With the Ryder Cup just over two weeks away The US Open Champion Graeme McDowell returns to action this week, after a lengthy break, and plays the Austrian GolfOpen presented by Botarin which is being hosted at a new venue at the Diamond Country Club.
Damien McGrane, Simon Thornton and Gary Murphy follow on from the KLM Open to play in Austria with Thornton still chasing another significant payday to secure an automatic exemption for next year.
For Gary Murphy the reality of a return to PGA Catalunya and Q school in December to retain his playing rights is increasing after missing his nineteenth cut from twenty three starts in Holland last Friday.
Among the home favourites to win the event is Markus Brier, eyeing a fourth Austrian Open success having won the event twice when it was part of the European Challenge Tour and once on The European Tour.
Another Austrian hoping for success this week is Martin Wiegele, who has already won twice this season including a memorable victory in his homeland on the Challenge Tour.
Wiegele captured the Karnten Golf Open by Markus Brier Foundation at Klagenfurt-Seltenheim Golf Club in June and followed that by winning the dual-ranking SAINT OMER OPEN presented by Neuflize just three weeks later.
The €750,000 tournament, from September 16th – 19th, is the penultimate European Tour event before McDowell joins the European Team at The Celtic Manor Resort and is aiming to sharpen up over the 7,053 yard par 72 Diamond Course.
McDowell will be joined in Austria by Ryder Cup team-mate Miguel Angel Jiménez, Todd Hamilton, the 2004 Open Champion, Simon Khan, winner of this year’s BMW PGA Championship, as is defending champion Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who won in stunning style last year, shooting a sensational 60 in the final round to win by one shot from Benn Barham.
