The Road to Mallorca visits Austria this week for the Euram Bank Open at GC Adamstal. Here’s what you need to know before the players tee it up on Thursday…
Picture-perfect GC Adamstal
One of the most spectacular golf courses in Europe, GC Adamstal is located in the middle of the Lower Austrian foothills, providing mountainous terrain and a very different challenge for the 168-strong field to tackle. What began as a nine-hole course back in 1995 was then expanded to a full 18-hole course three years later. Since then, nine further holes have been added with the players teeing it up on the 18-hole Championship Course this week. Strangely, the Championship Course might be one of the only courses in the world to have a 19th hole…
The famous 19th hole
GC Adamstal is unique in many ways, with the 19th hole on the Championship Course making it stand alone. Titled the ‘Brunnstube’, historically the 160-metre par three has been used to decide a winner if there was a tie, or as a betting hole to see who will pay for the clubhouse drinks for example. The hole has a 34-metre height drop from tee to green.
Franz Wittmann
Known first and foremost as one of Austria's most successful rally drivers, Franz Wittman has also overseen the transformation of the golf club in his role as owner. During his racing career he won 12 national titles and claimed victory in the World Championships in 1987, but his greatest achievement could be what he’s achieved in Adam Valley. Alongside friend Hans Zöchling, the duo gave financial backing to the idea of a golf course in the area and employed Canadian-Irish golf course architect Jeff Howes to bring their ideas to life. The result is spectacular.
A two-time winner?
This week Stuart Manley and Marc Hammer will both be vying to become the first player to win the Euram Bank Open twice. Manley, from Wales, claimed a one stroke victory at this course in 2021 with rounds of 67-65-65-65 to get to 18 under par for the week. He returns to a happy hunting ground in good form too. A fourth win on the Challenge Tour came at the Blot Open de Bretagne last month which saw him move into the top 20 on the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
German Hammer made history with his triumph here 12 months ago. Hammer’s maiden Challenge Tour win at the 2022 Euram Bank Open arrived just five days after securing his first victory as a professional at the Weihenstephan Open on the Pro Golf Tour. Hammer’s back-to-back victories meant he became the first player to win two Official World Golf Ranking tournaments in the same week, and in different countries.
