGA TOUR title on Sunday. As well as picking up a healthy amount of prize money, the winner also qualified for this week’s first Major of the year – the US Masters. Laird also brought an end to the US dominance on the PGA TOUR this season: after 14 victories by home-grown players, Laird’s success was the first by a non-American in 2013.

“It is unbelievable,” said Laird after his win. “I’ve probably been asked 30 times in the last couple of weeks, ‘are you in Augusta? Are you in Augusta?’ I’ve had to say ‘no’, and every time it hurt me a little bit, after playing the last couple of Masters.”

Laird won with a score of -14 in San Antonio, finishing two shots ahead of fellow European Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman’s second place meant he not only missed out on his first win of the season, but also a possible return to the top of the world rankings. However, having endured a veritable loss of form in recent weeks, McIlroy was still in a positive frame of mind following his best result on the PGA TOUR since his victory at the 2012 BMW Championship last September: “I’m really pleased with my game, and think this has been a great week for me. To finish off the way I did today is great going into Augusta.”

Three Americans ended the tournament tied in third place behind the two Europeans: Jim Furyk, courtesy of a spectacular Eagle on the final hole, Charley Hoffman and Billy Horschel (all -11). Horschel had started Sunday’s final round with a lead of five shots over Laird.

30-year-old Laird, who had only finished in the prize money at four of the eight tournaments he had previously played this season, and whose best result in 2013 was a lowly 34^th place, showed his class in the early and closing stages of his final round in San Antonio: he opened with five birdies in the first six holes, before rounding off an excellent day’s work with birdies on the final three holes. The Scot’s last title on the PGA TOUR had come back in 2011, when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Laird was rewarded for his victory in San Antonio with a winner’s cheque for 1.1 million US dollars.

The Championship is set to deliver an enhanced spectator experience this year as Europe’s Ryder Cup Team, triumphant from the ‘Miracle in Medinah’, regroup for the first time competitively on British soil at Wentworth Club. Spectators can also look forward to a new Park and Ride system.

A superb package of fun, celebrity-spotting and world class golf will take place over a six-day period, from May 21-26, representing outstanding value for practice day, celebrity pro-am day and the four rounds of the event. Advance ticket and hospitality packages, including 18th green grandstand seating and limited on-site parking, are available now on www.europeantour.com/tickets. Children aged 16 and under will be admitted free of charge if accompanied by an adult ticket holder.

This year sees the introduction of a new Park and Ride system to help facilitate the flow of traffic. The system will operate from two locations – one near Sunningdale, carrying traffic from the West (M3 and M4) and one at the Review Ground, Windsor Great Park, which is East of the tournament venue close to the M25. Both parks will operate free shuttle bus service to Wentworth Club every five minutes with the journey time taking around ten minutes and allowing easy access to a new Welcome Entrance through the Tented Village.

Recently, American D.A. Points was rather unhappy with his putter. Therefore, he took some sorted out examples with him to the Shell Houston Open – just in case – and in the end, a special putter helped him to not only win the event, but also qualify for the Masters.

This is one of those stories that certainly will be told several times over the course of the season. Very unhappy with his performance on the greens, Points went into the garage of his home in Orlando and took a close look at the area of ‘sorted out putters’. In the end, the 36-year old opted to take a handful of putters with him, and among them was his mother’s Ping Anser putter which was more than 25 years old.

At the age of ten or 11, Points had borrowed this club from his ma for the first time. In 2013, the grip was rather worn-out and “It doesn't run hot all the time but it has a good track record," Points said, explaining why he'd stopped using it. "It's just one of those clubs when you put it in your hands, it instantly feels good,” but then added.

Having failed to achieve a better result than a 70 in his previous nine tournament rounds and missed the cut in seven of nine tournament appearances, Points and Ma’s putter delivered in amazing style at Houston: in the end, the American secured the title, one stroke ahead of his compatriot Billy Horschel and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson – who also qualified for the Masters with this result – and was in a great mood in the interviews: “I can't wait to call Matt at Ping and say, 'Hey buddy, where's my gold-plated Anser?'

On the final day of the tournament, held at the Redstone Golf Club not far from Houston, even a thunderstorm with four more holes to go didn’t make Points lose his cool. When he was back on the course, after a three-hour break, he played four pars to secure both the title and his Masters ticket, therefore repeating a feat he had achieved two years ago. In 2011, he celebrated his first – and up to Easter Sunday – only PGA Tour title by winning the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach and, again, he also secured his participation in Augusta, by winning the title.

Also qualified for the Masters (11^th to 14^th April), but still far from his top form, is Rory McIlroy, who recently dropped back to second in the world ranking. The Ulsterman finished 45^th in Houston and is also going to contest the Texas Open at San Antonio as preparation for the first Major of the season. “I just need match practice,” McIlroy said to explain his last-minute decision.

Marcel Siem wins the 40^th Trophée Hassan II in Agadir and, despite this, he failed to secure his maiden appearance in the Masters – as a former BMW International Open winner threw a spanner in Siem’s plans.

The fact that the rules and regulations in the world of professional golfing are complex and difficult to understand, at times, is well-known. And on Sunday, Marcel Siem had to cope with a dose of this complex situation. During the Trophée Hassan held at Agadir’s Golf du Palais Royal, he was led to believe in something that made his mouth water - that a win in Morocco would secure him his maiden appearance in the US Masters - but after the event, these beliefs proved incorrect.

At the end of the day, some of the pros contesting the Houston Open that was held on the same day but – due to the time difference – several hours later also had the chance of securing the ticket to Augusta. And one of these players was Sweden’s Hendrik Stenson, winner of the 2006 BMW International Open in Munich.

For Siem’s Masters plans to come to fruition Stenson had to finish 15^th or worse in Texas, but the Swede didn’t do the German any favours. Far from it: Stenson finished runner-up, in Houston – and Siem’s Masters dreams were history. 

Despite this, Marcel Siem can be happy with having played great golf on the way to securing his third European win after the Dunhill Championship (2004) and the Open de France (2012). From round one the 32-year old German held the lead at Agadir, and on Saturday evening, following round three, he called Bernhard Langer, Germany’s most experienced pro, for some tips on how to defend a four-stroke lead on the final day. “I spoke to Bernhard last night because I have never been in the situation of going into the final round with a big lead, and I just wanted to know if he had any advice on how to cope with that.”

And Langer even had two lots of advice available: Siem should just play his game and definitely should avoid staring at the leader board all the time, the two-time Masters winner told his younger compatriot. Siem did as he was told and, in the end, a 70 on the final day was enough for him to win the event with a three-stroke lead over Finland’s Miko Ilonen and the 2010 BMW International Open Champion, Englishman David Horsey.

But while the final result probably makes it look like it was an easy win, this wasn’t the case. At a certain point in time on Sunday, Miko Ilonen even drew level with Siem at -15. “I’m really happy,” Siem said afterwards, “that I stayed cool and calm and finally made the birdies to turn the pressure back on the guys behind me.”

And Siem has not yet given up his dream of making it to the Masters. This weekend, he will travel to San Antonio to contest the Valero Texas Open. The winner of this tournament will be rewarded with the final Masters ticket that is available.

In 1989, Munich played host to the inaugural BMW International Open. For organiser BMW and golf, this is the start of a partnership that will in time raise the bar and set new standards. In 2013, the tournament is celebrating its 25th birthday (18th to 23rd June, Golfclub München Eichenried). The anniversary year was officially launched at an opening press conference in Munich today.

The officials arrived at the BMW Museum in BMW Classic cars. Among them was golfing legend Paul Azinger. The American was in Munich as the guest of honour at the anniversary event: “Zinger” – alongside Denmark’s Thomas Björn – is one of just two players in the 25-year history of the tournament to lift the trophy on two occasions. Azinger won in 1990 and 1992 – both times in a play-off.

“Apart from the Open Championship, the BMW International Open was the first tournament I played in Europe,” Azinger recalls. “As well as the two titles, I also have a lot of very fond memories of the days spent in Munich.” Azinger was full of praise: “BMW’s commitment to golf is fantastic. We players cannot be grateful enough.”

Azinger travelled to the press conference in a sky-blue and white Isetta. Next to him at the wheel was Magnus Wiese, Head of Events, Exhibitions and Sports Marketing: “We have established something great with the BMW International Open, and have helped shape the sport of golf for 25 years. That is a success story,” said Wiese. No other tournament on the European Tour has enjoyed such a long and continuous partnership with its organisers. Wiese still remembers what was, for him personally, the most emotional experience in the history of the tournament: “Martin Kaymer’s victory in 2008 was a very special moment for all of us.”

Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer of the European Tour, not only recognised the importance of the tournament, but also that of the BMW brand for the development of the European Tour: “The longevity and continuity of our partnership with BMW is extraordinary, and have been very lucky for the last 25 years to have a company at our side, which always strives for quality and innovation in everything it does. We have a very strong and powerful partnership with BMW.”

The best players in the world – led by world number two Rory McIlroy and BMW Brand Ambassador – also sent their best wishes for the 25th anniversary of the BMW International Open.

The only German winner in the history of the tournament, 2008 champion Martin Kaymer, will be joined by big-hitting American Dustin Johnson, British Open winner Ernie Els of South Africa, and world-class Spaniard Sergio García in Munich this summer, as they take their place among a starting field littered with top European players.

“It is still a while until the start of the BMW International Open,” explained Tournament Director Marco Kaussler, “but we have already assembled a very attractive field. By the time the tournament gets underway, I am sure we will have been able to announce one or two more big names. We are looking forward to the anniversary tournament!”

Korbinian Kofler, Managing Director of Golfclub München Eichenried, explained the modifications that have been made to the Championship Course: “We have made a lot of changes to the course. In doing so, we have created more space for greens, fairways and spectators, who will now be able to follow the action even more closely.” In total, four holes have been made more challenging in Eichenried. The tees on the 2nd and 6th holes have been moved back, while the water obstacles on the 16th and 18th have been increased in size in order to make the approach shots to the respective greens more difficult in the future.

At the end of the press conference, Magnus Wiese presented the guests of honour with a very special gift: a silver ball marker, appropriately engraved with the number “25”. Star guest Paul Azinger then tried his hand at the “Nearest to the BMW 326” competition. He showed he has lost none of his touch as he pitched the golf ball into a historic BMW 326 (built between 1936 and 1941). Azinger landed four of his five attempts in the interior of the convertible.

Paul Azinger and Keith Waters then paid a visit to the modified 16th hole in a snowy Eichenried. The pair re-enacted the legendary play-off from 1990, when Azinger came out on top against defending champion David Feherty (Northern Ireland).

“I can still remember it well,” said Azinger on Tuesday. “I was playing in the flight in front of defending champion Feherty, and pulled my shot on the 18th way left – out of bounds actually. However, the ball landed in the crowd of spectators and bounced back into play – that was a stroke of luck for me. I still managed to make birdie and force a play-off against Feherty, which I then went on to win.”

An eighth win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando saw Tiger Woods climb to the top of the FedExCup rankings. Far more significant, however, was Woods’ return to world number one after almost two and a half years.

The last time the name Woods topped the world rankings was at the end of October 2010. Woods produced an outstanding performance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational to win the tournament and dethrone the latest of his successors, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had held the title of world number one since August 2012, and could return to the top of the rankings with a win at the Houston Open this week. However, few people believe McIlroy will be back at number one quite that soon.

“It’s a by-product of hard work, patience and getting back to winning golf tournaments,” said a typically matter-of-fact Woods. His new girlfriend Lindsay Vonn was somewhat less reserved: “Number 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!” tweeted the delighted US skiing star.

Woods had dominated the tournament at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Throughout the final round, he never allowed his rivals to close to within less than two shots and eventually won with a score of -13, two shots clear of England’s Justin Rose.

In winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, at which play was extended into Monday due to severe storms, Woods also equalled another record. He now has eight victories to his name in Bay Hill. Only one other player in the history of the PGA TOUR has ever won eight titles at the same tournament: Sam Snead at the Greater Greensboro Open – 48 years ago.

Since Monday it now seems more than probable that Woods will also equal Snead’s other record in the near future: with 77 wins on the PGA TOUR – three of which have come already this season – Tiger is now just five victories away from Snead’s record of 82 wins, which many people had regarded as impossible. Woods will then have his sights set firmly on the one outstanding record: the 18 Major victories achieved by his compatriot Jack Nicklaus.

Woods has currently won 14 of the most prestigious tournaments in golf, and many believe he will take another step towards Nicklaus’s record as soon as 14^th April. In the kind of form Tiger Woods has shown so far this season, he will arrive at this year’s first Major – the US Masters – as one of the hot favourites. Were he to win, it would be his fifth victory in Augusta, his first Major since winning the US Open in 2008 - and the success to finally confirm that Tiger Woods, the exceptional player of his generation, is well and truly back to his best.

His ample figure means Kiradech Aphibarnrat is often compared to the charismatic American golfer John Daly in his home country of Thailand. However, that didn’t stop the 23-year-old from triumphing at the Maybank Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

In his previous four years as a pro, Kiradech Aphibarnrat did not have a great deal to shout about when it came to winning tournaments. The man from Bangkok, who was crowned Junior Amateur World Champion in 2003 and 2004, had won just two tournaments in his home continent of Asia: the 2009 Singha Pattaya Open, and the Sail Open in India two years later. When Aphibarnrat secured his victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open on Sunday, it was not only his maiden title on the European Tour, but also his most important win to date.  

Fourth place at the Avantha Masters in India a fortnight ago was a good indication that Kiradech Aphibarnrat is in fine form this season. The Thai refused to allow even the severe storms at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club to stop him as he marched towards his first European Tour win. The first three days of the tournament were disrupted to such an extent that the event was ultimately reduced to three rounds, and Aphibarnrat was forced to endure another potentially nerve-wracking two-hour rain break on the final day, whilst leading South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel – himself already a winner this season – by just one shot. Ultimately, however, Aphibarnrat was simply not to be denied.

In the closing stages of the tournament, the Thai player fended off the attacks of all his closest rivals, and could even afford to bogey the final hole and still finish one shot clear of Italian Edoardo Molinari, who had shot up the leaderboard thanks to an impressive final round of 67. "This means a lot to me," said Aphibarnrat. "I have to thank my family: my mum and dad for all their support."

Denmark’s Anders Hansen, whose final round of 66 was the lowest of the day, finished third behind Aphibarnrat and Molinari, with Charl Schwartzel and Frenchman Victor Dubuisson tied in fourth place a further shot back.

While the Tampa Bay Championship came to a premature end after just two rounds for BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer, another member of the German’s golf club in America did pick up his maiden win in Florida.

Whisper Rock, a private golf club in Scottsdale, Arizona, gained another champion on the PGA TOUR on Sunday: Kevin Streelman’s triumph in Florida was a dream come true for the 34-year-old, and the result of many years of hard work. Now in his twelfth year as a professional golfer, and making his 153^rd appearance, Streelman finally won his first tournament on the US Tour on Sunday. His reward: a starting place at the US Masters in Augusta, which takes place in just three weeks. A real fairy-tale story.

In recent years, Streelman’s career had hit such a slump that he had to resort to cleaning other people’s clubs and working as a caddy for amateurs in order to make a living. His most recent title came five years ago, when he was crowned club champion at Whisper Rock – the club, at which the BMW Brand Ambassador is also a member, practices, and whose logo adorned Kaymer’s cap recently.

Streelman was understandably overwhelmed by his success at the Tampa Bay Championship, which was held on the difficult Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, Florida. "I always dreamed of getting here," he said. "So to get this is the culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of time spent late into the evening, and getting up early in the morning. It’s really a dream come true."

