36th BMW International Open: Daniel Brown leads ahead of final round – Schmid and Wiedemeyer best Germans.

+++ England’s Daniel Brown (-16) takes the lead +++ Jordan Smith (ENG, -15) in second place +++ Matti Schmid (-10, T12) and amateur Tim Wiedemeyer (-9, T17) best Germans +++ Marcel Siem and Martin Kaymer out of title contention +++ €56,000 already raised for "Eagles for Education" +++

Munich. “Moving Day” under the best conditions: Round 3 of the BMW International Open shook up the leaderboard significantly. Rising all the way to the top was England’s Daniel Brown, who carded a 65 on Saturday to take the lead at 16 under par. His round of 65 was the best score of the day, matched by Dutchman Joost Luiten (-13, 3rd) and Spain’s Ivan Cantero (-11, T9). Just one stroke behind Brown is fellow Englishman, Jordan Smith (-15), who shot a 66.

From a German perspective, the biggest movers were Matti Schmid 
(-10, T12) and amateur Tim Wiedemeyer (-9, T17). Marcel Schneider (today -2, total -8, T20), Martin Kaymer (-2, -6, T34), Yannik Paul (-1, -5, T41), Marcel Siem (+2, -5, T41), and Hurly Long (-1, -4, T53) were unable to improve their positions.

Brown made just one bogey on Saturday and claimed the top spot on the leaderboard thanks to a fantastic back nine featuring four birdies and one eagle. The 30-year-old, who celebrated his only win on the DP World Tour in 2023, credited his performance to a sense of ease: “I actually didn’t play or control the ball as well as I did yesterday, but the final holes went really well. I was just in a flow, felt no pressure all day, was very relaxed, and had fun with my caddie.”

The largest deficit ever overcome by a BMW International Open winner on Sunday is five shots - a feat achieved by five players since the tournament began in 1989: Mark McNulty (IRL, 1994), Frank Nobilo (NZL, 1995), David Horsey (ENG, 2010), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR, 2014), and, most recently, Pablo Larrazábal (ESP, 2015).

Although Matti Schmid posted the best round among the German players with a 68, the Regensburg native remains six shots behind Brown - just outside the comeback “window.” Two late bogeys on holes 16 and 17 kept him from scoring even lower in an otherwise flawless round. Still, the 27-year-old was thrilled with the atmosphere on course and hasn’t given up hope: “There are so many golf fans out here creating an incredible level of support. You can only draw energy from an atmosphere like this. Every good shot is cheered. It definitely gives you a positive feeling. On the front nine I hit almost nothing and had a lot of bad drives. But I had a great short game and putted well. The back nine was really solid. Overall, I’m happy with that. You really have to hit good shots here to score well. But with the par-5s and hole 16, which is attackable, there are birdie chances out there. Martin Kaymer shot 8 under in the final round back in 2021 - something like that is what we’ll need.”

Amateur Tim Wiedemeyer continued to impress. In his hometown, the 20-year-old shot a 69 and now sits at 9 under par, maintaining his spot inside the top 20. “The atmosphere out there was great,” Wiedemeyer said. “There were a lot of people I know in the crowd. It’s just a cool vibe, and the support really helps you play well. After making the cut, everything was pretty relaxed anyway. I mean, I’ve got nothing to lose here. I know where I stand -  I’m still an amateur. I’m just having fun, learning a few things, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Martin Kaymer - still the only German winner of the BMW International Open since 2008 and the youngest in tournament history - likely won’t add a second title this year, but was still satisfied with his performance in Munich: “Two under par is okay, but it doesn’t get you anywhere,” said the two-time major champion. “You really need one low round in this tournament to climb the leaderboard. I didn’t hit enough fairways today. If I do tomorrow, I can create a lot of chances. I might play a bit more aggressively. I feel good around the greens and have had lots of up-and-downs this week. So I think I can allow myself to take a few more risks.”

Marcel Siem, who had put himself in a strong weekend position after the first two rounds, experienced what he described as “a day to forget.” Two bogeys at the start and a triple-bogey on the par-5 6th derailed his round early. A spectacular eagle on the par-4 16th and a birdie on the final hole couldn’t salvage the day. “Of course it’s frustrating and sad to know you have no chance to win anymore,” Siem said. “Then I tried to make the impossible possible and just focused on eagles and aces to somehow get back into it for Sunday. But it is what it is - I’ve only got myself to blame.”

Siem’s eagle was one of 56 made so far in the tournament. That means the “Eagles for Education” donation total from last year (€55,000) has already been surpassed in Round 3. For every eagle made during the tournament rounds, the BMW Group donates €1,000 to the Philipp Lahm Foundation for Sport and Education. The shared goal is to equip children and young people with key skills in movement, nutrition, and personal development.

The final round at Golfclub München Eichenried begins on Sunday at 7:10 AM. The final pairing, featuring Brown and Smith, tees off at 1:10 PM. Please refer to the attachment for the full list of tee times.