With only five events left to earn a place on The 2006 European Ryder Cup Team, the qualifying race heads to Kennemer Golf and Country Club in The Netherlands this week for The KLM Open with Ireland’s Paul McGinley and England’s Paul Broadhurst amongst those with a keen eye on The K Club.
Two years ago McGinley began his sprint to the line at The KLM Open when he finished joint second at Hilversumsche Golf Club. He followed that with a joint sixth finish in the US PGA Championship and then sealed his place on the 2004 Team with another joint sixth finish in the BMW International Open.
McGinley is once again involved in a race for glory as he currently occupies the tenth and last of the automatic qualifying places and this week the Dubliner, who holed the winning putt in 2002 at The De Vere Belfry, will be looking to consolidate his place in Ian Woosnam’s side to earn a third successive Ryder Cup cap.
Broadhurst, who successfully defended his Algarve Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos title earlier in the season, is his closest challenger, trailing the Irishman by €119,087 on the European Points List, as he looks to make his first Ryder Cup appearance since 1991 at Kiawah Island, where he won both his matches.
Ryder Cup Captain Woosnam will be there to keep a watchful eye on how his Team is taking shape. Woosnam is making good on a promise he made last year to come and play in the year of his Ryder Cup Captaincy.
“I am looking forward to playing in Holland again,” said the Welshman. “It is a very important and busy year for me as Ryder Cup Captain and therefore I have to choose the tournaments that I play in very carefully. But the KLM Open is in my schedule for a number of reasons.
“First of all it is one of the oldest and well respected tournaments on the Tour. The course at the Kennemer is a top class lay-out and I love to play links style golf. Furthermore The KLM Open is one of the last tournaments that count towards qualifying for The European Ryder Cup Team. To play in the tournament where potential Team members are playing is a bonus.”
One player assured of a place on the European Team is Colin Montgomerie, who last season won The European Tour Order of Merit for an eighth time. Montgomerie, who has taken a break since The Open Championship, will be returning to a tournament that he won in 1993 at Noordwijkse. “I haven't played in Holland for quite a while and am very happy to return,” said the Scot.
“I did play at Kennemer in 1990 when it was last held there and it is a great links course. I enjoy visiting Holland and to return as a past winner is fantastic. My win in 1993 at Noordwijkse was very special as it is definitely a trophy you want to have your name on. To win it twice would be great, especially ahead of the US PGA Championship and The Ryder Cup. I am looking forward to a great week.”
Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño defends the title he won at Hilversumsche Golf Club 12 months ago while Maarten Lafeber, the 2003 Champion, and Robert Jan-Derksen will lead the home challenge.
Kennemer G&CC is one of the continent’s finest links courses and one which has hosted the tournament sixteen times since its first appearance in 1920, most recently in 1989 and 1990.
In 1989 the tournament ended in spectacular fashion with the longest play-off in European Tour history as Spain’s José Maria Olazábal needed nine extra holes to defeat Northern Ireland’s Ronan Rafferty after Englishman Roger Chapman went out on the first play-off hole. In 1990 Scot Stephen McAllister won with the lowest 72 hole total at Kennemer of 274.
The KLM Open is also the only European Tour event which has produced two teenage winners – Seve Ballesteros (1976 – 19 and 121 days) and Paul Way (1983 – 19 and 149 days). Ballesteros is the second youngest and Way the third youngest to win on The European Tour.
The week, of course, marks the 30th anniversary of Ballesteros’s first win on The European Tour, when the 19 year old stormed to an eight shot victory over England’s Howard Clark at Kennemer. To celebrate the occasion, a dinner is being held in honour of the five-time Major Champion on the eve of the tournament.
Ballesteros collected £2,800 (€4,099) for the first of his 50 titles while the winner this week will pocket £190,000 (€278,117).