Streelman moved to the top of the leaderboard on the final day courtesy of a birdie on the tricky thirteenth (par 3), before extending his lead with a spectacular long putt for another birdie on the par-3 seventeenth. The American ultimately finished two shots clear of his more illustrious compatriot Boo Weekley, whose round of 63 catapulted him up the leaderboard on Sunday. Third place went to another American, in the form of Cameron Tringale (-7). A further shot back was a group of three pros tied in fourth place: defending champion from England, Luke Donald, as well as Streelman’s fellow Americans Justin Leonard and Greg Chalmers.

Johannesburg’s Thomas Aiken claimed victory at the Avantha Masters in India and, in doing so, continued the impressive run of success that South African golfers have enjoyed on the European Tour this season.

Aiken, who carded rounds of 67, 69, 62 and 67 (-23), finished three shots clear of local favourite Gaganjeet Bhullar on Sunday to win the tournament, which was held at the Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort in Greater Noida, not far from the Indian capital New Delhi.

It was the 12th tournament this season on the European Tour, and produced the sixth victory for a South African. It also marked Aiken’s second big win on the European Tour, following his triumph at the 2011 Open de España.

Aiken set the foundation for his victory with an impressive round of 62 on Saturday, which allowed him to take a three-shot lead into the final round. The 29-year-old from Johannesburg never allowed that gap to closer on Sunday, and crowned a great overall performance with a long putt for birdie on the final hole.

Aiken dedicated the win to his wife Kate, who had travelled with him to India, and then said: "I’ve been playing very nicely for the last four months, not making many mistakes, but just not sinking enough putts. This week, a few went in."

Liang Wen-chong finished third behind the South African and Bhullar – five shots behind the winner. The Chinese player also produced the shot of the week on Sunday, when he hit a hole-in-one on the seventh hole of the Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort.

A record prize fund of €4.75million, an increase of €250,000 on last year, will be at stake for The European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship 2013, at Wentworth Club, Surrey, England, from May 23-26.

This year’s champion will receive €791,660, which is over €40,000 more than England’s Luke Donald collected for his second consecutive BMW PGA Championship success in 2012 when he finished four strokes clear of joint runners-up Paul Lawrie of Scotland and Donald’s compatriot, Justin Rose.

The total prize fund has grown by €750,000 – and the first prize by just over €125,000 - in the eight years since BMW became a Partner in the PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in 2005, when then US Open Champion Angel Cabrera picked up the first prize of €666,000 after claiming a two shot victory over 2014 European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley.

George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: "The BMW PGA Championship is our Tour’s flagship event and it is important that the prize fund reflects that status. This increase to €4.75 million, offering a cheque of just under €800,000 to the 2013 champion, underlines the importance of the Championship as a key component in the season-long Race to Dubai."

Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW UK, said: "We value our long-term partnership with The European Tour and Wentworth Club in helping to develop the BMW PGA Championship as one of the most prestigious events in world golf. The increase in the prize fund to €4.75 million reflects this status and we look forward to another successful edition of the Championship in May."

The 2013 BMW PGA Championship will boast one of the strongest fields on The European Tour International Schedule, with many of the world’s best players in action over the famous West Course at Wentworth Club. All four days will be broadcast live on Sky Sports with highlights on BBC.

What would it be like to experience the BMW Golf Cup International World Final from a player’s perpective? Tina Havmøller from Denmark and American David Allen take you through their week in South Africa in this video. Don't miss this insight into a truly memorable experience.

Standing ovations for Gary Player, jubilation for the victorious team from South Africa and huge joy among the Germans for an outstanding second place – the official gala evening to mark the end of the BMW Golf Cup International World Final, held at one of the country’s vineyards, proved a glittering highlight and fitting climax to a fantastic week of golf at South Africa’s Fancourt Golf Resort.

Following the participation of around 100,000 players from all over the world in the qualifying rounds of the competition, BMW invited 137 players and their entourages from 47 countries to take part in the final of the world’s largest amateur golf series. Here in South Africa, however, all participants could consider themselves winners – just to have been part of the event was a reward in itself.

"This week and the entire BMW Golf Cup International have been a great success and an unforgettable experience for all involved," said Dr Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing. "The participants came from four different continents and from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. At times communication between them was difficult, but the one thing that united them was a passion for the game of golf and for the BMW brand. That’s a wonderful thing."

From Wednesday to Friday the three handicap classes, Men A (up to handicap 12), Men B (handicap 13 to 28) and Ladies (up to handicap 28), played 54 holes of Stableford competition. And the outcome remained extremely tense until the final round, when the winners of the individual competitions were finally declared: South African Ockert Douglas (net score 103), George Offenhauser (USA/115) and Ekaterina Boldyreva (Russia/115). "That is without question the highpoint of my golfing career," said a delighted Ockert Douglas: "To say I’m happy would be an understatement. It’s amazing how BMW has looked after us. You have to experience it to believe it." In addition to Ockert Douglas (HCP 5), the winning South Africa team included Kevan Hunter (HCP 15) and Lynn Butler (HCP 28).

The only slight downer was the rain that set in on Friday afternoon, which turned the golf clinic given by nine-times major winner Gary Player into a rather damp affair. Nevertheless, the 77-year-old was given warm reception by the amateurs and demonstrated his shots with panache and an impressive level of fitness. "I was very happy to accept the invitation from BMW to come to this event, " said Player, who designed all three of the courses at the Fancourt Resort. "BMW and the Golf Cup International do a great job to boost the popularity of the sport of golf."

A remarkable degree of commitment was shown by Indian golfer Jaskeerat Matharoo, who arrived at the Fancourt Resort at virtually the last minute on Tuesday, having got married only the previous weekend. She and her new husband spent their honeymoon at the five-star resort. Clearly inspired by her personal happiness, the newlywed played well enough to finish fourth in the individual classification. And while she made her way around the greens and fairways, her husband was able to enjoy the wide-ranging support programme provided for players’ partners.

Back in the day, you could bet your bottom dollar on Tiger Woods winning the WGC Championship in Doral. Then there came a time when the former number one in the world was anything but a good tip for victory. That phase in his career came to a definite end on Sunday.

Tiger Woods dominated the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Doral, near Miami. The manner in which he led the tournament from start to finish reminded many golf enthusiasts of the good old days. Woods had won the event six times in the past, and added title number seven on Sunday – the 76^th success of the 37-year-old’s PGA TOUR career. It was almost as though someone had simply turned back the clocks: Tiger was back in his red shirt and black trousers, had switched back into “combat” mode, and was simply irresistible.

Tiger’s lead on the Blue Monster Course at Doral Golf Resort, owned since 2012 by impresario Donald Trump, was ultimately cut from four shots to two over the course of the final day. By that point, however, it had already been clear for a long time that runner-up Steve Stricker would no longer be able to challenge the 14-time Major winner. Despite finishing with a rare bogey, Woods eventually ended the tournament on -19.

“It feels good,” said the winner. “Especially to play that well all week, on a difficult set-up. The greens got really quick out there today. If you left the ball in the correct spot, though, you could be pretty aggressive and shoot a good score.”

For the statisticians out there: Woods has now led after three rounds on 54 occasions on the PGA TOUR – and has gone on to win 50 of those tournaments. However, Woods did not shoot the lowest score of Sunday’s final round. That unofficial prize went to Australia’s Adam Scott with an eight-under 64. Scott moved into a share of fourth place with Spaniard Sergio García, America’s Phil Mickelson and Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, who started the final day in second. This quartet finished five shots behind Woods.

There was also good news for world number one Rory McIlroy. Having missed the cut at the two stroke-play tournaments he has entered so far this season, the Northern Irishman carded an impressive 65 on Sunday in Doral to end the week tied in eighth on -10. In contrast, BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer endured a less promising tournament. Rounds of 76, 68, 73 and 74 (+3) meant the German had to settle for 49^th place.

Kaymer will be back in action in Florida again this week at the Tampa Bay Championship. However, he will not take part in the season’s next showdown in two weeks. Kaymer has opted not to play at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, where Tiger Woods could restore the old pecking order with a third win of the season. Should he win on the course, on which both he – most recently last year – and the legendary Arnold Palmer have triumphed on seven occasions, Woods would replace Rory McIlroy at the top of the world rankings.

Congratulations to Team South Africa on winning the National Team Category at the World Final of the BMW Golf Cup International with 306 points. Team Germany (304) finished runner-up, with Team France (194) completing the podium.

In the Ladies competition (handicap of -28 and under), Russia’s Ekaterina Boldyreva emerged triumphant with an impressive 115 net points. Second place went to Germany’s Stefanie Köhler, whose 108 points at the end of the three rounds put her two points clear of third-placed Helene Desmurger of France.

The Men 1 category (handicap of -12 and under) went right down to the wire: South Africa’s Ockert Douglas came out on top with a score of 103 to add a second title to the one he won in the national team competition. Just one point behind Douglas, Yong Zhang of China finished runner-up, despite being on the same score as Taiwan’s Jeng Hung Tsai (both 102). New Zealander Colin Horton and Thailand’s Kanete Suwannarong (both 101) ended the tournament just two points behind the eventual winner.

A third continent, in the form of America, also went into the list of winners. George Offenhauser (USA, 115 points) triumphed in the Men 2 category, finishing ahead of Chingkai Hsiao of Taiwan (111), with Egypt’s Kareem Fawzy and Quan Anh Nguyen (Germany, both 110) just one shot further back. All the winners were presented with their trophies at the closing Gala Dinner by South African golf legend Gary Player and Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing.

The second and penultimate round of the tournament was all about establishing a good position going into the final day. The companions, meanwhile, had the opportunity to board the catamaran “The Heads Explorer” in Knysna. The sailing trip thrilled its guests with breath-taking views and the culinary delights available on board. A memorable day drew to a close with the "Shebeen Party".

At the end of the second round, South Africa has moved into the lead in the team competition at the World Final of the BMW Golf Cup International in George (South Africa). With a score of 209 points, the local team is in pole position going into the final round and looks the most likely to succeed Malaysia, who have won the last three years in a row. The only country able to keep pace with the South Africans today was the German team, which ended the day on 205 points. France and Singapore (both 196 points) are already thirteen points off the lead in third place.

In the individual competitions, the front-runners are much more evenly matched at the top of the leaderboard. In the Ladies event, Russia’s Ekaterina Boldyreva (77 points) holds a mere two-point lead over South African Lynn Butler (75). Overnight leader Jaqueline Rosado (Mexico, 72) now finds herself in third place, ahead of Germany’s Stefanie Köhler (71).

In the Men’s 1 category, Jeng Hung Tsai of Taiwan was able to defend his position at the top of the leaderboard on 70 points. Hot on his heels are Christian Poggio (France, 68) and Kanete Suwannarong (Thailand, 68), with Colin Horton (New Zealand, 66) and Atsushi Hiratsuka (Japan, 66) not far behind.

The overnight leader in the Men’s 2 category will be under even greater pressure when he tees off on his final round tomorrow: with 74 points, George Offenhauser from the USA holds a narrow lead over Kareem Fawzy (Egypt, 73) and Quan Anh Nguyen (Germany, 73). A further four players are also within striking distance of Offenhauser going into tomorrow’s final 18 holes: Chaiyaporn Benmintra (Thailand 72), Kah Hock Ong (Singapore, 72), Luis Mena (Spain, 71) and Chingkai Hsiao (Taiwan, 71).

While the golfers at the World Final of the BMW Golf Cup International enjoyed the beauty – and the challenges – of the two Gary Player-designed Outeniqua and Montagu courses during Wednesday’s opening round, their companions took a trip through some breath-taking mountain scenery on the BMW xDrive Experience.

The evening programme featured the Team Night, which saw the national teams dine at restaurants in and around the Fancourt Golf Resort – and prepare for today’s second round in great company.

It is the final big showdown before the US Masters – and the WGC Championship in Doral appears to have taken on even greater importance for one player in particular: world number one Rory McIlroy is desperate for another decent result to silence his critics.

McIlroy has played three tournaments this year. He missed the cut at two of them and did not even make it past the opening round at the third event – the WGC-Matchplay in Arizona. A classic false start, and one that many of those who follow the game believe can be traced back to the 23-year-old Northern Irishman’s change in material supplier at the start of the year. McIlroy himself claims the problem does not lie with the new clubs, but his swing. “The problem is, I’m bringing the club too upright on the backswing then dropping it in too much on the downswing,” he explains.

Whether technical or mental, the world number one’s problems were highlighted by the moment causing quite a stir in the golfing world at the moment. Last week McIlroy retired from the Honda Classic in Florida. Eight holes into the second round, having already amassed a score of 8 over par for the day, he simply walked off the course after – as the US magazine ‘Sport Illustrated’ revealed – he “just saw red”. The immediate official explanation was that an extremely sore wisdom tooth had caused him to withdraw. A strange way for McIlroy’s title defence to come to an end.

The Northern Irishman later spoke openly to ‘Sports Illustrated’: “What I did was not good for the tournament, not good for the kids and the fans who were out there watching me – it was not the right thing to do.” McIlroy has since released an official statement apologising for his behaviour at the Honda Classic. However, it is clear to everyone that all eyes will be on him and his swing at this week’s WGC Championship on the infamous Blue Monster Course in Doral, near Miami.

Martin Kaymer is likely to receive somewhat less public attention in Doral. The BMW Brand Ambassador may have recorded considerably better results than McIlroy so far this year, yet Kaymer was still disappointed following his outing at the Honda Classic – particularly the weekend’s final two rounds in difficult conditions. “All things considered, there were once again a few small issues on the final two days. My irons were too far from the flag and I struggled with my putting,” Kaymer explained on his Facebook page. Things can only get better for the German in Doral.

The serious business of the golf competition at the World Final of the BMW Golf Cup International got underway at the Fancourt Gold Resort today. After 18 of the 54 holes, the tops of the leaderboards in each of the three categories have a cosmopolitan look to them.

In the ladies competition, two players hold a slight lead over the rest of the field. Jaqueline Rosado of Mexico and Russia’s Ekaterina Boldyreva are tied in first place on 40 net points, followed just one point back by Marie-Helene Desmurge of France.

The men are also packed together at the top of the leaderboard after day one. Jeng Hung Tsai of Taiwan leads Category 1 on 35 points, ahead of an amateur enjoying his “home event”: South African Ockert Douglas (34). Just one point behind the leading pair is a group of three players tied in third place: Kanete Suwannarong (Thailand), Alberto Elmer Gardiola (Philippines) and Zhang Yong (China).

It is a similar story in Category 2, with three players tied in third place: Youshaa Ravate (La Réunion), Chingkai Hsiao (Taiwan) and Quan Anh Nguyen (Germany) each have 38 net points to their name. Singapore’s Kah Hock Ong leads this category on 40 net points, ahead of Thomas Hirsiger (39) of Switzerland.

The official training round was scheduled for Tuesday. For the World Finalists, this represented the final opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Gary Player-designed golf courses at the Fancourt Resort ahead of the start of the tournament. Their companions, meanwhile, were able to enjoy a varied fringe programme.

The BMW xDrive Experience took them on a spectacular route over the Montagu and Outeniqua passes, offering captivating views and the opportunity to experience the benefits of the intelligent four-wheel drive system – BMW xDrive – at the wheel of the latest BMW models. The Kleinkrantz Tour along a no less spectacular coastal road finished up at a picturesque beach. The highlight of the day was the evening event – an "African Wildlife Experience" in Botlierskop.

138 amateur golfers from 48 nations have arrived in South Africa. And although each of them is already a winner, their nerves will only increase as the greatest moment of their golfing lives approaches.

On 4 – 9 March 2013 the best amateur players from around the world – having qualified from a starting field of some 100,000 hopefuls – will go head-to-head amid the beautiful surroundings of the Fancourt Golf Resort for the World Final of the BMW Golf Cup International. The concluding event of the world’s largest tournament series for amateur golfers is an undeniably unique and unforgettable experience.

