Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort stages a homecoming for Danish golf this week as a host of native talent tees it up in the inaugural Made in Denmark.
Thomas Björn headlines the field in Aalborg, located some four hours’ drive north west of Copenhagen, with a further 13 of his compatriots also set to take to the fairways from Thursday.
Known affectionately as The Great Dane, the 15-time European Tour winner and Chairman of the Players’ Committee has been a pioneer for golf in his homeland, and the first European Tour event to be held there since 2003 will act as a celebration of that.
Also in the field is Thorbjørn Olesen, who heads to more familiar shores off the back of a tied 30th place finish at the US PGA Championship. The 24 year old has been splitting his time either side of the Atlantic so far in 2014, and he will hope to add a second title to his name on home soil.
His one and only victory on The Race to Dubai came at the 2012 Sicilian Open, and he will want to carry his form from the year’s final Major back to Scandinavia, as he looks to better a tie for third in Qatar earlier this season, being his best result to date in 2014.
Morten Ørum Madsen won a maiden title of his own in the first event of the campaign – the South African Open Championship hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni – but the European Challenge Tour graduate of two years ago has not been in his best form of late.
Since a stellar run of play to start his 2014 campaign he has struggled, missing ten of his last 16 cuts, but the familiarity of home could well be the boost his game is looking for.
Aside from an impressive Danish cohort, there are also plenty of other impressive names set to take to the 7,033 yard par 71 layout at Himmerland.
Nicolas Colsaerts has returned from a stint in America as he looks to rekindle the sparkling form of two years ago that saw him make a Ryder Cup debut in Medinah. His tie for second at the Maybank Malaysian Open earlier in the season remains the brightest spark in his season so far.
Fresh off a third European Tour triumph at the M2M Russian Open a fortnight ago, David Horsey will travel to Aalborg in good form, as will Damien McGrane after he lost out to the Englishman in a play-off at Moscow Country Club.
That week also saw last year’s Challenge Tour Number One Andrea Pavan match his best finish of the season – a tie for eighth at the Hong Kong Open – and Made in Denmark will provide ample opportunity for his fellow graduates to earn much needed Euros.
On the subject of the second tier, Moritz Lampert will also make his return to golf’s top table in Denmark, after he claimed a third win of the season at the Azerbaijan Golf Challenge Open a fortnight ago.
