BMW International Open 2019: World-class golf and a Bavarian feel-good atmosphere.

• 61,000 thrilled visitors follow the 31st BMW International Open in Munich. 16,500 spectators flock to GC München Eichenried on Sunday. 
• Gaganjeet Bhullar wins the BMW M8 Hole-in-One Award.
• Glitzy opening with World Cup winners Thomas Müller and Philipp Lahm.
• Star line-up in the Pro-Am, including Niklas Süle, Jan Josef Liefers, Uwe Gensheimer, Christian Ehrhoff and Felix Loch.
• Lena Gercke joins golfers Matt Wallace, Martin Kaymer & Co. for a cycle tour of the English Garden.
• “Bavarian Day” sets new crowd record (15,500 spectators) on Thursday.
• Pros full of praise for new greens.
• Kaymer shines and thrills German golf fans on the opening two days.
• Tournament President Sebastian Mackensen: “It has been a fantastic tournament week. The formula of BMW and world-class golf is just as successful now as it was when the tournament was first held.”

 
Munich. The winner of the 2019 BMW International Open will not be known until early evening, but one thing is already certain: The 31^stedition of the iconic German tournament has once again been a huge success.
 
“It has been a fantastic tournament week: From the Tee-Off Night at the Seehaus, the Pro-Am with its host of sports stars and celebrities, and the Bavarian flair, to the exciting tournament and magnificent finish,” said Sebastian Mackensen. “The formula of BMW and world-class golf is just as successful now as it was when the BMW International Open was first held 1989.”
 
The first round of the week belonged to three world champions. Footballers Philipp Lahm, Thomas Müller (both World Cup winners in 2014) and Marcel Siem (Golf World Cup winner in 2006) played the perfectly prepared Championship Course at Eichenried on the Monday, in aid of the charity “Nicolaidis YoungWings Stiftung”. They raved about the perfect new greens, which also received great praise from all the pros over the course of the tournament.
 
The tournament week opened in entertaining fashion with a cycle tour through the English Garden. Golf stars Martin Kaymer, Sergio García, Matt Wallace and Thorbjørn Olesen were joined by BMW M Brand Ambassador Lena Gercke, actor Jan Josef Liefers, Olympic luge champion Felix Loch, bobsleigh world champion Johannes Lochner and BMW works driver Bruno Spengler on a pleasant ride to the Tee-Off Night at the Seehaus.
 
A host of celebrities took up their golf clubs for the Pro-Am on Wednesday. Like the pros, they were in high spirits and had plenty of time for the spectators. Among those in action were FC Bayern Munich star Niklas Süle, Olympic ice hockey hero Christian Ehrhoff, German handball captain Uwe Gensheimer, and Liefers and Loch. 
 
Anyone who turned up in a traditional Dirndl or Lederhosen on Thursday was given free admission, and the off-course programme was also dominated by the Bavarian zest for life. 15,500 spectators – the highest attendance ever on a Thursday – turned up to enjoy “Bavarian Day”. They also had cause to celebrate on the greens and fairways, as Germany’s top golfer Martin Kaymer made an excellent start to the tournament. The two-time major winner moved to the top of the leaderboard on Friday, before Lady Luck deserted him on the greens on the weekend. In total, 61,000 spectators visited the BMW International Open.
 
The week’s first winner emerged as early as Friday: India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar hit a hole-in-one on the 17^th(par 3, 179 metres) to win the BMW M8 Competition Coupé (combined fuel consumption: 10.7 – 10.8 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 243 – 246 g/km), worth 193,880 Euro, which celebrates its world premiere in BMW Welt next week.
 
With 75 cars at its disposal, the BMW Courtesy Car Service ensured that golfers and guests were transported on time and in comfort to their destination. In total, the drivers and staff drove about 130,000 kilometres and racked up roughly 4,500 hours of work.