The competitors will line up in three categories – Men A (handicap of –12 or better), Men B (handicap of -13 to -28) and Ladies (handicap of –28 or better) – for three rounds totalling 54 holes to decide the individual winners. The net scores of the participants from the different countries are then added together for the National Team competition. The winners here will following in the footsteps of the Malaysians who have emerged victorious in each of the last three editions of the BMW Golf Cup International World Final. The competition will take place over the Montagu and Outeniqua courses at the five-star Fancourt Golf Resort, which is hosting the event for the fifth time.

The finalists can look forward to a very special visit – above and beyond the sporting battles ahead. South African golfing legend Gary Player will hold a golf clinic for the competitors on the Friday. And in the evening, Player will join Dr Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Sales and Marketing, at a gala dinner to present the trophies. 77 years old he may be, but the nine-times major champion is brimming with vitality. Player designed all three courses at the Fancourt Resort.

The competitors and their companions arrived at Fancourt on Monday, 4 March. Today they will have the chance to play a practice round before the serious business begins: three tournament rounds (with no cut) from Wednesday to Friday to decide the winners. As well as golf, the guests will be treated to an exciting off-course programme, beginning with yesterday’s opening evening event and welcome for all 48 participating countries hosted by star South African TV presenter Jo-Ann Strauss. An atmospheric Olympics-style flag parade is also on the agenda. The highlight of the off-course activities, however, is the BMW xDrive Experience. This off-road touring experience through the nearby mountains will be followed by a chance to taste some local wines.

The last time American Michael Thompson teed off on the PGA TOUR, he missed the cut by a country mile. He bounced back in style, however, winning the prestigious Honda Classic – and showing Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods how it is done in the process.

For long periods of the final round of the Honda Classic, it looked as though Michael Thompson’s dream was set to come true. The man from Arizona had dreamed of arriving at the 18th green to a wall of applause from the galleries with an unassailable lead on the way to his maiden victory on the PGA TOUR. However, things did not turn out to be quite that simple for Thompson.

The 27-year-old did manage to open up a comfortable four-shot lead – thanks to an eagle putt from 50 feet on the fourth hole. However, by the time Thompson hit his approach to the 18th green at the PGA National Champion Course at Palm Beach Gardens (Florida), his lead over Australian Major-winner Geoff Ogilvy (2006 US Open) had been cut to just one shot. What would he do next?

Thompson opted to go on the attack. He reached for his 5-wood and, from about 240 yards out, sent his ball soaring along the large lake to the right of the fairway and into the left-hand green bunker. He followed this with a bunker shot and a putt for a birdie and a final round of 69. This gave him a final score of -9 and victory over Ogilvy (-7), who had produced an excellent final round until shortly before the end. Third place went to Thompson’s compatriot Luke Guthrie (-5). BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer finished 51st after rounds of 71, 66, 76 and 74 (+7).

Thompson’s success at the Honda Classic is not only proof that rookies should by no means be ruled out at prestigious tournaments. It is also evidence of his strong character. Only two weeks ago, Thompson unceremoniously missed the cut at another big tournament, the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades (California), after disappointing rounds of 78 and 80.

Thompson bounced back on Sunday to claim his first win on the PGA TOUR – a success that not only secured his tour card for the next two years, but also a starting place at the WGC Championship in Florida this week. Among those teeing off at the Blue Monster Course in Doral, near Miami, will be Martin Kaymer. The German will be joined at the second event in this year’s WGC series by two big names who are struggling to hit top form so far in 2013.

World number one and defending champion Rory McIlroy walked off the course during the second round of the Honda Classic, meaning he is yet to complete four rounds of a stroke-play tournament this year. Meanwhile, the Northern Irishman’s closest rival in the world rankings battled his way grimly to the end of the tournament. Tiger Woods (+4) ultimately ended with an unsatisfactory 37th place. With the US Masters coming up at the end of the month, it is high time the two superstars found some kind of form.

The six tournaments held in South Africa at the start of the 2013 European Tour have been dominated by locals – with the final event in the series, the Tshwane Open, proving no exception.

This season, five of the six tournaments staged on South African soil have been won by South Africans. Dawie van der Walt, who was born in Paarl on the Western Cape but now lives in Texas, had the final word on Sunday, winning his first European Tour title at the Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate. Prior to his success at Copperleaf, van der Walt’s only previous wins had come at tournaments in lower-level series in the USA.

A final score of -21 was enough for the 30-year-old to finish two shots clear of compatriot Darren Fichardt, who is a far more familiar name in golfing circles. Fichardt had already won this season’s Africa Open, thus making his contribution to the sweeping success of South African golfers at European Tour events held in their native country. Only Scotland’s Scott Jamieson has managed to break the locals’ stranglehold, winning the Nelson Mandela Championship back in December.

Chilean Mark Tullo did have a second foreign triumph within his reach on Sunday at the Tshwane Open. Going into the final 18 holes, Tullo was tied for the lead with van der Walt and his fellow South Africans Fichardt and Charl Coetzee. However, Tullo’s nerves let him down and he ended the tournament with a final round of 77. The best-placed man from outside South Africa was American Peter Uihlein (-17). The former number one in the amateur world rankings finished fourth behind van der Walt, Fichardt and Louis de Jager.

The victorious van der Walt’s final round of 67 included an eye-catching eagle on the fourth hole (par 5), which at 685 yards is the longest hole in the history of the European Tour. Afterwards he said: “You start doubting yourself, and at 30 years old you start to wonder whether you’re good enough. This shows me that I am.”

The first WGC event of the season saw American Matt Kuchar demonstrate why he is viewed by many as the best match play golfer in the world at present. Even the defending champion could do nothing to stop him.

Last year’s winner Hunter Mahan was unable to prevent his compatriot Matt Kuchar from winning the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. In unusually cold temperatures at the course in Dove Mountain (Arizona), Mahan arrived at the final having never trailed in his last eleven matches in the tournament – a record spanning 169 holes of competition. However, it was a very different story in the final against Florida-born Kuchar, who now lives in Georgia.

Mahan found himself trailing “Kuch” from the fourth hole and, as hard as the 30-year-old Californian tried, he was unable to find a way back into the match. At one point Kuchar, four years Mahan’s senior, led by four holes. The fact that the winning margin was ultimately somewhat closer was down to the fighting spirit shown by Mahan, which was finally broken on the 17^th hole.

Having cut Kuchar’s lead to one hole with a birdie on the 16^th to give himself a chance of at least forcing a play-off, defending champion Mahan shot himself in the foot on the par-four 17th. He pulled his drive into a bunker, then saw his escape from the sand land in a bush. Mahan ultimately took four shots just to reach the green.

He conceded Kuchar’s birdie putt to present his fellow American with another big title to go with the Players Championship he won last year. Victory in Arizona sees Kuchar climb to eighth in the world rankings. The third place match in Dove Mountain saw Australia’s Jason Day defeat Englishman Ian Poulter 1 up. BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer went out to Mahan in the third round.

The tournament in Arizona was characterised by unbelievable weather and the early exits of a number of the game’s biggest names. After snowstorms had caused the first round to be delayed, the world number one and two both crashed out in the opening round.

Rory McIlroy was the victim of a shock defeat at the hands of Ireland’s Shane Lowry, while Tiger Woods lost to his old pal Charles Howell III. One round later the number three in the world suffered the same fate. England’s Luke Donald, who had knocked out German Marcel Siem in round one, lost to American Scott Piercy, leaving the door open to the players outside the top three.

When BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer tees off in his adopted home of Arizona, it will give him the first real indication of what kind of shape he is in early on in the season. The man from Düsseldorf will go head to head with the world’s top players at the WGC Match Play Championship in Dove Mountain.

Kaymer’s opening round duel against South African Georg Coetzee gets underway at 09:55 (local time). Should Kaymer win this match at the Ritz Carlton Resort in Dove Mountain, he will face either his Ryder Cup team-mate Lee Westwood (England) or Spain’s Rafael Cabrero-Bello in the second round.

Two hours and ten minutes after Kaymer has teed off, world number one Rory McIlroy will take to the course for only his second tournament of the season. The Northern Irishman hit the headlines earlier this year with a spectacular, highly lucrative change of supplier. From a sporting point of view, he still has plenty of potential to improve: McIlroy missed the cut at his only other appearance in 2013, the Abu Dhabi Championship in January.

If rumours are to be believed, McIlroy, who is seeded number one at this WGC event, will have a new putter and a shaft for his new driver in his bag in Dove Mountain, courtesy of his new equipment supplier. Last year, McIlroy lost out to American Hunter Mahan in the final in Arizona. This year he faces an old friend in round one: he and his opponent Shane Lowry played against each other on more than one occasion during their junior careers.

Like McIlroy, world number two Tiger Woods also failed to qualify for the weekend’s play in Abu Dhabi a month ago. The American, a three-time winner of the WGC Match Play, will launch his campaign 20 minutes after McIlroy. Woods plays compatriot and friend Charles Howell III, and is looking to roll back the years with another victory.

Since his last victory at the WGC Match Play in 2008, he has not progressed beyond the second round. His preparations for Dove Mountain included a round with a high-class opponent: three days prior to the start of the tournament, Woods took to the course with none other than US President Barack Obama. The result, as you can imagine, remains top secret.

As a young boy, John Merrick used to stand alongside the fairways at the famous Riviera Country Club and dream of one day teeing off there at a PGA TOUR event. He did just that last week – and won.

John Merrick has achieved one of his biggest dreams. On Sunday, the 30-year-old from Long Beach won the Northern Trust Open on the very same course, at which he used to stand and watch the pros in action when he was just a boy. Then, as a student at the nearby UCLA in the early 2000s, Merrick used to play the odd morning round at Riviera with his team-mates on the university golf team “Bruins”.

“I can’t put this into words,” said Merrick after his victory, his eyes welling with tears, “I always just wanted to play this tournament.” And in February 2013 he played it better than anyone else – although it was ultimately an extremely close affair.

On the way to winning his local title, Merrick had to defeat his compatriot Charlie Beljan in a play-off. His opponent did do him a favour on the second extra hole, however, when his nerves let him down on the tenth. Beljan pulled his drive on the tricky par four and was unable to atone for his mistake. So it was that Merrick’s par putt was enough to secure victory at one of the most prestigious tournaments on the US tour – a win that also saw him climb to fourth in the FedExCup rankings.

Behind Merrick and Beljan, third place was shared by Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson, American Bill Haas, who had started the final round with a three-shot lead, and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel. All three missed out on the play-off by just one shot and could only listen on as the local fans celebrated Merrick’s victory with patriotic chants of “U-C-L-A” and “Long Beach”.

Having won his first tournament last season, after nine long years on the European Tour, Darren Fichardt now knows that he is capable of winning – and, as of Sunday, so do his compatriots in South Africa.

After rounds of 69, 67, and 65, a final round of 71 on Sunday was sufficient for Fichardt to win the Africa Open at the East London Golf Club (par 72) on the Eastern Cape. It was his fourth title at an event belonging to the European Tour. The 37-year-old from Pretoria last walked away with a winner’s trophy at the Saint-Omer Open in France last June.

Fichardt went into the final round of the Africa Open level with compatriot Jaco van Zyl, and rapidly opened a four-shot lead over his struggling flight partner van Zyl by the halfway point.

However, the comfortable lead caused Fichardt to lose his focus, as he admitted later: “I was putting unbelievably and then I missed a short putt at the 14^th and thought ‘what’s going on here?’”

However, Fichardt had done enough and eventually finished two shots ahead of van Zyl and France’s Grégory Bourdy to ensure that the fourth staging of the tournament on the Eastern Cape was also won by a local; Fichardt joins his compatriots Charl Schwartzel (2010) and Louis Oosthuizen (2011, 2012) in the winners’ list.

As well as the winner’s cheque for 158,500 Euros, victory brought with it another plus for Fichardt: the South African climbs into the top 100 in the world rankings. To be more precise, he is now number 100 in the world.

After finishing runner-up for the past two weeks, Brandt Snedeker confirmed his stunning form with victory at the prestigious AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this weekend. The win backs up common belief that the man from Nashville is currently the best player in the world.

Snedeker first lost out to Tiger Woods in Torrey Pines, where the former world number one is virtually unbeatable. The following week he had to settle for second behind local favourite Phil Mickelson in Scottsdale. All that was missing at Pebble Beach was another runner-up spot behind Rory McIlroy, and he would have narrowly missed out to all three of the biggest stars in the world of golf within the last three weeks.

However, McIlroy was not in action at Pebble Beach, although the event on the west coast of the USA was once again littered with big names – including actor Bill Murray, ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, and American football coach Jim Harbaugh. Instead, Brandt Snedeker took the opportunity to show that he is also one of the biggest names on the golf scene at present.

A tournament record for the final round of 65 shots and a final score of -19 was enough for the 32-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, to finish two shots clear of his compatriot Chris Kirk (-17) and pocket the winner’s cheque for 1.17 million US dollars. The win not only sees Snedeker extend his lead in the FedExCup, in which he is the defending champion, but he also rises to fourth place in the world rankings; only McIlroy, Woods and England’s Luke Donald, who all opted not to tee off at the AT&T, are above him.

Snedeker’s record so far this year is mightily impressive: five appearances, two wins and two runner-up spots. Only at the Humana Challenge did he have to settle for a relatively disappointing 23^rd place. The secret to Snedeker’s success has been his magnificent putting and a significant improvement in the number of fairways he hits from the tee.

The best golfer in the world, on current form, will now take a short break. Snedeker is taking his family to Maui, Hawaii, to escape from the hype surrounding his recent achievements. However, the peace and quiet is not set to last long. Brandt Snedeker will tee off at his next big tournament on 20^th February, when he will go head to head with the rest of the world’s top players at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in the Arizona Desert.

After a long time out with injury and second place last week, South Africa’s Richard Sterne is back to winning ways on the European Tour – and at his home event too.

After more than four years without a victory, Sterne won the Joburg Open in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday. The 31-year-old, with homes at his birthplace in Pretoria and in Manchester (England), secured his sixth title on the European Tour with a new tournament record of 27 under par. The last time Sterne had picked up a winner’s trophy was at the South Africa Open in 2008.

Back then, Sterne was number 29 in the world and seen as a player with huge potential to reach dizzy heights – but then it all went rather quiet. Painful arthritis in his back prevented him from playing much golf at all and saw Sterne plummet down the world rankings. He ultimately found himself back outside the top 1000 – in no man’s land.

Only this year has Sterne, who is now pain-free again, been able to demonstrate why experts once had him down as one of the big hopes on the European Tour. Last week he had to settle for runner-up to Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher at the Omega Dubai Classic – despite leading at the halfway point. In Johannesburg there was simply no stopping him.

Starting the final 18 holes at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club tied for the lead with his compatriot Trevor Fisher Junior, Sterne eventually finished an impressive seven shots clear of fellow South African Charl Schwartzel. Major-winner Schwartzel already has a victory in South Africa to his name this season, having triumphed at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

"After all the hard work and the time out with injury, I did wonder whether I was ever going to win again," said an emotional Sterne after his victory."At one point the pain was so bad that I even wondered if I’d ever play golf again. But now I know I can."

American Phil Mickelson narrowly missed out on a new PGA TOUR record on his way to a dominant victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Phil Mickelson was not far off carding the lowest score in the history of the PGA TOUR on Sunday afternoon at TPC Scottsdale. After rounds of 60, 65, 64 and 67, the left-hander’s score of 28 under par came up just two shots short of the record, set by Tommy Armour III at the 2003 Texas Open. However, Mickelson did equal the tournament record in Phoenix, matching the 28-under score achieved by his compatriot Mark Calcavecchia at the TPC Scottsdale in 2001.

This was Mickelson’s third title in Phoenix and his 41st on the PGA TOUR. And there is potential for more success at this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California, at which Mickelson will tee off as defending champion.

