Thomas Bjorn (264) -- Bernhard Langer, John Bickerton
2001
John Daly (261) -- Padraig Harrington
2000
Thomas Bjorn (268) -- Bernhard Langer
1999
Colin Montgomerie (268) -- Padraig Harrington
1998
Russell Claydon (270) -- Jamie Spence
1997
*Robert Karlsson (264) -- Carl Watts
1996
#Marc Farry (132) -- Richard Green
1995
Frank Nobilo (272) -- Bernhard Langer, Jarmo Sandelin
1994
Mark McNulty (274) -- Seve Ballesteros
1993
Peter Fowler (267) -- Ian Woosnam
1992
*Paul Azinger (266) -- Bernhard Langer, Glen Day, Anders Forsbrand,
Mark James
1991
Sandy Lyle (268) -- Tony Johnstone
1990
*Paul Azinger (277) -- David Feherty
1989
David Feherty (269) -- Fred Couples
* - Won in Playoff
# - Rain Shortened
Top Contenders in the Field
Player
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Danny Willett
---
---
---
---
---
---
T-9
T-30
T-24
Won
Henrik Stenson
mc
T-33
---
Won
T-26
T-6
T-35
---
T-9
T-6
Marcel Siem
T-8
T-75
T-24
T-13
mc
mc
mc
T-61
T-14
T-6
Ross Fisher
---
---
---
mc
T-26
12th
---
2nd
T-9
T-8
Thomas Bjorn
T-17
mc
T-22
T-13
mc
T-48
---
---
mc
T-8
Simon Dyson
T-35
79th
7th
mc
T-11
mc
---
---
mc
T-12
Niclas Fasth
---
---
T-4
T-42
Won
T-59
T-16
T-55
mc
T-23
Pablo Larrazabal
---
---
---
---
---
T-61
mc
T-3
Won
T-29
Sergio Garcia
---
T-25
---
---
---
---
---
mc
2nd
T-29
David Howell
T-11
T-22
Won
T-4
---
T-43
mc
mc
T-31
T-29
Joost Luiten
---
---
---
---
mc
---
---
T-11
T-3
T-38
Colin Montgomerie
---
T-3
---
T-6
---
T-16
T-66
T-36
T-18
T-44
Miguel A. Jimenez
T-17
Won
T-22
T-47
T-18
mc
T-4
T-49
T-39
T-52
David Horsey
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
Won
T-18
mc
Martin Kaymer
T-58
---
mc
---
mc
Won
mc
T-21
T-18
mc
Matteo Manassero
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
T-55
T-14
---
Dustin Johnson
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
T-18
---
Thorbjorn Olesen
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
mc
---
Ernie Els
T-17
---
---
---
T-17
---
---
mc
---
---
Sports Network Selections
Pick to Win - Matteo Manassero
Darkhorse - Thomas Bjorn
Last Week's Pick to Win (Shiv Kapur) - Missed the cut
Last Week's Darkhorse (Alexander Levy) - Missed the cut
NOTES:
The European Tour travels to Germany this week for the BMW International Open.
Danny Willett will try to become the first back-to-back winner of this event
and will attempt to join Thomas Bjorn and Paul Azinger as multiple champions.
Seven of the top 40 players in the world are in the field -- Sergio Garcia
(15), Ernie Els (20), American Dustin Johnson (23), Matteo Manassero (27),
Henrik Stenson (33), 2008 champion and German native Martin Kaymer (35), and
Thorbjorn Olesen (36).
Els tied for fourth last week at the U.S. Open following a final-round 69. He
has two top-10 finishes in his last three starts, including a tie for sixth at
the BMW PGA Championship in May.
German legend Bernhard Langer has won every European Tour event on German soil
at least once, except this one. Langer has finished second five times (1992,
95, 2000, 02 and 07). In his career, he has won 11 European Tour events on
German soil.
Last year, it took four playoff holes, but Danny Willett finally collected his
first European Tour title as he downed Marcus Fraser in rainy conditions.
Fraser bogeyed the final hole of regulation and went into the clubhouse at 11-
under-par 277. Willett, who fell back to minus-11 with a bogey on the 15th,
parred his final three holes to force the playoff. On the fourth extra hole at
Golf Club Gut Larchenhof, Fraser seemed to have the advantage as his second
shot stopped just over 35 feet from the hole before Willett's approach soared
over the green. Willett nearly holed his chip, but his ball stopped a foot
from the cup. Fraser's birdie try lipped out on the left side, but rolled a
few feet away. He missed the par-saver, then watched as Willett tapped in for
par and the win.
In 2011, Pablo Larrazabal earned his first win since 2008, defeating Garcia
with a par on the fifth playoff hole. Larrazabal was the only player in the
field to shoot four rounds in the 60s, as he earned his second European Tour
win.
David Horsey made two late birdies and shot a 5-under 67 in the final round in
2010 to capture his first European Tour title. Horsey overcame a 5-shot
deficit on the final day to earn a 1-stroke victory over Ross Fisher at 18-
under 270. The Englishman seized control of the tournament by making birdies
at the 16th and 18th holes to take the lead.
Kaymer birdied the first playoff hole in 2008 to defeat Anders Hansen. Kaymer
squandered a 6-shot lead heading into the final round, thanks to two balls in
the water en route to a triple-bogey eight at the 11th. He birdied the 72nd
hole to force the playoff, then played brilliantly on the sudden-death hole.
Kaymer became the first German to win this tournament.
When John Daly carded a 66 during the final round in 2001, he captured his
first title since the 1995 British Open Championship. Daly's total of 261 set
a new tournament record, breaking the previous mark of 264 set by Robert
Karlsson and Carl Watts in 1997. Daly also set a new 36-hole mark of 127.
Paul Azinger was the first American to capture this title in 1990 and again in
1992, with both victories coming in playoffs. There have been seven playoffs
in tournament history. The only time the European Tour has witnessed a 5-man
playoff was at the 1992 tournament, when Azinger prevailed against Glen Day,
Anders Forsbrand, Mark James and Langer.
David Feherty captured the inaugural event in 1989, when he won by five shots
for the largest winning margin in tournament history. Feherty and Sandy Lyle
(1991) are the only wire-to-wire winners.
The European Tour heads to Ireland next week for The Irish Open at Carton
House, where Jamie Donaldson will defend his title.
06/18 15:34:13 ET
