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FOUR-time European Tour winner Matt Wallace is determined to put on a good show at Golfclub München Eichenried as he prepares to defend the BMW International Open title he won 12 months ago.
The Englishman, who moved to the top of the Race to Dubai rankings after the US Open at Pebble Beach, arrived in Munich in good spirits after finishing in a share of 12th place at the third Major Championship of the season.
Wallace, now a career-high 24th on the Official World Golf Rankings, won the second of three titles in a memorable 2018 campaign at last year’s BMW International Open, and the 29-year-old is looking forward to defending at a different venue as the tournament returns to Munich for the 24th time.
“My reaction said it all. Waiting on the range there, expecting another play-off like India. It was nice to get it done in full time and pick up another trophy,” added Wallace, who grew up in Pinner.
Last year, at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof in Cologne, Wallace had to chase down Thorbjørn Olesen after the Dane carded the lowest round in the tournament’s history, an 11-under par 61, to take the lead on nine-under.
After a birdie on the 16th hole Wallace would go on to sign for a 10-under total, but faced a nervous wait as both home-favourite Kaymer and Finland’s Mikko Korhonen were still to complete their rounds.
The pair eventually finished on nine-under, to hand Wallace his third European Tour title.
Wallace, who played junior golf at Batchworth Park and represents Moor Park, in Hertfordshire, said: “It was a great event for me. I think I’ve watched back some highlights and I wasn’t really featured at all until the last day when I made a run at it.
“Thorbjørn played fantastic, as well, that last day to post a number. I remember saying to my caddie, Dave, that we had to get to 10-under and that was it, really. Went really hard for that and managed to get to 10-under which I thought was going to be the winning score and it was in the end.
“Last week was a really good week for me. I’m now 24th, the highest place I’ve ever been in the world, as well.
“Coming here as defending champion, I want to put on a good show, play hard and play as well as I can. It’s a great field this year, as it was last year.
“I’m in good shape. I’m happy. I’m working hard on my game, and I can compete with the likes of Brooks Koepka if I can keep doing those one-percenters and get better.”
After extensive renovations to the golf course for this year’s tournament, former World No. 1 Kaymer, who won the 2014 US Open and the 2010 USPGA, is looking forward to a new challenge at the venue where he won his second European Tour title in 2008.
He also became the first player from Germany to win this event 11 years ago.e
Kaymer said: “I was here three months ago. It was very, very cold but I took a cart and I drove around.
“I just wanted to see it because they changed a few greens. They added a couple bunkers. They added a couple tee boxes. I haven’t played it yet.
“I will see the course tomorrow in the Pro-Am for the first time, but I think these changes are more long term.
“You can’t expect perfect greens this week because the greens are fairly new and they still need to settle down, but long-term it was a necessary change.
“In 2008, It was a very intense week for many reasons, very emotional, never easy to play this your own country and then being in the lead. I think I was leading by five or six shots going into the final round.
“It was an amazing feeling walking down 18 with all the German flags in the background. It was a feeling that is very difficult to describe and maybe that’s why you shouldn’t even try. It’s very special.”