Fellow American Brandt Snedeker finished runner-up, four shots behind Mickelson. Starting the day six points behind the leader, the reigning FedExCup champion did try to close the gap early on in the day. As Mickelson was the picture of consistency, however, Snedeker had to settle for the runner-up spot – just as he had the previous week, when he finished second behind Tiger Woods. Third place in Phoenix went to the man who shot the lowest round of the final day: Scott Piercy carded a 61 on Sunday to end the tournament on -23.

Coming into Sunday’s final round, Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher was able to call upon the experience gained at over 400 tournaments on the European Tour. However, only one of these had ended in victory – and that was nine years ago. That all changed on Sunday, when he finally came out on top again at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic – thanks in no small part to five eagles.

Many of those watching were in agreement, that this year’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic was not won on Sunday, but on Saturday. It was then that 38-year-old Stephen Gallacher – a nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Gallacher – produced a very special performance.

On the final hole of the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, Gallacher sank a bunker shot from a good 40 yards to score one of his five eagles over the course of the four rounds. The resulting round of 62 put him three shots clear of South Africa’s Richard Sterne at the top of the leaderboard.

However, despite the comfortable lead, the final round was anything but a stroll in the park for the Scot, who finished tied in second place at last year’s tournament. It ultimately took another miraculous little shot to clinch the title.

Gallacher’s lead over the relentless Sterne had been cut to two shots as he stepped onto the tee of the par-four 16th. Using his new driver – his previous one having broken in Qatar last week – he found the rough. However, the man from West Lothian reached for his sand wedge and promptly landed the ball in the hole from 115 yards for – you guessed it – an eagle.

Stephen Gallacher eventually claimed the title in the desert emirate with a score of -21, three shots ahead of Richard Sterne. The Scot’s last victory on the European Tour came nine years ago, at the Dunhill Links Championship in St. Andrews. Third place was shared by Chilean Felipe Aguilar and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen (both -17).

Victory in Dubai catapults Gallacher from 111 to 56 in the world rankings, giving a starting place at the World Match Play Championship in Arizona this month, and increasing his chances of making the first Masters appearance of his 18-year professional career. To do this, however, he must first force his way into the top 50 over the coming weeks. "Every year I sit at home watching the Masters with the kids, " said Gallacher. "Obviously it would be a dream. "

It was the same old story in Torrey Pines. Whenever Tiger Woods tees off at a tournament there, the number of favourites for the title is reduced dramatically. The only difference this year was that the weather did not exactly play ball in San Diego.

Rain and fog over the South Course at Torrey Pines (California) meant the organisers of the 2013 Farmers Insurance Open had to tinker with the regular tournament schedule somewhat. With no play possible on the Saturday, the pros had to return on Monday – although, all but one could realistically have saved themselves the bother.

Former world number one Tiger Woods did what he usually does on this course, and won. Woods has now won the tournament seven times, and his most recent success at Torrey Pines came in the form of the 2008 US Open. From a statistical viewpoint, then, it is no wonder that Woods started Monday’s final round with a six-shot lead. With five holes still to play, he had increased this lead to a formidable eight shots. By this point, the majority of fans had forgotten that Woods failed miserably to make the cut at the Abu Dhabi Championship in Doha the previous week.

Woods put the dropped shots with which he ended the event at Torrey Pines down to distractions caused by the slow flights ahead of him and the behaviour of the crowds, who had received free entry and did not always strictly observe golfing etiquette. However, it may also have had something to do with the fact that Woods had to play the seven holes that were still remaining when the previous day’s play was suspended, as well as the final 18 holes.

So it was that Woods closed out his final round with two bogeys and a double-bogey, and ultimately had to settle for a closing 72. This was enough, however, to secure the American his 75th tournament win on the PGA TOUR. Tied in second place, four shots back from Woods (-14), were fellow Americans Josh Teater and defending champion Brandt Snedeker.

Woods’ 75th victory on the PGA TOUR sees him draw closer to the magic record set by legend Sam Snead (USA), who won 82 times over the course of his career. Woods achieved another personal benchmark in Torrey Pines: it was the first time in his career he had won a tournament the week after missing a cut.

Before the weekend, England’s Chris Wood was seen by many as a player with an uncanny knack of  snatching defeat from the jaws of victory over the final 18 holes of a tournament. In Qatar, the 25-year-old well and truly put this theory to bed.

It is not as though Chris Wood’s career was completely lacking in successful moments until Sunday in Doha. As an amateur, he finished a sensational fifth at the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. He then turned pro and promptly came third at the 2009 Open at Turnberry – a result that went a long way to earning the man from Bristol the European Tour’s “Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year” award in the same year.

However, the tall Englishman was made to wait before he could eventually get his hands on a winner’s trophy. Instead, Wood developed a reputation as a bit of a choker: in 2010 he missed out on the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after a final round of 77, and he threw away a four-shot lead at the 2011 Mallorca Open. He did, however, rediscover that winning feeling with victory at last August’s Thailand Open on the OneAsia Tour – by just one shot. Still, that illusive European Tour win remained just beyond Wood’s considerable reach.

Even on Saturday, Wood’s tournament seemed to be following a familiar course in Doha. He went into the final round with of the Qatar Masters with a three-shot advantage over the rest of the field – but the Englishman soon found himself two shots off the lead by the halfway point. Same old story? Not a chance.

Chris Wood stepped onto the final tee at the Doha Golf Club – a par 5 that had been moved forward by 60 yards – and struck an irresistibly long drive to leave himself with a 202-yard five iron to the pin. Woods then sank the resulting 12-foot putt for eagle, and clichéd a dramatic win by just one shot (-18). The runner-up spot was shared by South African Georg Coetzee and Spain’s Sergio García (both -17), for whom a win in Qatar would have meant a return to the top ten in the world rankings for the first time for over three years.

After celebrating his maiden title on the European Tour with some energetic fist pumping, Chris Wood calmly pointed out something that had become increasingly clear to him over the last three years: “Winning on the European Tour is not easy.” At least he now knows that, whilst it may not be easy, it is definitely possible.

Shortly before the start of the Qatar Masters, BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer has announced his tournament schedule for the months ahead. Up until April 2013, his focus will be away from the European Tour.

This week’s Qatar Masters in Doha, which BMW is supporting as “Official Car Partner”, is the second tournament Kaymer will have played this year. After that, the current world number 28 will take a break from the European Tour – although three of the next five tournaments on Kaymer’s schedule are co-sanctioned events that form part of the European Tour and the PGA TOUR.

From Qatar, Kaymer will return to his second home in Scottsdale (Arizona), where he will tee off the following week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which belongs to the PGA TOUR and is held at the TPC Scottsdale. At this legendary event, 20,000 spectators greet every ball with cheers on its way to the 16^th green (par 3) – or, in the case of a poor shot, with loud boos. Martin Kaymer knows this feeling well: he made his first appearance at the tournament in 2010, and promptly missed the cut.

After the thrilling atmosphere of the Phoenix Open, Kaymer has given himself a two-week break before playing his first WGC Event of the year, which belongs to both the PGA TOUR and the European Tour: the Accenture Match Play Championship at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Dove Mountain, just two hours’ drive from Kaymer’s US home in Scottsdale. Last year the man from Düsseldorf lost to America’s Matt Kuchar in the third round. Twelve months prior to this, Kaymer had made it to the final, where he lost out to England’s Luke Donald.

After another two-week break, Germany’s top golfer heads to California for the second WGC event: the Cadillac Championship, in Donald Trump’s Doral Resort in Miami (Florida). Kaymer finished 20^th at last year’s tournament on the “Blue Monster” course. One week after Doral, Kaymer will tee off at the Tampa Bay Championship in Innisbrook on the west coast of Florida. The German again finished tied in 20^th place there in 2011.

To date, Martin Kaymer’s schedule features just one tournament in April – but it is one of the most important in the golfing world: the Masters in Augusta. The BMW Brand Ambassador has set his sights high for the first Major of the season. He is out to prove that any talk of his weakness when it comes to drawing the ball is a thing of the past. In the course of the adjustments he has made to his swing over the last twelve months, Martin Kaymer has worked very hard on his draw. And with great success. Bring on Augusta.

Martin Kaymer’s tournament schedule.

Up to 26^th January – Commercialbank Qatar Masters (European Tour)
31^st January to 3^rd February: Waste Management Phoenix Open (PGA TOUR)
21^st to 24^th February – WGC Accenture Match Play Championship (European Tour/PGA TOUR)
7^th to 10^th March – WGC Cadillac Championship (European Tour/PGA TOUR)
14^th to 17^th March – Tampa Bay Championship (PGA TOUR)
11^th to 14^th April – Masters Tournament (European Tour/PGA TOUR)

Die Humana Challenge im kalifornischen La Quinta entpuppte sich als eine Art Low-Score-Contest. Nach vier Runden hatten drei Spieler ein Ergebnis von 25 unter Par. Am Ende konnte aber – wie stets – nur einer gewinnen.

Brian Gay is the delighted winner of the tournament, which was staged on the Palmer Course at La Quinta’s PGA West. Like his compatriot Charles Howell III. and the Swedish Tour rookie David Lingmerth, the 41-year-old Texan fired a remarkable score of -25 over the course of 72 holes. The result was a three-way play-off. At stake: a winner’s cheque for just over a million US dollars.

Sweden’s Lingmerth stumbled on the first extra hole (the par-5 18th), dropping out of contention following a bogey. When Gay then landed a 297-yard drive in the centre of the fairway on the second extra hole, the tenth (par 4), his job was as good as done. The resulting birdie – Howell III. had pulled his drive into the rough – was sufficient to give Gay his first victory after three and a half years on the PGA TOUR.

"I’m still in a little bit of shock,” said Gay, whose last win came at the St. Jude Classic back in 2009. Previously known as a “short-hitter”, Gay worked particularly hard on improving the length of his drives last year – and with success, as it appears.

Gay carded a bogey-free final round of 63 in La Quinta on Sunday, which included nine birdies on the first 13 holes. Five pars on the remaining holes was enough to secure a place in the play-off. In actual fact, Gay came within a whisker of saving himself the drama of ‘extra time’, but narrowly missed an eight-foot birdie putt for victory on the very last regular hole.

The big loser on the final day of the Humana Challenge was Scott Stallings. The American led the field on 22 under par at the start of the day – five shots clear of the field. In the end, however, the two-time PGA TOUR winner missed out on the play-off after a round of 70.

Stallings missed the green with his approach shot on the 18^th, initially finding the rough before his ball rolled into the water hazard. A penalty stroke later, Stallings failed to make a 10-foot putt for par, which would have earned him a place in the play-off. “I’m fed up, but that is something I will definitely learn from,” said the 27-year-old. He does have one consolation: Stallings and his wife Jennifer are expecting their first child shortly.

BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer has carried the momentum he picked up at the end of 2012 into this year, getting the 2013 season off to a successful start with sixth place at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Sunday.

The man from Düsseldorf ended the final round with a score of -9, five shots behind the victorious Jamie Donaldson from Wales. This meant Kaymer missed out on his fourth title at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, having previously won the tournament in 2008, 2010 and 2011. “I am really happy with my first top-ten finish this year, even though it was not quite enough to come out on top,” said Kaymer.

The event in Abu Dhabi had a real sting in its tail – particularly for Justin Rose. The English Ryder Cup star had topped the leaderboard since the opening round. However, the current world number four was unable to find top gear and could do nothing to prevent the impressive Donaldson from passing him in the finishing straight. The Welshman’s victory sees him climb from 47^th in the world rankings to 29^th, right behind Martin Kaymer. Donaldson’s title in Abu Dhabi was confirmation of the good form he showed last year, when he won his first tournament on the European Tour at the Irish Open and ended the season in the top 20 in the Race to Dubai.

The win came as something of a surprise for the 37-year-old Welshman: “Winning here is a bit crazy given the start of the tournament week. I played the Pro-Am and thought: ‘this golf course is just too difficult’,” said Donaldson on Sunday. Ultimately, however, it was the hot favourites who struggled to come to terms with the par-72 course. The top two players in the world, Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and his closest rival Tiger Woods (USA), missed the cut at the halfway point.

Even without these two superstars, the final round developed into a dramatic finale. Donaldson led by two shots heading down the par-five 18^th, but then three-putted on the final green. That opened the door for Justin Rose and Thorbjörn Olesen behind him. However, both the Englishman, who had lost the lead courtesy of a bogey on the 16^th, and the Dane were both unable to take advantage, missing out on the birdies that would have forced a play-off. Rose did come agonisingly close, but could only stand and watch as his putt lipped out.

One man who was left high and dry by Lady Luck on Sunday was Rose’s compatriot David Howell. The winner of the 2005 BMW International Open and 2006 BMW PGA Championship has enjoyed a long-overdue return to form recently, and found himself in a tie for the lead in Abu Dhabi until a triple-bogey on the 13^th brought an abrupt end to his challenge. Howell eventually finished tied in sixth place with Martin Kaymer and Joost Luiten (Netherlands).

BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer has won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship more often than any other professional tournament. For this reason alone, he is regarded as one of the favourites this week – alongside his two flight partners.

When Martin Kaymer opens his campaign at the 2013 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship from the tenth tee of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club (par 72) at 07:40 local time on Thursday, he will be joined in his flight by two of the hottest favourites to win the tournament. Kaymer will play the opening two rounds alongside world number one Rory McIlroy and his predecessor Tiger Woods.

"Wow" was how Kaymer summed up his flight on his Facebook page. “What a flight for the first two rounds! I’m really looking forward to playing with Tiger and Rory. I think there will be a few more spectators than usual.”

Kaymer has teed off in Abu Dhabi on six occasions, and could regard the event as ‘his tournament’. He claimed his first win on the European Tour here in 2008, and repeated this success in 2010 and 2011. In 2009 he finished runner-up behind England’s Paul Casey. Only last year did the man from Düsseldorf slip up, missing the cut for the first time.

However, this negative experience is long since water under the bridge. Martin Kaymer is back – a fact he proved emphatically with his winning putt at the Ryder Cup and the successful defence of his title at December’s invitational tournament in Sun City, South Africa. Another win in Abu Dhabi would create another little bit of history: as the event in the desert emirate is in its eighth year, Kaymer would have won exactly half of the tournaments played – which would not be a bad return in anyone’s books.

However, there are plenty of people well capable of preventing the “Germanator” – as Kaymer has been labelled by English journalists – from claiming his fourth victory. The form book points towards a maiden win for world number one Rory McIlroy, who has finished in the top five in Abu Dhabi on each of his last four appearances. The 2012 BMW Championship winner just missed out last year, finishing runner-up. Making his debut last year, Tiger Woods produced what was by his standards average golf to finish third.

And it is not just Kaymer, McIlroy and Woods who are capable of winning. The strong field also includes England’s Justin Rose, Paul Casey (back to form and a two-time winner in Abu Dhabi) and defending champion Robert Rock, as well as Major winners Ernie Els of South Africa and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington. As Justin Rose accurately put it: “Obviously there’s a great field assembled here, and that’s who you want to compete against.”

Paul McGinley has accepted an invitation from the Tournament Committee of The European Tour to become Captain of The European Team in The 2014 Ryder Cup at The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland from September 26 - 28, 2014.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 16, 1966, McGinley becomes the first Irishman to captain a Ryder Cup Team against the United States. He will be the 24th different golfer to lead the European (formerly Great Britain and Ireland) Team.

McGinley, a four time winner on The European Tour, made three consecutive, and victorious, Ryder Cup appearances from 2002 – 2006 and will always be remembered as the man who holed the winning putt during his first appearance at the Belfry 11 years ago.

McGinley succeeds José María Olazábal with the aim of retaining the Ryder Cup following the Spaniard’s brilliant stewardship of Europe’s ‘Miracle at Medinah’. The 46 year old was a Vice-Captain to Olazábal in Chicago last year, the same role he fulfilled for Colin Montgomerie’s victorious 2010 Team at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.

