Victor Perez will defend his KLM Open title alongside tournament ambassador Joost Luiten when the event returns to Bernardus Golf from May 25-28, 2023.
The Frenchman, who won his second DP World Tour title in the Netherlands last year, will be joined by Poland’s Adrian Meronk and the Højgaard twins, Nicolai and Rasmus, along with all four Dutch players on the DP World Tour, including tournament ambassador Luiten.
This year's KLM Open will be played at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt for the third consecutive time and the field of participants is already taking shape.
Perez, who defeated Kiwi Ryan Fox in a thrilling play-off in 2022, already has one win to his name this year after claiming his maiden Rolex Series title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as he targets a Ryder Cup debut at Marco Simone later this year.
The 30-year-old, who currently leads the Race to Dubai Rankings ahead of Rory McIlroy, has had his effigy added to the large billboard on the 18th hole at Bernardus to mark his upcoming arrival, which also prominently features Joost Luiten.
Perez is not the only player on Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald's radar. Poland’s Meronk is also vying for a place on Team Europe and will return to the KLM Open having come close to his maiden victory in 2022.
The Hero Cup winner finished third at Bernardus Golf and did not have to wait long for his first DP World Tour victory when he triumphed at the Horizon Irish Open just over a month later. He then added a second title, at the ISPS Handa Australian Open in December, and currently sits tenth on the Race to Dubai.
Siblings Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard, who have a combined five DP World Tour wins between them, will also return to the Netherlands in May. The Danish twins alternated in terms of successful results in the KLM Open in recent years, with Nicolai finsihing second in 2019, while Rasmus finished in the top ten last year.
What is certain is that once again many Dutchmen will have the chance to tee it up in the KLM Open. Four men who play almost weekly on the DP World Tour have been confirmed, with tournament ambassador Luiten, Wil Besseling, Daan Huizing and Darius van Driel all participating at Bernardus. The latter was the best Dutchman in 2021 with a fourth placed finsh.
Of this quartet, Luiten made a big impression on the DP World Tour in recent weeks. He finished third in two consecutive tournaments, the Thailand Classic and Hero Indian Open, as the KLM Open ambassador climbed to 15th place on the Race to Dubai and has all but secured his tour card for 2024.
"With Perez, Meronk and the Højgaard twins, the KLM Open has managed to attract four of the most sought-after European players. These four men all stand a great chance of representing Europe in the Ryder Cup later this year and all four play regularly on the DP World Tour. Additionally, the presence of the four Dutchmen is great for the tournament and for Dutch golf," said tournament director Daan Slooter.
For the second consecutive year, the KLM Open will count as a qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open. Two players will secure a spot in the Major Championship through a four-tournament mini Order of Merit on the DP World Tour. The KLM Open is the third of those four tournaments, with the final counting event being the following week’s Porsche European Open.
New for this year is the KLM Open College, where daily sessions in which former top golfers, caddies and golf journalists take visitors behind the scenes at the KLM Open. Those who bought a ticket for the KLM Open 2023 were given the opportunity to order a free ticket for the KLM Open College, with high demand meaning all sessions are now sold out.
DP World & Fortinet to sponsor KLM Open
DP World and Fortinet have been announced as two new sponsors of the KLM Open.
DP World, the leading provider of smart logistics solutions for the flow of trade around the world, is the title sponsor of the DP World Tour while Fortinet is the Tour's official cybersecurity partner.
Daniel van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer at DP World said: "We look forward to continuing our partnership with the KLM Open at the beautiful Bernardus Golf Course for what is sure to be another spectacular DP World Tour event for players and fans alike. The event is one of the oldest on the Tour. With the Netherlands being one of the most prominent logistics hubs in Europe, the event offers us a spectacular opportunity to host our clients and connect with fans."
Severine Perotto, Vice President EMEA Marketing at Fortinet, said: "As an official Cybersecurity partner of the DP World Tour, Fortinet brings its expertise in cybersecurity innovation to the world of golf. We are delighted that the partnership allows us to associate Fortinet with one of the tour's most historic tournaments.”
The 103rd edition of the KLM Open will take place from 25 - 28 May 2023 at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt. The KLM Open is one of the oldest tournaments on the DP World Tour. The Netherlands' largest annual international golf tournament has been organised by TIG Sports since 2004, supported by partners KLM, TCS Tata Consultancy Services and DP World Tour.
