Following Renato Paratore’s impressive victory at the Nordea Masters, the European Tour heads to Diamond Country Club for the Lyoness Open powered by ORGANIC+. Here, we take a look at all you need to know ahead of the week in Atzenbrugg.
REWIND
Ashun Wu held his nerve to win his second European Tour title in little over 12 months in the Austrian heat last year.
The Chinese rallied after dropping three shots in two holes early in his back nine, making two birdies and holing a close-range putt on the 18th to finish one clear of Adrian Otaegui.
A superb approach at the 15th was inches from dropping for an eagle-three, but he holed the birdie putt to put himself in the driving seat and close out the win.
Defending champion Chris Wood finished five shots back, with 54-hole leader Zander Lombard one stroke better off than the Englishman.
BITE-SIZED HISTORY
Originally titled the Austrian Open, the first edition of the tournament was held in 1990, with Bernhard Langer claiming the inaugural title.
In 1997 the event joined the Challenge Tour schedule, before Austrian-native Markus Brier marked its return to the European Tour in style in 2006, his third win at the event.
Bernd Wiesberger became the second home winner in 2012, his second win in three months. Mikael Lundberg denied Wiesberger his second triumph at Diamond Country Club in a play-off in 2014, with Chris Wood clinching the title 12 months later.
Wood edged out future Ryder Cup team-mate Rafa Cabrera Bello by two strokes and become the sixth Englishman to win in Lower Austria.
THE FIELD
Former champions Wood and Wiesberger will both tee it up this week ahead of their trips to the US Open at Erin Hills next week.
Joost Luiten, winner in 2013, also returns aiming to win his first event since claiming the KLM Open on home soil last September.
Graeme Storm, Brett Rumford and Matt Wallace will all be looking to win their second tournaments of the season, with 2003 Masters Tournament champion Mike Weir also in action.
THE COURSE
Located 35km from Vienna, Diamond Country Club was designed by Englishman Jeremy Pern and sits in the beautiful Austrian countryside. European Tour veteran and fan favourite Miguel Angel Jiménez has since remodelled some of the holes, including the par four eighth.
Water is a notable feature on the course, with a lake hugging the right side of the scenic par three 18th, making for a memorable finish.
The course, also a European Tour Destination, measures at 6,760 metres and has yielded a winning score of 15 under par or better eight times since the tournament returned to the European Tour 11 years ago.
DID YOU KNOW
• 2016 champion Ashun Wu is looking to become the first player to successfully defend the title. His victory came on debut where he also became the first Chinese player to win the Lyoness Open powered by ORGANIC+.
• Wu made European Tour history by becoming the first Chinese player to record multiple European Tour victories and the first Chinese player to win a European Tour event on European soil. (Lian wei Zhang did win in Wales seven days ago on the European Senior Tour at the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open).
• China are the 13th different country to win the Lyoness Open powered by ORGANIC+ since the event was first played in 1990.
• By recording 18 straight pars in the final day in 2008, Jeev Milkha Singh claimed the title and became only the second golfer to win a European Tour event after compiling 18 par figures in the final round. The Indian followed Sir Nick Faldo, who achieved the feat in the 1987 Open Championship at Muirfield to claim the first of his six Major Championships.
• Bernd Wiesberger made history in 2012 when he claimed the title at his home event. This followed his maiden triumph at the 2012 Ballantine’s Championship, making him the first Austrian to record multiple victories in the same European Tour season.
• Wiesberger has played in his home open 12 previous times (both when the tournament was part of the European Tour and Challenge Tour). Other than his win in 2012, he finished second in 2014, tied fourth as an amateur in 2004, tied fifth in 2011 and tied tenth in 2016.
• German amateur Max Kramer made European Tour history in the 2006 tournament by becoming the first amateur to record an albatross. He achieved the feat at Fontana’s ninth hole in Round One, using a six iron from 180 yards.