"I'm obviously very pleased to be in this situation. This is a position that I'm really thrilled to be in, and it's also a very humbling experience. I can't wait to get into the role of being the Captain”, McGinley said. "I'm relishing the thought of taking on one of my great heroes, (US Captain) Tom Watson. He's not only a wonderful person abut a great ambassador for the game of golf."

Making his first start on the PGA TOUR, the American rookie promptly secured his first win and set an impressive record. A dream start to Henley’s career as a PGA TOUR member. Could it be the first victory of many?

"I’m pretty speechless, " admitted a victorious Russell Henley on Sunday afternoon in Honolulu, Hawaii, having just won his first tournament at his first PGA TOUR event as a professional. It is twelve years since anyone achieved this feat.

The 23-year-old from the US state of Georgia’s win was historic in more ways than one: never before had a player won the Sony Open with a score of 24 under par, never before had anyone shot a lower final round than 63 at the Waialae Country Club. And: 256 shots is the third lowest 72-hole score in the history of the Tour. Henley now leads the FedExCup, together with last week’s winner Dustin Johnson – all in all, you could say it was rather a good debut.

The quality of golf could be sensed out on the course, particularly in Henley’s finish, as he birdied the final five holes in a row to secure his place at the US Masters. "I was trying not to think about Augusta out there, " said Henley. "I just kept telling myself: ‘this is a long year, you’re going to play this game a long time. Be patient, it doesn’t have to happen now'".

But it did happen then. Henley finished three shots clear of South Africa’s Tim Clark, who himself birdied seven of the final eleven holes and gave this assessment of the victorious Henley: "If that’s how he putts all the time, whew! It’s over!"

Almost as though he had taken out a subscription, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen once again won the opening tournament on this year’s European Tour – for the third time in a row.

It took an enormous effort from 30-year-old Oosthuizen at the Durban Country Club on Sunday to defend his title, as the winners from the previous season on the European Tour met for their annual get-together. Going into the final round of the Volvo Golf Champions, leader Scott Jamieson from Scotland held a five-shot lead over his South African rival.

However, 29-year-old Jamieson, who claimed his first title on the European Tour just six weeks ago when he won the Nelson Mandela Championship in Durban to qualify for this tournament, was unable to maintain the dazzling form of the opening three days. Not so Oosthuizen. The 2010 Open champion produced world-class golf hole after hole, shooting a final round of 66 to emerge triumphant from the 33-strong field.

Oosthuizen was almost taken to a play-off, but Jamieson’s chip for eagle narrowly missed the hole to leave him one shot off the South African’s winning score of -16. "It’s a great start to the year," beamed Oosthuizen, who climbs to number four in the world – his career-best ranking. There was a small consolation for Jamieson: he now leads the Race to Dubai. Behind Oosthuizen and Jamieson, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee finished a further shot back in third place in Durban.

American Dustin Johnson – "DJ" for short – overcame storms and delays to win the first tournament of the new PGA TOUR season.

By the end of the day, nobody really knew just how often the miserable weather had forced the organisers to change the format and schedule of the opening tournament on this season’s PGA TOUR. Heavy storms with winds reaching speeds of 40 mph in Hawaii meant the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course in Kapalua came within a whisker of being cancelled.

With a field consisting of all the tournament winners from the 2012 season on the US tour, the original plan was for the champion to be crowned after four rounds on Monday. In the end, only three rounds were completed and the tournament concluded on Tuesday.

One player dealt better than the rest with the weather and delayed start times: Dustin Johnson. The 28-year-old from South Carolina eventually finished well clear of his compatriot and defending champion Steve Stricker. A score of -16 and a four-shot lead was enough to secure the first title of the season for the 2010 BMW Championship winner – DJ's seventh on the PGA TOUR.

However, having looked like a cert to win ahead of the final round, the door did open briefly for the chasing pack on Tuesday. Johnson started the last 18 holes in gusty conditions in Kapalua with a three-shot lead. With five holes to play, Stricker had closed to within just one shot, thanks largely to a pulled drive and a resulting double-bogey. How did Johnson react?

On the following hole – a short par 4 – he once again reached for his driver and produced a mighty drive, which he followed with a delicate chip from just 50 feet for an eagle. “It was nowhere near ho-hum,” said a relaxed Johnson after the tournament. It is nerves like that that win tournaments.

25 weeks to the BMW International Open – 25 pairs of tickets up for grabs: between today and the start of the tournament on 18th June 2013, we will be giving away two entry tickets for the iconic event every week as part of our Anniversary Countdown. Join in, and you too could see the stars of the European Tour in action.

Germany’s only tournament on the European Tour is celebrating a big birthday: the BMW International Open (Golfclub München Eichenried) will take place for the 25th time from 18th to 23rd June 2013. Join in the celebrations! Answer a question on the history of the event and win two tickets for the anniversary tournament.

Each week, all the correct answers to the current question will go into a draw for two day tickets (valid on Saturday OR Sunday, with the winner choosing which day) for the 25th BMW International Open. The tickets will then be sent to the winners after May 2013. By the way: entry to the tournament is free of charge for everyone from Tuesday to Friday.

After completing the BMW xDrive Mountain Challenge, BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer looked back at the 2012 season, and revealed his goals for the new year.

Martin Kaymer und Bruno Spengler both have career-defining moments behind them. Following a successful season, the Ryder Cup winner and the DTM champion put their skills to the test on unusual territory at over 2,000 metres above sea level.

Conducted by the Western Golf Association, the 2012 BMW Championship raised $3.1 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation, the WGA’s 82-year-old sister organization, which has been sending caddies-to-college since 1930.

The penultimate event in the FedExCup Playoffs, the BMW Championship was one of the top attended tournaments on the PGA TOUR in 2012 attracting more than 143,000 spectators to Crooked Stick Golf Club outside Indianapolis. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world, won the BMW Championship for the first time and was recently was named PGA TOUR Player of the Year.

"On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to acknowledge and congratulate the BMW Championship and the Western Golf Association on an outstanding event and to recognize the tournament team for its outstanding efforts," said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR executive vice-president and chief of operations.  "The Western Golf Association and title sponsor BMW should be extremely proud of being recognized as the best among their peers on the TOUR."

Pazder said the event’s successful tournament activation, ticket and corporate sales, attention to detail, and player amenities all played a significant role in its earning Tournament-of-the-Year status. The award was presented Thursday at the PGA TOUR Tournament Meetings in La Quinta, Calif.

"On behalf of BMW of North America and the Western Golf Association, I would like to thank the PGA TOUR for honoring the BMW Championship as Tournament of the Year," said Western Golf Association vice president of tournaments Vince Pellegrino.  "The PGA TOUR co-sponsors more than 40 outstanding events each season, and to be singled out from among this esteemed group is truly humbling.

"Much of the credit for this honor should go to BMW, because its unparalleled commitment to excellence sets high standards for the event at every level of execution,” Pellegrino said.  “The support BMW provides is unique among sports marketing partners. The WGA and Evans Scholars Foundation are grateful to have BMW as our sponsor."

BMW leveraged their sponsorship in numerous ways including providing BMW owners many benefits such as complimentary tickets, exclusive parking and shuttle transportation on-site, concierge service, as well as, private hospitality areas featuring some of the best views of the course. In addition, tournament patrons were treated to a 10,000 square foot BMW Experience interactive area, dynamic BMW vehicle displays, and premium concession and merchandise areas, the TOUR noted.

The WGA also succeeded in its multi-tiered integration of the tournament’s charitable mission, the TOUR said.  For example, Evans Scholar alumni – many of whom graduated from college decades ago - served as caddies in the Monday and Wednesday Pro-Am events - and donated their tips to the Evans Scholars Foundation. Additionally, BMW awarded a four-year scholarship to the Evans Scholars Foundation when Steve Stricker recorded a Hole-in-One on the sixth hole during the tournament’s second round.

Current and past Evans Scholars also greeted fans at the tournament entry gates and provided information about the program.

Corporate hospitality sales were highly successful thanks in part to Corporate Supporter Workshops leading up to the tournament.  Prior to the event, tournament sales and support teams scheduled a private venue walk-through with individual corporate hospitality customer representatives.  During the tournament, each venue was staffed with hospitality liaisons to ensure all needs were met.

Players had the opportunity to test drive some of BMW’s newest vehicles throughout the week along with a unique "BMW Driving Experience". BMW also staged a table tennis exhibition for PGA TOUR players to challenge Timothy Wang, member of the US Olympic Table Tennis Team who competed in London.

The BMW Championship also received PGA TOUR Tournament of the Year honors in 2008, when Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis hosted the event.

The 2013 BMW Championship is set for September 9-15 at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill.

The European Tour calendar has a new addition in 2013: "The Final Series", which features four outstanding tournaments at the end of the season, including the BMW Masters (24^th to 27^th October 2013, Shanghai). BMW is Partner of the European Tour and will also enrich the tournament schedule with the BMW PGA Championship (23^rd to 26^th May 2013, Wentworth) and the 25^th anniversary of the BMW International Open (20^th to 23^rd June 2013, Munich).

The 2013 European Tour International Schedule features a minimum of 45 tournaments across the world, providing a varied and exciting global platform for the Tour’s wide-ranging international Membership. Starting in Africa in two weeks’ time, the 12 month golfing odyssey will see the schedule travel though Asia, America, Australasia and its home continent of Europe, before ending back in Dubai with the 2013 DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 14-17.

The DP World Tour Championship, Dubai will itself be the culmination of a new and exciting climax to The 2013 Race to Dubai where four tournaments will combine to form ‘The Final Series.’ The four tournaments are the US$7 million BMW Masters, the US$8.5 million WGC-HSBC Champions, the US$7 million Turkish Open and the US$8 million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – making the total prize fund for ‘The Final Series’ a staggering US$30.5 million.

Any European Tour Member hoping to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – and therefore the chance to play for The Race to Dubai Bonus Pool – will have to participate in two of the three tournaments preceding the season finale.

Furthermore, any Member participating in the first three tournaments in ‘The Final Series’ will receive a 20 per cent bonus on The Race to Dubai points earned from those three events, the bonus being added to the respective players’ points total before the DP World Tour Championship.

George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “The introduction of ‘The Final Series’ and the associated changes to the structure are being made to bring even more drama and excitement to the conclusion of our season, and to further enhance The Race to Dubai. To have our Members finishing The European Tour season at tournaments of genuine quality such as the BMW Masters, the WGC-HSBC Champions, the Turkish Open and the DP World Tour Championship is exciting. We felt there had to be an additional level of commitment from the Membership to these important tournaments, hence the new regulation. The response from our leading players to this change has been extremely encouraging, and we take confidence from their support as we look to continue the positive evolution of The European Tour in an extremely challenging economic climate.”

As in previous seasons, The 2013 European Tour International Schedule is an eclectic mix of globally diverse locations, beginning in South Africa at the Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa from December 6-9, 2012. A total of six events will be staged in South Africa on the 2013 Schedule, including the Volvo Golf Champions from January 10-13, 2013, where many of the Tour’s 2012 champions will gather at Durban Country Club.

From there, the Tour moves into its formidable desert swing of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the Commercialbank Qatar Masters and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic before heading to the United States for the first two of the four World Golf Championship events scheduled for 2013.

Other highlights include The European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club from May 23-26, as well as the four Major Championships with The Open at Muirfield preceded by four of the Tour’s most significant tournaments as the BMW International Open returns to Munich and the Golfclub München Eichenried on its 25th Anniversary; the Irish Open moves to Carton House in County Kildare; the magnificent Golf National in Paris once again hosts the Alstom Open de France and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open returns to the links terrain of Castle Stuart the week before The Open.

There may be no Ryder Cup in 2013, but the biennial match against the United States, won so dramatically by José María Olazábal’s European Team at Medinah Country Club in Chicago in September, is never far from consideration. With that in mind, the qualification process to make the 2014 team at The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland will have a different beginning this year as the points race kicks off with the ISPS Handa Wales Open at The Celtic Manor Resort, the scene of Europe’s dramatic 2010 Ryder Cup victory, which has moved to its new date of August 29 – September 1.

Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy for The European Tour, said: “We are delighted to announce another comprehensive International Schedule that once again shows the strength in depth of The European Tour. With 45 tournaments already confirmed, we are hopeful of making additional tournament announcements in the near future which will further strengthen the playing schedule we are able to offer the broad spectrum of our Membership. We would once again like the thank our partners, promoters and colleagues in golf’s governing bodies around the world for their support of The European Tour, and we look forward to welcoming them all to the 2013 season.”

The BMW PGA Championship is set to deliver an enhanced spectator experience in 2013 as Europe’s Ryder Cup Team, triumphant from the ‘Miracle at Medinah’, regroup for the first time competitively on British soil at Wentworth Club in England.

The BMW PGA Championship 2013 will provide a superb package of fun, celebrity-spotting and world class golf over a six-day period, starting with the Official Practice Day on Tuesday, May 21 through to the climax to The European Tour’s flagship event on Sunday, May 26.

The increase in attendances in recent years has prompted The European Tour to throw open the doors to the public on Tuesday, May 21, designated for the first time as an Official Practice Day. Advance tickets as part of the pre-Christmas offer are £5, which is half the price payable on the gate.

Wednesday will now be known as Celebrity Pro-Am Day (£10 pre-Christmas; £15 on the gate), where the public will be able to mingle with the good and the great of the worlds of entertainment, sport and music along with the leading golf professionals. Details of participants in this enjoyable precursor to the main event will be published nearer the day on www.europeantour.com

For the Championship (May 23-26), an Adult Season ticket can be purchased now for £60 (concession £40) – in both cases £20 less than the gate admission price during the week. Any One Day Adult tickets can be purchased before Christmas for £30 (concession £15) with prices rising to £40 and £25 respectively on the gate.

Adult Weekend tickets (Saturday and Sunday) are available now for £45 (concession £28), rising to £60 (concession £45) during the week. Reserved 18th green grandstand seats can be booked now for £15 (Saturday) and £20 (Sunday). No discounts apply for advance bookings or concessions.

Families planning to attend the Championship should note that all children aged 16 and under will be admitted free of charge if accompanied by an adult ticket holder.

Advance tickets for 2013 are on sale now and represent outstanding value, especially if purchased as part of the Championship’s pre-Christmas offers on:

Stars galore, thrilled fans and a beaming winner, Peter Hanson: The maiden BMW Masters turned out to be a true golf highlight. Relive the tournament in Shanghai with this video.

The sixth victory on the European Tour is his biggest so far: just weeks after the sensational Ryder Cup victory with Team Europe, Peter Hanson kept his Medinah team-mates in check to win the inaugural BMW Masters. Read here what the 37-year-old Swede thought of the prestigious tournament at Lake Malaren Golf Club.

Peter, many congratulations on a fine win. Please give us your thoughts on the victory and on the day as a whole.

Peter Hanson: “Let’s take it from the start. Rory played really well today, but he gave me a little bit of an advantage by missing five pretty makeable putts in the first five holes. To be honest, I felt pretty comfortable playing 14 and maybe 15 as well, but when he made his eagle putt around 15, which was just truly brilliant, I managed to make 4 and kind of put the pressure on. Then, when he made birdie again on the next hole, 16, I could really feel the pressure being applied, and you could see it in his eye, he was hungry to try to get this one. So it was just nice for me to get the up and down on both 16 and 17. Then when he missed his putt on the last, it felt pretty nice to dribble it down there.”

Please describe how you were feeling on the 18^th.

