DID YOU KNOW – THE KLM OPEN
• Kennemer Golf and Country Club witnessed a marathon play-off in 1989 with José María Olazábal claiming victory at the ninth extra hole, beating Roger Chapman and Ronan Rafferty. The Englishman bogeyed the first hole and was eliminated. Olazábal and Rafferty went a further eight holes, before the 1994 and 1999 Masters Champion took the title with a double-bogey six. This play-off still stands as the longest in European Tour history. This record was matched by the 2013 Open de España, which also went to nine holes. However, it was Rafferty who had the final word. The Northern Irishman holed a five foot putt to win the Volvo Masters and pip Olazábal in the race to win The European Tour Order of Merit, with the Spaniard finishing the season in second place.
• The KLM Open has a unique place in the history of The European Tour. Seve Ballesteros (1976, aged 19 years and 121 days) and Paul Way (1983, 19 years and 149 days), won the event, meaning this tournament was the first to witness two teenage winners. Noh Seung-yul (2010, 18 years and 282 days) and Matteo Manassero (2011, 17 years and 363 days) have since won the Maybank Malaysian Open, as teenagers.
• Defending champion, Peter Hanson became the first Swede to win the KLM Open. He did this in spectacular fashion with an eagle three at the par five 18th at Hilversumsche Golf Club.The Ryder Cup player was one of two players to win on The European Tour in 2012 by holing an eagle putt to take a title. The other was Matteo Manassero, at the Barclays Singapore Open to defeat Louis Oosthuizen in a play-off.
• Three of the last five winners of the KLM Open at Kennemer Golf and Country Club are competing this week. They are: José María Olazábal (1989), Simon Dyson (2006 and 2009) and Ross Fisher (2007).
• Simon Dyson will be aiming to win his fourth KLM Open, having previously won in 2006, 2009 and 2011. Should he win this year, he will become the first player to win the Championship four times since the event became part of The European Tour in 1972. In doing so he would become just the seventh player in European Tour history to win the same official event four or more times.
• The Netherlands will be looking for the first home winner since Maarten Lafeber, who won in 2003. He became the first Dutch player to win their National Championship since Joop Rühl in 1947.
• The KLM Open was first played in 1912 and this year will be the 94th playing. The event is one of only seven tournaments to be played every year since The European Tour’s first year in 1972. The events are: The Open Championship, Open de España, Alstom Open de France, Italian Open, Omega European Masters , PGA Championship and KLM Open.
