PressClub Global · Article.
BMW International Open 2015: Cool quartet – Major winner, World Cup winner, handball punk and pop star.
Wed Jun 24 18:36:05 CEST 2015 Press Release
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Stars aplenty at Golfclub München Eichenried: a host of world-class golfers were in action on the Championship Course on the eve of the BMW International Open. One of the earliest groups on the first tee on Wednesday morning featured two-time Major winner Martin Kaymer. His playing partners: football World Cup winner Thomas Müller, handball star Stefan Kretzschmar and singer Tim Bendzko.
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Author.
Nicole Stempinsky
BMW Group
Munich. Stars aplenty at Golfclub München
Eichenried: a host of world-class golfers were in action on the
Championship Course on the eve of the BMW International Open, giving
well-known amateurs from the world of sport and entertainment an
insight into golf at the highest level. One of the earliest groups
on the first tee on Wednesday morning featured two-time Major winner
Martin Kaymer. His playing partners: football World Cup winner
Thomas Müller, handball star Stefan Kretzschmar and singer Tim Bendzko.
“That was the best and funniest Pro-Am I have ever played,”
said Kaymer. “We had a super round. It was great fun with Thomas,
and Stefan is a great guy who is very easy-going. Tim was also on
good form. The practice round was useful to get a feel for the
course again. However, the priority for today was to have a lot of
fun. And we definitely did that.”
“It was great fun, although I have definitely played better,”
said Müller. “I don’t mind playing in front of a lot of people. If
I get a shot wrong, I just get frustrated with myself. We all got
on very well in our group. Tim Bendzko said he was nervous – but
he still managed to score quite a lot of points for us. I think
Martin is capable of anything at this tournament. He has shown
often enough that he has what it takes to win. I don’t want to put
him under too much pressure, but I obviously want to see his name
at the top.” Müller’s caddy was Assistant Head Greenkeeper Willi
Herrmann – sporting a German football shirt, of course.
Bendzko said: “It was a round of highs and lows today. I
started dreadfully. My heart was beating like crazy in front of
all those people on the first tee. After four or five holes I
eventually started playing something resembling golf. Martin said
that too. The atmosphere in the group was great, and we all hit
decent shots every now and again. Thomas more often than me, but
he also lost more balls. He really gives it a good wallop. And
when you are trying to hit the ball over 340 metres, then you are
going to lose the odd ball.”
“That was an awesome experience,” said Kretzschmar after his
round. “When you play alongside Martin Kaymer for 18 holes, you
have to say that that is real golf. What you are doing is nothing
in comparison. It was a very humbling round. Martin makes
everything look so easy. Thomas Müller is a very good golfer, and
very competitive. But it was a great laugh and we had a blast.
There was also a bit of competition.”
Group number 33 was all about Olympic gold medals: Olympic
luge champions Felix Loch, Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt showed off
their golf skills alongside professional Oliver Fisher (England).
There was a relaxed atmosphere in the football group, led by Joost
Luiten (Netherlands): Sportschau presenter Matthias Opdenhövel
talked shop with former football stars Hasan Salihamidžić and
Patrick Owomoyela. “You are obviously very tense when you suddenly
have so many people watching you play,” said Opdenhövel. “I have
every respect for the pros. It is incredible what the guys can do.
As an amateur, you are almost pleased when they have to play the
odd ball out of the thick rough. But they can do that too – they
just play it out without any trouble at all. That is very impressive.”
Runner-up in the two-man bob at the World Championship,
Johannes Lochner, Olympic ski-jumping champion Dieter Thoma,
Martin Bader (Sporting Director of 1. FC Nürnberg), Tobias Zellner
(assistant coach of FC Augsburg) and professional golfers Sophia
Popov and Karo Lampert also warmed up for the BMW International
Open in the Pro-Am tournament.
TV footage is available to download at the
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