Hanson: “It felt pretty good on the tee. Me and my caddie were going through the numbers and we decided to go with the shorter club to just carry on to the green and roll it down to the hole. It came up just a fraction short. I probably needed to pitch that second shot a good four or five yards further up the green, and it kind of stopped in its pitchmark. We had two referees to see if the ball broke the surface because then I would get a free drop. They both decided it didn’t. I tried to hack it down there and it all came down to, I was trying to get myself ready to make that putt if I needed to. Rory was playing so well towards the end. I kind of had a feeling that he had a good chance of making that putt, and then it was all about me being ready to try to make mine for par to get the win.”

This is your sixth European Tour victory and your second in two months. What does it mean to you?

Hanson: “This is by far the biggest win in my career, so I think all of the work I have put in to try to be ready for The Ryder Cup has paid off, both in Holland and now a couple of weeks later. When you put in all that massive amount of work, it's going to run into some of the tournaments around it, so I think that's what we are seeing now.”

Your confidence level must be very high, and then going forward to next year, obviously the goal is to win a Major?

“Yes, of course. Like I said, I'm feeling more and more comfortable in this kind of situation. Playing against Rory, the world number one, is a very special treat. You need somehow to perform under these high-pressure situations. I was leading Augusta and that was my first real time in the spotlight with a good chance of performing well in one of these big events. I think that helped me a lot coming into these other events. And now here I am with by far the biggest win in my career.”

Can you just describe what it feels like to have Rory breathing down your neck over those last few holes?

Hanson: “It’s not something you want really. When I saw his eyes after he made eagle on the 15th hole, it was kind of a weird one because I was feeling pretty comfortable. I was working myself around the golf course pretty well, not taking too many chances, and you know, putting the ball where it's supposed to be. Then he made that eagle and a birdie on 16 and all of the sudden the pressure was on. It was nice that we managed to finish on that last hole so we didn't have to go another two holes.”

What's your comment on the tournament as a whole in general?

Hanson: “BMW is probably the strongest partner we have on The European Tour and they always do a fantastic job. Me being a Swede, it feels special to have a Lake Malaren Golf Course, so it has a bit of a Swedish feel to it. Of course it has been a great week for me, and the way we get looked after, from when we land at the airport with the cars picking us up, the great hotel and the great golf course, is just five-star.”

Sweden’s Peter Hanson won the inaugural BMW Masters at Shanghai’s Lake Malaren Golf Club, picking up the winner’s cheque for 1,166,600 US dollars for his efforts. The 37-year-old survived a late challenge from world number one Rory McIlroy (NIR) on Sunday afternoon to finish ahead of an exceptionally strong field with a score of -21. As such, Hanson becomes the first man to have his name engraved on the prestigious BMW Masters trophy. Northern Ireland’s McIlroy finished runner-up on –20, ahead of world number three Luke Donald (ENG, -17) in third place. The quartet of Ryder Cup stars at the top of the leaderboard was completed by Ian Poulter (ENG, -16), whose round of 65 was the lowest of the day.

Four of the five best players in the world and 28 of the top 30 pros in the European Tour’s “Race to Dubai” teed off at the 2012 BMW Masters in China. The strongest field assembled in Asia this year also featured eleven of the twelve members of the European team that successfully defended the Ryder Cup in Medinah (USA). The sixth and biggest win of Hanson’s career sees him climb into the top twenty in the world rankings for the first time. The man from Svedala, near Malmo, also rises to second in the “Race to Dubai” behind McIlroy, but ahead of England’s Justin Rose, who finished tied in sixth place on -14. Best-placed Chinese player was Liang Wenchong, who thrilled the local crowds with a four-under final round of 68 to climb to 20^th on -10. His compatriot Wu A-Shun followed just one shot back in 25^th (-9).

“Congratulations to Peter Hanson on his victory at the BMW Masters,” said Dr. Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW, who watched the final day’s action live on site. “Peter is a worthy champion. He fully deserves this success, having produced a fantastic performance against a truly world-class field. This tournament has undoubtedly been a huge success and underlines BMW’s position as a leading partner of golf throughout the world. We have seen just how well the sport is received in China. I am confident that golf has a big future in this emerging market – and we look forward to contributing to its growth. I would also like to thank our Presenting Partner, Lake Malaren Golf Club Shanghai, the China Golf Association, and the authorities here in Shanghai. They, and the many helping hands in the background, have made the inaugural BMW Masters such a great success.”

Hanson started the final round one shot ahead of his closest rival, courtesy of a consistently high level of golf over the opening three days. And the popular Swede was not about to let his standard drop on the final day. His nerveless putt to save par on the seventeenth was probably the defining moment of his tournament and instrumental in his victory.

McIlroy piled the pressure on Hanson with an eagle on the par-5 fifteenth and pushed the big Swede all the way. However, the two-time Major winner was ultimately left to regret the two bogeys early on in his round. “I wanted to try to make him work for it. It would have been nice to hole that putt on the last, at least to make him think a little bit. But it wasn't to be and he played well,” said the 23-year-old. “He deserved it. To go out with the lead and play the way he did and shoot 67 is very impressive. He was going to be very tough to beat today. Of course I’m a little disappointed, but I'm very happy with the way I played.”

BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer, six shots behind the leader going into the last day of the tournament, started his final round in determined fashion: back-to-back birdies on the opening three holes brought the 2010 U.S. PGA Champion right back into contention before Hanson had even taken to the course. However, a bogey on the fourth took the wind out of the German’s sails and he had to settle for a respectable eleventh place on -13. “I actually played very well this week, but missed far too many chances. I needed to make more putts and hit better shots with my wedge,” said Kaymer. “I could definitely have done better than tied eleventh here. It was impressive to see how big the BMW Masters is. A sensational tournament with big prize money, a lot of world ranking points up for grabs, and a great field. It was great fun playing here.”

An interview with Eckhard Wannieck, Head of Sponsoring, Cooperations and Product Placement at BMW.

Mr. Wannieck, the BMW Masters sees BMW further extending its global commitment to golf. Alongside the BMW Championship on the US PGA Tour and the European Tour events (BMW PGA Championship, BMW International Open, BMW Italian Open), this is now another highlight. What persuaded you to take this step?

Eckhard Wannieck: “As the name indicates, the BMW Masters will play an important role in our global golf strategy and is the perfect addition to our worldwide commitment. China is a key market for BMW and golf, as well as an ideal stage on which to showcase our approach to dynamics and precision. We are delighted to be able to present our customers and spectators with the strongest field assembled at any professional golf tournament in Asia and golf of the highest standard – both from a sporting and spectator experience point of view. This once again also underlines BMW’s leadership claim and especially in the realm of golf.”

You are returning to Shanghai after the BMW Asian Open, which was held for the last time in 2008. What prompted BMW to fly its flag in China again?

Wannieck: “The BMW brand in China is developing at a similarly dynamic rate to Chinese business. Our customers here are demanding, as well as being enthusiastic about innovation and sport. Golf is a fantastic platform to offer a unique brand experience. At the start of the new millennium, BMW was one of the first brands in the world to acknowledge and promote the growing popularity of golf in Asia by organising a professional tournament in Shanghai, the BMW Asian Open, from 2001 onwards. After 2008, BMW temporarily continued its commitment to golf in Asia on other levels, including many ‘Official Car’ sponsorships. As a global golf player, however, it was our intention to be represented with a top event on every continent. Therefore, we observed the Asian golf market closely, in order to find the ideal opportunity to set a new course. With the BMW Masters in Shanghai, we have achieved an exclusive framework, which will allow BMW fans in Asia to experience the BMW brand on an emotional level.”

What is so special about the BMW Masters?

Wannieck: “In terms of figures: with the exception of the Majors, the World Golf Championships tournaments and the season finale in Dubai, no tournament on the European Tour has a larger prize purse than the BMW Masters. This underlines the importance of the tournament. Coming so late in the season, seven million US dollars is sufficient for someone to secure victory in the ‘Race to Dubai’ with tournaments still to play. That gives the BMW Masters enormous sporting value. This is also underlined by the impressive line-up of players: we are proud to be able to present golf fans in Asia with the best field in the whole of Asia at the inaugural BMW Masters. Four of the top five golfers in the world will tee off at the debut of the BMW Masters, as well as all but one of the European Ryder Cup team.”

The tournament will be held at Lake Malaren Golf Club – why did you opt for this club, which is also Presenting Partner of the BMW Masters?

Wannieck: “After assessing various options, the decision in favour of Lake Malaren Golf Club was clear cut: the crucial factors in this decision were the championship course, which was designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, the excellently managed club, and a very well established facility. Lake Malaren shares exactly the same desire as BMW: to organise the best golf tournament in China. In addition, we received broad support from the local authorities: The Shanghai Sport Bureau and the Shanghai Baoshan District give us excellent support in the realisation of this project.”

The field is relatively small compared to other European Tour events. What is the reasoning behind this?

Wannieck: “That is correct. Only 78 players – the majority of whom are in the top one hundred in the world rankings – will tee off. This also emphasises just how high the standard will be at the BMW Masters. This is obviously good news for golf fans in China, as is the fact that there will not be a cut, meaning all the players will be able to produce world-class golf on all four days.”

Can golf fans in China look forward to seeing any home-grown players?

Wannieck: “The further development of golf in China is very close to BMW’s heart. At the BMW Masters we are cooperating with the Chinese Golf Association (CGA), who will send a contingent of 14 players. Teeing off as part of such an exclusive and strong field as the one at the BMW Masters will be an invaluable experience for the Chinese players – one that is almost on a similar level to a Major tournament.”

There is always talk of the special atmosphere at BMW tournaments. Will this tradition be upheld at the BMW Masters?

Wannieck: “With all our sponsorship commitments, the goal of BMW is to be creative and support the respective sport we are engaged in, providing a special experience for our target groups. In the case of our golf tournaments, this applies in particular to the players, spectators, media, partners and officials. This includes BMW’s premium philosophy, which runs throughout the commitments, as well as a pleasant atmosphere. We have been particularly successful on this front in the world of golf and are proud that so many of the professional golfers appreciate this and give mention to it time and again. We enjoy a long and amicable relationship with many of the top players. This has certainly also played a major role in our golfing tradition, which now stretches back 25 years. Both our partners and the players appreciate the fact we have made a significant contribution to the further development of the sport through our sustainable and global golf strategy.”

Looking to the future: for how long can we expect to see the BMW Masters on the golfing calendar?

Wannieck: “As with all our sporting commitments, the BMW Masters is a long-term project. In our first year, we already have everything you could ask for: a world-class field, an outstanding golf course, strong partners, excellent sponsors – and we can sense great enthusiasm in Shanghai. We want to build on this fantastic basis.”

What are your own personal expectations of the inaugural tournament?

Wannieck: “The first time you stage anything you are obviously always full of anticipation as to whether all the plans and targets can be implemented successfully and whether they will be well received by the visitors. The BMW Masters is of great strategic importance to the company in one of our largest markets. With this in mind, there are great expectations of the inaugural tournament. However, we have many years of experience and expertise when it comes to organising exclusive golf events, so I am confident we will meet these expectations.”

Over the years, BMW has developed a unique reputation as one of golf’s most competent and experienced organisers of professional tournaments. The BMW International Open, which paved the way for BMW’s other top-class events, will celebrate its 25th anniversary next season.

Both the BMW PGA Championship – the European Tour’s flagship tournament – and the BMW Championship on the PGA TOUR have been raising the bar for years in terms of a unique visitor experience and tournament organisation. The BMW Golfsport team is once again setting standards at the BMW Masters in Shanghai (25th to 28th October in Lake Malaren Golf Club), which features another world-class field.

When the project was conceived over a year ago, the approach was clear: return to Asia with a high-class field and a premium event. However, Tournament Director Marco Kaussler is especially proud of the fact that the very best players in the world and all but one of the victorious European Ryder Cup team have lent their support to the BMW Masters. “BMW has managed to put together one of the strongest fields of the season,” he said. “The BMW Masters is going to be a world-class tournament. Everything is in place. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course is in excellent condition. With its deep rough it has the characteristics of a links course and is a worthy challenge for the world’s top pros.”

By the time the headline acts take centre stage and compete for a share of the 7 million US dollars, the BMW Golfsport team will already have mastered its biggest challenges. Perhaps the most impressive of these will be visible from afar on the 18th green: the first three-storey temporary building at any BMW tournament, standing over 18 metres high, covers an area of 600 m². Each floor is over four metres high.

All the material and equipment comes from China. The BMW Golfsport team works exclusively with international, Shanghai-based companies. The experience and contacts gained from the BMW Asian Open, which was held for the last time in 2008 in Shanghai, give them an invaluable advantage.

Shanghai is a sport-mad city and venue for, among other things, the Formula One Grand Prix and the Shanghai Rolex Masters, a high-class men’s tennis tournament. This list now includes another world-class event in the form of the BMW Masters. The fact that golf is set to become an Olympic sport in 2016 has given it a real boost in China. The BMW Masters, with which BMW is taking its promotion of golf in Asia to a new level, is benefitting from the resulting increase in awareness. 600 volunteers will help get the tournament on its feet – and will also gain valuable golfing experience in doing so.

“With all our sponsorship commitments, the goal of BMW is to be creative and support the respective sport we are engaged in, providing a special experience for our target groups,” said Eckhard Wannieck, Head of BMW International Sponsorship, Cooperation and Product Placement. “In the case of our golf tournaments, this applies in particular to the players, spectators, media, partners and officials. This includes BMW’s premium philosophy, which runs throughout the commitments, as well as a pleasant atmosphere. We are able to achieve this particularly well in a golfing environment and are proud that so many pros appreciate it and express their gratitude so often.”

Unlike at the BMW PGA Championship and the BMW International Open, the BMW Masters is taking place at a golf course located in the centre of a major city. A city with a population of 23 million is also a massive challenge when it comes to traffic. About 100 BMW shuttles are used to collect the players from the airport, and to take them to the golf course, the hotel, and the evening events. Compared to the other BMW tournaments, the location in a bustling metropolis also presents an unusual situation: Lake Malaren Golf Club is connected to the underground network. For this reason, the public transport system also plays a major role in the infrastructure concept of the BMW Masters.

The elite of world golf will compete at the inaugural BMW Masters. Four of the top five players in the current world rankings will be joined by all but one of the victorious European Ryder Cup team. Today an exciting tournament week was kicked-off with a special guest: table tennis star Timo Boll.

It was a tournament full of superlatives: the top of the leaderboard at the 2012 BMW Championship was dominated by Major winners and former number ones before the current number one in the world, Rory McIlroy, turned on the style to come away with the coveted trophy. Huge, thrilled crowds flocked to the Crooked Stick Golf Club, where they were treated to a fantastic display of world-class golf and a first-rate BMW tournament both on and off the greens and fairways.

Team Europe completed one of the biggest fightbacks in the history of the Ryder Cup to defend its title with a 14.5:13.5 victory – a result that surely nobody could have reckoned with on Sunday morning. The Europeans started the day 6:10 behind at the most important team competition in golf with just the singles matches to play – traditionally the Americans’ strength. However, the European team produced an unbelievable team performance on the final day. It was ultimately left to BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer to hold his nerve and sink the deciding putt.

6:10, four points behind going into the final twelve singles matches at the Ryder Cup – only once in the history of the inter-continental competition had a team turned a deficit of this size into a win: in 1999 at Brookline. Back then, hosts USA picked up 8.5 of the 12 points on offer in the Sunday’s man-against-man matches to win back the Ryder Cup.

13 years later, on the Sunday of the 39^th Ryder Cup, eight points would have been enough for European captain José María Olazábal and his players to take the trophy back to Europe for another two years, as a 14:14 tie is sufficient for the defending champions to retain the Ryder Cup.

What initially looked about as likely as a lottery win gradually became more probable throughout the course of the Sunday at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago. By the time Luke Donald, the outstanding Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Paul Lawrie had won the opening five singles for Europe, the defending champions led 11:10 and had one hand back on the cup. However, they still needed another three points – and the Americans were digging in. Zach and Dustin Johnson won their singles against Graeme McDowell and rookie Nicolas Colsaerts – USA 12, Europe 11.

