KLM Open again suffers from poor scheduling
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2006 KLM Open | Preview | 09 Aug 2006
With the final major of the year just one week away, the field for this week’s KLM Open in Zandvoort in the Netherlands is slightly understrength in terms of leading European players but nonetheless for several participants it is a week with as much importance as some of the big events they have played in recent weeks.
Only five tournaments remain before the European Ryder Cup team is announced following the BMW International and although most here will have little interest in the selection process from a personal viewpoint both Paul McGinley and Paul Broadhurst still have chances to stake late claims.
The event has typically fallen the week before a major. Last year it was the week before the US Open and in 2004 it was again the week prior to the USPGA.
The tournament is being played at the highly regarded Kennemer Golf and Country Club, a golf course with a very American sounding name but a golf course that is hardly that. The links layout was originally built in 1929 and designed by Harry Colt, who built several courses in Holland around that time. It received a lot of damage during the Second World War as the German’s dug large excavations on the golf course as a means of stopping British tanks.
The golf course was last used for this event or its equivalent in 1990 when Stephen McCallister prevailed and in the previous year when Jose Maria Olazabal won in a playoff.
This week’s field is headed by Colin Montgomerie who up until the recent Open Championship had been playing very well. He has taken two weeks off since Hoylake and is rearing to go in his lead up to Medinah next week.
Paul McGinley is one of the favourites but only because of the absence of some of the European Tour’s current stars. There is little doubt that his form has improved in recent weeks compared to a very ordinary first half of 2006 but it might need to improve further still if he is to have a chance of winning.
Richard Green was playing very well earlier in the season but the last few starts have not been quite so good. At his best he is capable of contending in any European Tour event and if he can find the form he showed with three top fives earlier in the year then he could surprise against this weakened field.
Anders Hansen certainly has made a lot of cuts this year but has seldom contended at the business end of events. That consistency might be rewarded in the lesser company he has this week.
Peter O’Malley is perhaps the best of the Australians here although Wade Ormsby played a lot better last week in Sweden after a recent run of outs.
David Bransdon, Matthew Millar, Stephen Scahill and Peter Fowler are the other Australasians looking to take advantage of this good golf course and the opportunity the weaker field offers.
The tournament has prizemoney of €1.6 million with €266,000 to the winner.
