BMW International Open kicks off with soccer-golf

Next week’s BMW International Open in Germany will get underway with an exciting Opening Show, where the players will get to display more than just their golf skills.

The outstanding golfer of the 2013 season, Henrik Stenson, local favourite Marcel Siem, US legend John Daly, popular Spaniards Sergio García and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and rising star Victor Dubuisson will first go head to head in a short tournament, including an entertaining ‘Nearest-the-Pin’ competition.

An interesting format will see them have to chip into the 18th hole from a variety of alternative locations, including the grandstand on the 18th green – giving the fans in Cologne the chance to get close to the stars.

With the football World Cup in full swing in Brazil and many of the top golfers also fans of the game, the pros will then have the chance to show off their ball skills of a different nature in the football meets golf competition.

While dressed in their respective nation’s football shirts, the players will attempt to kick a football into an extra-large hole on the 18th green in as few shots as possible.

Any football fan knows it takes eleven to make a team. As such, Stenson, Siem, García, Daly and Dubuisson will be joined for the ‘soccer golf’ competition by the winner of the first BMW International Open held at Gut Lärchenhof, Danny Willett (England), Ryder Cup heroes Francesco Molinari (Italy) and Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium), Austrian BMW Golfsport Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger plus Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) and Ricardo Santos (Portugal).

Entry to the event is free of charge – as it is on all days of the tournament except the weekend.