The crucial turning point came in match number eight, when Spain’s Sergio Garcia won the last two holes against the nervous Jim Furyk to win 1 up. As Lee Westwood had defeated Matt Kuchar on the 16^th hole shortly beforehand, Europe now had 13 points and required just one more to guarantee at least a draw. Up stepped BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer.

The German came up against Steve Stricker, who like Kaymer was yet to score a point for his team at this Ryder Cup, in the penultimate match of the day. Kaymer initially took the lead on the ninth hole, but the American immediately drew level – a feat he repeated on another two occasions. Kaymer moved one up with a par-putt on the 17^th (par 3) and the two rivals found themselves on the 18^th green with Stricker needing to sink a long putt to win the hole and keep the USA in the game.

However, the American was off target and eventually sank his return putt for par. Then it was down to Martin Kaymer to make history on this September afternoon in 2012. The German held his nerve to make par and trigger celebrations that simply knew no bounds. “That was without doubt the most important putt of my life,” said Kaymer.

When Tiger Woods uncharacteristically missed a four-footer to halve the 18^th, win his match against Francesco Molinari and at least tie the Ryder Cup, it was left to the Italian to pick up the final half point that gave Europe the outright victory: 14.5:13.5.

With just the final 12 singles matches to go, hosts USA were able to increase their lead on day two of the 39th Ryder Cup. Captain Davis Love III only needs a handful of points on Sunday to win back the coveted trophy.

Just 4.5 points from the 12 singles matches on Sunday at the Medinah Country Club will be enough to see hosts USA regain the Ryder Cup they lost to the Europeans two years ago. After the first two days’ doubles, skipper Davis Love III’s team leads 10:6.

Three victories in Saturday morning’s foursomes allowed the American team to pull further ahead of a European team showing increasing signs of helplessness, particularly in match number two. The two former world number ones, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood (both England) lost emphatically 7 & 6 to another inspired performance from Keegan Bradley and an equally impressive Phil Mickelson. The European team’s only win in the opening session of the day came courtesy of the English pairing of Ian Poulter and Justin Rose, who narrowly defeated Major winners Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson 1 up.

Poulter is the most successful European going into the singles. Having won his foursomes match alongside Rose on Friday, the flamboyant Englishman went on to partner world number one Rory McIlroy to victory against Americans Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson. However, “Poults” is not the only man with three wins to his name at the 39^th Ryder Cup: Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson have also triumphed together in all three of their outings so far.

The fact that the defending champions from Europe have even an outside chance of retaining the Ryder Cup on Sunday is down to Poulter and McIlroy’s dramatic comeback in match four on Saturday afternoon, as well as a fighting performance from another Ryder Cup veteran. Spain’s Sergio Garcia, who rather untypically had suffered two straight defeats in Medinah before the afternoon’s fourballs, upped his game alongside Luke Donald to win 1 up against Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, who are yet to trouble the scorers at this year’s Ryder Cup.

The singles matches begin at 11:03 (local time) on Sunday. European captain José María Olazábal will need a good start from his team if they are to have any chance of defending the title they won so dramatically in Wales in 2010.

After the first eight doubles matches of the Ryder Cup in Medinah, hosts USA lead 5:3. Captain Davis Love III’s team dominated the opening day, particularly Friday afternoon’s fourballs. Defending champions Europe had a rookie to thank for limiting the damage.

The man who sank the winning putt for the Europeans at the 2010 Ryder Cup also had the honour of hitting the first drive at this year’s competition: Graeme McDowell. The Northern Irishman went way left with his tee shot. To a certain degree, this set the trend for the rest of the day for José Maria Olazábal’s men.

The Europeans did come out of the blocks faster over the opening holes of the foursomes, and at one point led all four matches. However, only two matches went the way of Team Europe, with McDowell and his compatriot Rory McIlroy going on to beat Jim Furyk/Brandt Snedeker in a very tense affair that went down to the final hole, while the English pairing of Ian Poulter/Justin Rose defeated Steve Stricker/Tiger Woods to pick up a valuable point. A major disappointment for the Europeans was the pairing of Luke Donald (ENG) and Sergio Garcia (ESP) – previously unbeaten in foursomes – who went down 4 and 3 to Phil Mickelson/Keegan Bradley. Lee Westwood (ENG) and Francesco Molinari (ITA) were also outplayed on the back nine, losing 3 and 2 to Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson.

Team USA went up another gear in the afternoon and promptly took control of three of the four fourball matches right from the opening hole. The brilliant 2012 Major winners Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson took Paul Lawrie and Peter Hanson apart and could easily have won by an even larger margin than 5 and 4. The mightily impressive duo of Mickelson/Bradley (2 and 1 against McIlroy/McDowell) also had a four-hole lead at one point in their contest. Rose and BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer won just two holes against Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar, eventually losing 3 and 2.

Only Lee Westwood (ENG) and Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) put any European blue on the leaderboard. They defeated Woods/Stricker 1 up. Even then, Woods narrowly missed the final putt of the day to square the match by a matter of millimetres. The fact that Europe did not leave a session empty-handed for the first time since 1981 was not really down to the experienced Westwood, but rather a rookie in the form of the “Belgian Bomber”. Colsaerts produced an impressive debut and was responsible for every one of the holes won by the European pair.

Huge galleries poured through the gates at Crooked Stick Golf Club to watch a golfing master class from the world‘s top players. In the end it was world number one Rory McIlroy who stamped his authority on the 2012 BMW Championship. McIlroy’s sixth PGA TOUR victory puts him in pole position ahead of the season-ending TOUR Championship. Here is what the 2012 BMW Championship winner had to say after his win.

Congratulations, Rory, on another big win. A 67, and you really didn't make any putts today.
Rory McIlroy: “No, I didn't need to.  The ball striking was good.  It was a big turnaround from yesterday, which was very nice.  I am obviously very pleased to get my second win in a row and am where I wanted to be going into Atlanta, in that top spot.”

When you came over here and decided to play more regularly here in the United States, did you think you would have six victories, including two Major championships and two playoff events before your 24th birthday?
McIlroy: “I never really thought about it.  I just wanted to go out and play as well as I could.  I knew that if I played to the best of my ability, then I would win events.  I didn't think that everything would happen so quickly, but I'm just on a great run at the minute and trying to keep that going for as long as possible.”

How big do these Playoffs feel to you?
McIlroy “They're really big.  You've got the best players in the world every week.  Last week it was myself, Louis, Tiger, Vijay.  This week, myself, Phil, Lee, Tiger, Vijay.  I mean, the fields are really deep, and it's good to be able to win events like this where the quality of the field is so good.”

As someone who comes from another country, how important is it to play well in the United States and win regularly in the United States?
McIlroy: “I think it's very important.  I think you're probably accepted by people a little bit more.  I feel like I've got tremendous support on the PGA TOUR.  Everywhere I go, the fans couldn't be more supportive and welcoming.  I feel like this is where I belong.  I've always wanted to play on the PGA TOUR, and it's working out pretty well so far.”

What do you do with the next week off?
McIlroy: “I'm going to go to New York and chill out.  I'm actually going to go train a little bit with the Knicks, so that'll be good fun.”

The stage was set for a dramatic final act at the 2012 BMW Championship....and the audience was not to be disappointed. The top players in the world went head to head in a thrilling finale against the stunning backdrop of Crooked Stick Golf Club. Check out our stunning gallery from day four of the BMW Championship.

Rory McIlroy showed just why he is the number one golfer in the world with a flawless final round of 67 to finish a comfortable 2 shots ahead of a loaded field on -20 and win the 2012 BMW Championship.

Huge crowds flocked to Crooked Stick Golf Club to watch what promised to be a battle royale between the biggest names in world golf. And they were not to be disappointed. Early on in the round, current and former world number ones swapped and shared the lead regularly, until eventually one talented 23-year-old Northern Irishman grabbed the bull by the horns and pulled away to clinch his second victory within a week and become only the fourth player in history to win back-to-back playoff tournaments.

Whilst others around him, including his flight partner and eventual runner-up Lee Westwood, struggled to find any consistency in the pressure pot atmosphere, McIlroy was relentless and shot 6 birdies to pick up his sixth PGA TOUR victory and retain his position at the top of the world and FedExCup rankings. The two-time Major winner will now undoubtedly be the man to beat when he makes his debut at the TOUR Championships in Atlanta next week.

Phil Mickelson (USA, -18) flew the flag for the home crowd, shooting five birdies in a round of -2, but was simply unable to match the winner’s consistency. While he and fellow runner-up Lee Westwood (-18) both dropped shots just as they looked to be matching McIlroy all the way, the Northern Irishman hit the front with four holes remaining and simply refused to leave the door even slightly open for the chasing pack, his only bogey coming on the 18th when victory was all but certain. England’s Westwood will leave Indianapolis disappointed he was unable to make birdies late on in his round, but pleased to be hitting form in time for the Ryder Cup later this month.

For overnight leader Vijay Singh, this was one round too many. The 49-year-old Fijian struggled to replicate the dazzling form he had shown over the first three days, eventually slipping back into eighth place on -15. Tiger Woods hit three birdies on the last seven holes to climb to fourth place – three shots behind McIlroy – and confirm a return to form that bodes well for the US Ryder Cup team. 2010 BMW Championship winner Dustin Johnson (USA, -16) looked to be playing himself into contention with a birdie on the eighth followed by an eagle on the ninth hole. However, Johnson was another to fade over the back nine, and a bogey on the final hole left him in a tie for sixth place with Australian Adam Scott (-16).

Defending FedExCup champion Bill Haas (-3) endured a disappointing final day in Indianapolis, carding a 6 over par round of 78 that saw him drop 27 places into a tie for 45th. His misery will have been confounded by the news that he also slipped to 32nd in the FedExCup rankings, meaning he will not tee off at the TOUR Championship. Remarkably, the defending champion has never qualified for the season finale the following year. When the final thirty players tee off in Atlanta, the top five will do so knowing that a win would mean overall victory in the FedExCup. Those five players are: Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Nick Watney, Phil Mickelson and Brandt Snedeker.

They say the best things come to those who wait: that could hardly have been more true on day three of the BMW Championship at the Crooked Stick Golf Club, where the start of play was delayed by a total of four hours. When the stars of the PGA TOUR did eventually take to the course, however, they served up another tasty morsel to the crowds in Indianapolis. We put together the best images from round three in our photo gallery.

Want to see what it looks like when the current world number one (Rory McIlroy) goes head to head against the past master (Tiger Woods)? Or how a three-time Major winner (Vijay Singh) turned back time to top the leaderboard? Ever wondered what excites the crowd at one of the biggest golf tournaments outside of the four Majors? Then check out our gallery from day two of the BMW Championship.

After days of heavy rain prior to the 2012 BMW Championship, the sun finally shone on the stars of the PGA TOUR at Crooked Stick Golf Club. Check out the best photos from day one of the 2012 BMW Championship here.

"There is nothing else like it!" That is the high regard, in which Paul Casey holds the BMW International Open. Anyone who has watched our highlight video from the 2012 tournament will understand why.

The 2012 BMW International Open went to extra-time: with the tournament making its debut in Cologne, England's Danny Willett and Australian Marcus Fraser went head to head in a captivating four-hole play-off. Willett eventually emerged as the winner. Watch the highlights of the final day at Gut Lärchenhof in our video.

Danny Willett could not stop smiling after picking up his first victory on the European Tour at the 2012 BMW International Open. Here is what the 24-year-old Englishman had to say after a dramatic final day at Gut Lärchenhof.

It must be a special day for you today. It must feel great to get your first win on the European Tour under your belt?

Danny Willett: “It does. I’ve been on Tour for four years now. I’ve had a lot of good finishes and been in contention a couple of times. To finally polish it off feels good.”

A lot of the guys you played with in the 2007 Walker Cup have already won on Tour. It must be nice to join the ranks of those with a victory to their name.

Willett: “I was thinking that yesterday and today.  I think, of the two teams, there are only a handful of players that haven’t won now. The strength of the two teams was incredible. You had Rory McIlroy, Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson, David Horsey and Rickie Fowler. Getting that first win is a bit of a weight off my shoulders and just feels good.”

Your play-off was a bit of a roller-coaster ride. You hit some poor shots and some brilliant shots but you always gave the impression you were really enjoying it. Do you like being in that kind of tense situation?

Willett: “Regardless of the situation, being in the final group on the last day was a success in itself for me, and it is always good to be in contention. Ryan and I were just trying to have a good time on the last few holes. It was tough out there. It was wet and windy, so we just tried to keep having a laugh and hitting good golf shots – and that’s what we did.”

How good was that chip shot on the back of the 18th green in terms of the pressure you were facing?

Willett: “It was good. To be honest, when you get a very simple shot, there are so many ways to play it that your mind is probably racing a little bit more.  Whereas that one, there was only one play to play it:  lob it up just a little bit on the front edge of the green and just release down. Came off nice.”

The 14,500 fans who braved the wind and rain to watch the final round of the 2012 BMW International Open certainly got their money’s worth. As if the drama that played out over the 18 regulation holes were not enough, Danny Willett (ENG, -11) and Marcus Fraser (AUS, -11) then produced an encore worthy of any stage, with the Englishman eventually emerging triumphant on the fourth hole of a nail-biting play-off.

Fraser was first into the clubhouse after a round of 71 (-1 for the day) and for a brief moment it looked unlikely that 24-year-old Willett would even force the play-off. Needing a birdie to tie with the Australian, the man from Sheffield fired his tee shot way right of the fairway, into the rough under a tree. What came next was the first of three spectacular rescue shots from Willett, who, with little backswing, fired his ball over 200 yards into the wind and onto the green. He went on to make his par and was soon heading back down the eighteenth to play the first extra hole.

31-year-old Fraser was first to tee off and safely found the fairway. Willett, however, put his ball in almost exactly the same position as his previous tee shot on the eighteenth. Despite another heroic effort, his second shot pulled up just short of the green.  However, a wonderful chip from Willett and a poor putt that stopped 3m from the hole by Fraser ensured the hole was halved.

Willett’s third attempt at teeing off on the eighteenth ended up in the rough to the left. With Fraser also failing to find the fairway, both players ultimately carded a bogey. And so they returned to the tee for the third extra hole. Following an accurate, if slightly short, drive from Fraser, Willett finally found the centre of the fairway – and 35 metres closer to the hole than his Australian rival. He then found the green with his second, while Fraser headed right of the green for the third time. Despite this, there was still nothing to choose between the two after two pars.

The decisive moments finally came on the fourth hole of the play-off: Fraser landed his approach shot about 10 metres from the hole before Willett decided to take on the pin from the centre of the fairway. Willett could not believe it when his ball flew over the green and came to a rest just in front of the BMW Fairway Club. Advantage Fraser – but only briefly. The Englishman produced another stroke of genius with a wonderful flop shot to within 50cm of the hole. Fraser responded in style, rolling his putt for the championship into the hole and then watching in disbelief as it lipped out. With the disappointment still in his mind, he then missed the return putt from one metre to hand the title to a delighted Willett, who was later presented with the coveted trophy and a winner’s cheque for 333,330 Euros.

Local favourite Marcel Siem (GER, -9) cut a tragic figure as he trudged from the 18^th green. The German had played his way into a share of the lead by the sixth hole, before twice finding the water on his way to a triple-bogey on the seventh. He was back in the wet stuff on the eight and then carded a second bogey in succession on the ninth to all but end his bid to become the second German winner after Martin Kaymer in 2008. Siem finished in sixth place, one shot behind a group of three players tied in third on -10: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño (ESP), Paul McGinley (IRL), Chris Wood (ENG).

Willett will be back in Germany to defend his title in 2013, when the BMW International Open returns to Golfclub München-Eichenried in Munich for the 25^th anniversary of the tournament.

As the top flights have just started their final round, here are some beautiful shots from yesterday's round at the 2012 BMW International Open in Cologne.

The BMW International Open has reached its halfway point at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof. The visitors have been treated to fantastic golf on a spectacular course. Anyone unfortunate enough not to have made it to Cologne so far can also enjoy the best scenes with our photo gallery.

To end day two of the 2012 BMW International Open, here is a real treat, courtesy of Andrew Marshall. The Englishman hit the shot of the tournament so far: a hole-in-one on the 17th to win a beautiful new BMW 640i Gran Coupé. Our video means you can watch this stroke of genius as often as you like.

The action is heating up on the beautiful Championship Course at Gut Lärchenhof near Cologne, as players scramble to make the halfway cut at the end of day two. We’ve put together some of the best shots from the Jack Nicklaus-designed course on the opening two days of the 2012 BMW International Open. Enjoy!

Debut at Gut Lärchenhof: this year, the BMW International Open is in the Cologne/Düsseldorf region of Germany for the first time. The tournament itself already has several years under its belt – 2012 marks its 24th anniversary. It goes without saying that the event has seen its fair share of action over almost a quarter of a century of top-class golf. Join us as we take a foray into the history of the BMW International Open.

From Feherty to Larrazábal.

The inaugural BMW International Open took place in 1989. The first name to go down in the long list of winners was Northern Ireland’s David Feherty. Since then, only two names have been engraved on the trophy twice. Paul Azinger, whose victories in 1990 and 1992 we will come to later, and Denmark’s Thomas Björn, who won the BMW International Open in 2000 and 2002. 

Happy stomping ground for the English.

The most successful country, with five victories, is England (Russell Claydon 1998, Lee Westwood 2003, David Howell 2005, Nick Dougherty 2009 and David Horsey 2010). The English are followed by the Swedes (Robert Karlsson 1997, Henrik Stenson 2006 and Niclas Fasth 2007) and the USA (Azinger 1990 und 1992, John Daly 2001), who each have three victories to their name. Hosts Germany have had just one home victory to celebrate so far: Martin Kaymer’s victory on the 20th anniversary of the tournament in 2008.

Overtime.

On six occasions (1990, 1992, 1997, 2006, 2008, 2011) it took “extra-time” to find a winner. These play-offs produced some real golfing gems. For example, last year’s all-Spanish duel between Pablo Larrazábal and Sergio García treated fans in Munich to an extra five holes of top-quality golf before Larrazábal finally emerged triumphant. A world-class trio was on display in 2006: Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington and Retief Goosen. The Swede won with an eagle – a rarity in play-offs – on the first extra hole. The undisputed king of the play-off is Paul Azinger, however. The American won both his titles in extra-time, overcoming no less than four rivals – including Bernhard Langer – to clinch victory in 1992.

Always the bridesmaid…

Speaking of Bernhard Langer: the two-time Masters champion has certainly not suffered from a lack of success over his long and illustrious career. However, he is yet to win the BMW International Open in his home country: Langer finished runner-up in 1992, 1995, 2000, 2002 and 2007.

An unbelievable shot.

Although Nick Dougherty won the 2009 BMW International Open, many of the final day’s headlines belonged to Rafa Echenique. The Argentinean’s second shot on the par-5 18th hole was nothing short of unbelievable: an albatross – the first in the history of the tournament – from fully 222 metres.

Aces high!

A dream car has been up for grabs at each of the 23 tournaments so far. All the players needed to do was hit a hole-in-one. Never going to happen, I hear you say. Wrong. It has happened on three occasions, most recently just two years ago. Jean-François Lucquin was rewarded for his ace on the 17th at Golfclub München-Eichenried with a BMW 535i Limousine. It was another Frenchman who achieved the feat in 2001: Raphael Jacquelin landed his tee shot on the 17th straight in the hole and headed home with a brand-new BMW Z8. Jay Townsend got the ball rolling in 1991. The American needed just one shot on the 12th hole and received a BMW 325i Convertible for his troubles.

"6 Stars - 1 Match" - this was the caption for Tuesday's Opening Show Event, which marked the start of the BMW International Open week. While Martin Kaymer won the competition, one question remained unanswered: who had the most fun, the players or the spectators?

The winner of the first highlight of the 2012 BMW International Open is local hero Martin Kaymer. The German scored 18 points on Tuesday evening to secure overall victory at the Opening Show Event at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof.

The first action of the tournament week on the 6,612-metre Championship Course may not have any bearing on the only European Tour event in Germany, but Kaymer and his five opponents were highly motivated from the outset as they went head to head in four testing challenges.

The eventual winner and 2008 BMW International Open champion was joined by Sergio Garcia, John Daly, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Paul Casey and defending champion Pablo Larrazábal for nine holes of stroke play and three exciting special tasks on the 18th green.

The six world-class pros first took on the opening eight holes of the course and the finishing 18th. Kaymer came out on top in this opening part of the competition with a score of -6, picking up five points for his efforts. It was still far too early to predict a winner at this point, however, with another 20 points up for grabs in the remaining three tasks.

The challenges awaiting the players on the 18th green were certainly just that: challenging. First up was a nearest-to-the-pin competition from long distance, followed by the same task from medium range. The pros had three attempts from each distance, with the best effort counting. The highlight was the fourth and final challenge: a chip from the grandstand, which was packed to the rafters. 2,400 spectators followed the action on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Championship Course on Tuesday.

No player managed to pull off the ultimate shot and produce a hole-in-one in any of the three special tests. This feat would have been rewarded with a real dream car: a BMW M6 Convertible. As such, the Opening Show event was all about honour, friendship, playing golf and a magnum of champagne. Kaymer proved to have the better judgement when it came to the tests of accuracy and increased his points tally to 18. This was enough to relegate Jiménez (17) and Larrazábal (15) to second and third respectively.

On Wednesday, spectators at the 2012 BMW International Open will be able to watch Kaymer in action again from 12:10, when he tees off in the Pro-Am tournament alongside BMW DTM works driver Bruno Spengler and football stars René Adler and Andreas Möller.

Almost 100,000 golf fans witnessed the 2012 BMW PGA Championship, which was played out under sunny skies. The Wentworth faithful saw Luke Donald successfully defend his title and experienced everything that makes BMW tournaments truly special. Relive the stunning Players' Flagship event with our video.

One of the many comforts enjoyed by the stars at BMW tournaments are the relaxed trips to and from the course in top-of-the-range BMW models. Now golf fans can also benefit from the shuttle journeys: we accompanied some of the pros with our camera, and took the opportunity to delve a little deeper under the surface of the European Tour's top players - such as Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

Luke Donald successfully defended his titel at the BMW PGA Championship in style. Here are the highlights of the final round for you to enjoy, as well as thoughts on day four.

Luke Donald was understandably delighted to successfully defend his BMW PGA Championship title. Here’s what the newly crowned world number one had to say about his victory on the magnificent West Course.

Winning once is an achievement in itself, but successfully defending your title is very special. Tell us how you feel.

Luke Donald: “I am thrilled. This is the first time I’ve defended a title, and what a great one to choose to defend. This is a very special event for me. It means a lot. I didn’t think it could get much better than last year’s victory and going to number one. But to win again – this course has been very kind to me and I am very, very happy right now.”

You missed a couple of makeable putts early on in the round, which is a bit out of character for you. How did you stop that knocking you off your stride?

Donald: “I felt some tension out there. It’s not easy going out there with a lead and trying to close a tournament out. Justin is a solid player. I knew he wasn’t going to give up much and that I had to go out there and earn it. It wasn’t the start I was looking for, but the finish was certainly every bit what I was hoping for.”

Why do you seem to find this place easier than others since the re-design?

Donald: “For one thing, I’m a better player than I was back in 2010. Also, it’s a course that really favours a lot of patience and a lot of shot-making. I don’t necessarily think that hitting it a long way is a huge factor around here. It is more of a positional golf course. I think the combination of these things has made this tournament very good to me.”

When you win a tournament like this, do you feel like the best player in the world?

Donald: “I feel that when I’m playing well I’m hard to beat. I think there could be 20 to 25 guys who could say that. I feel like I’m part of that group.”

With you winning, and Justin Rose and Paul Lawrie joint second, what does that say about Europe’s chances for this year’s Ryder Cup?

Donald: “I think our team is shaping up really nicely. I don’t have any doubt that Justin will be on the team, and Paul has been playing great too. I think it is going to be a tough battle, as it always is.”

It was billed as ‘The Duel on the West’, with Luke Donald’s title expected to come under fierce challenge from the numbers one and three in the world, Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Lee Westwood (ENG), but the 2012 BMW PGA Championship ended with a rampant Donald winning by four clear shots and recapturing the number one spot at the top of the world rankings.

For Donald, this was a very different final day to the dramatic scenes he experienced at the end of the 2011 tournament, when he defeated Westwood in a play-off. This year, he cut a far more relaxed figure as he strode down the 18^th with a comfortable four-shot lead. The new number one in the world was cheered onto the green by the huge galleries that have become a feature of the European Tour’s flagship event in recent years.

The final couple of holes may have looked like a stroll in the park, but that was the result of the golfing master class that Donald delivered over the four days of the tournament. Donald clearly enjoyed playing alongside eventual runner-up Justin Rose (ENG, -11) and Alvaro Quiros (ESP, -4) for the opening two days, carding back-to-back rounds of 68 and never straying far from the top of the leaderboard.

When the strong winds left the dreams of many lying tattered and torn on the iconic West Course on day three, Donald showed all his class to grind out a magnificent round of 69 and move two clear. Only his good friend Rose was able to keep pace with Donald, setting up the enticing prospect of an all-English final flight on the decisive Sunday.

When Rose birdied three and four to move level with the reigning champion, it looked like being another dramatic evening in Surrey, England. Donald responded like a true champion, however, shooting four birdies to Rose’s one over the next eight holes. With all this going on in the top flight, Paul Lawrie (-11) of Scotland almost sneaked in under the radar. The 1999 Open Champion shot the lowest round of the day, a six-under round of 66, to claim a share of second place with Rose. Fourth place went to Ireland’s Peter Lawrie (-8), who could hardly hide his delight at holing his bunker shot for a birdie on the last, while Branden Grace (RSA, -7) finished fifth.

The chasing pack were left hoping for a major blunder from the man who topped last year’s money lists on both sides of the Atlantic. But it never came. Donald rained down perfect iron shot after perfect iron shot to emerge from the Wentworth Club a thoroughly deserved winner – for the second year.

Marcel Siem's hole in one at the 2nd hole of his final round was the shot of this year's tournament. Here is the video showing the amazing ace.

One of the many comforts enjoyed by the stars at BMW tournaments are the relaxed trips to and from the course in top-of-the-range BMW models. Now golf fans can also benefit from the shuttle journeys: we accompanied some of the pros with our camera, and took the opportunity to delve a little deeper under the surface of the European Tour's top players - such as two-time Major winner Retief Goosen.

As of this season, BMW will present the golfing world with another highlight – the BMW Masters. Led by world number one Rory McIlroy, the sport's top stars will assemble at Shanghai's Lake Malaren Golf Club from 25th to 28th October, where they will fight it out for a share of the seven million dollar prize purse.

Dr. Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Marketing and Sales, BMW Group distribution channels, made the announcement at the Beijing Auto Show on Monday afternoon. "As the name indicates, the BMW Masters will play a particularly significant role in BMW's commitment to the sport as a 'Global Golf Player'," said Robertson, introducing the concept of the tournament. "The BMW Masters is another highlight in our sustainable global golf strategy. China is a key market for BMW and golf is the ideal stage, on which to present our brand values of dynamics and precision. We are delighted to be able to offer our customers and spectators from throughout Asia a top-class event – both in terms of the sport on offer and the overall visitor experience."

The BMW Masters will take its place on the European Tour calendar and, after the Majors, World Golf Championships and the season finale in Dubai, will be the most lucrative event on the Tour. The exclusive field will consist of about 78 players, the majority of whom feature in the top 100 in the world ranking list. The remaining start places will be taken four players invited directly by the organisers and a 14-man contingent from the Chinese Golf Association (CGA), with whom BMW is cooperating on the organisation of the tournament.

"I am already looking forward to teeing off at the new tournament," said McIlroy. The world number one is not only the reigning US Open Champion, but also won last year's Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters, which is now being replaced by the BMW Masters. At the tournament presentation, McIlroy's fellow Northern Irishman Darren Clarke symbolically teed off from the BMW stand using an explosive golden ball. As well as the "Claret Jug", the British Open winner also brought the "old" trophy with him. Clarke was the last man to win the BMW Asian Open in 2008. As such he will, to a certain degree, line up as defending champion in Lake Malaren.

Clarke recalled his emotional success back in 2008. "I still have very vivid memories of what was a great tournament," he said. The victory brought to an end a five-year winless streak for the Major winner. Clarke's past history at the event means he is particularly pleased to see BMW returning to China. "I cannot praise the BMW's commitment to golf highly enough. For years BMW has demonstrated around the world just how close the game is to the brand's heart. Golf would be in a far worse state without the involvement of BMW. We professionals all really appreciate what the company is doing for the game."

As far back as the start of the millennium, BMW was one of the first brands in the world to promote and encourage the growing enthusiasm for the sport in Asia. In 2001 the company responded to the growth in popularity by organising a professional tournament: the BMW Asian Open, which was also held in Shanghai.

George O’Grady, Chief Executive of the European Tour, expressed his delight at the new BMW commitment. "We are proud of many partnerships we enjoy across the world of golf, but one of the most enduring is with BMW for whom this tournament represents the third title sponsorship on The European Tour in 2012, and the 45th in total over the past 23 years since the first BMW International Open in Munich in 1989. BMW is renowned for its commitment to innovation and exceptional standards of excellence in promoting professional golf tournaments, and the visit to Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai in October will once again underline that fact. Additionally The European Tour has always been made to feel so welcome by the Chinese Golf Association with whom we also have a strong committed partnership."

Dr. Ian Robertson, George O'Grady, Zhang Xiao-ning (Vice President and General Secretary of the CGA) and Shi Jian, CEO of the SRE Group, parent company of the Lake Malaren Golf Club Shanghai, were greeted by a round of applause as they signed the tournament contract, thus finalising the long-term agreement between BMW, the European Tour and the CGA.

Zhang Xiao-ning thanked BMW for its involvements: "We admire the outstanding vision and shrewd market investment of BMW Group. The BMW Masters will play a positive role in promoting the popularization and development of the world and China golf games, as well as taking the competitiveness of golf to a new level. At the same time, I hope all the contestants to present the charisma of golf for the fans giving their best performances."

May 2011. Wentworth holds its breath. This is a true first: the current top two golfers in the world, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, go head to head for one of the most coveted titles in the world of the game. It comes down to a dramatic play-off with more than just the title at Wentworth at stake: the winner will also be crowned number one in the world. Donald comes out on top. The iconic West Course has seen its fair share of sporting drama over the years. This moment sums up everything that is special about golf. A moment that will be remembered forever. Be there when history is made again at the 2012 BMW PGA Championship (24th to 27th May) – the next chapter is waiting for you. In anticipation of this year's event, check out the best of last year's action.

The World Final of the 2011 season in Singapore featured everything that makes the BMW Golf Cup International so popular: friendly cooperation, a great atmosphere, fantastic sport, and a dream venue. This video shows what the world finalists experienced at the highlight of the world's largest international tournament series for amateur golfers.

Patient on the golf course, fast in a car: Martin Kaymer took the BMW Driving Challenge to prove he can be just as accurate at the wheel of a Formula BMW racing car and a BMW M5 as he is on the golf course - and that the BMW Brand Ambassador can't get enough when it comes to speed.