-
Martin Kaymer joined on his round by slalom ace Felix
Neureuther, bobsleigh world champion Johannes Lochner, and a
talented young Swiss golfer. -
World Cup winner Thomas Müller, Olympic luge champion Felix
Loch and biathlon legend Fritz Fischer play with Marcel Siem. -
Sandra Kiriasis, Tobias Arlt, Ralph Hasenhüttl and pro Jorge
Campillo are the top morning group. -
BMW Kids Day: 250 youngsters experience golf up close and
personal, and meet the Kaymer group on the 18th.
Munich. Wednesday’s Pro-Am, on the eve of the BMW
International Open, provided a host of amateur golfers, including a
number of world champions and Olympic gold medallists in other
sports, with an opportunity to show off their golfing prowess
alongside world-class pros
. Among those
at Golfclub München Eichenried
: football stars including world cup winner Thomas Müller and
Bundesliga coach Ralph Hasenhüttel, slalom star Felix Neureuther,
Olympic luge champions Felix Loch and Tobias Arlt, Olympic bobsleigh
gold medallist Sandra Kiriasis, bobsleigh world champion Johannes
Lochner and biathlon legend Fritz Fischer.
With the Championship Course at Golfclub München Eichenried bathed in
glorious sunshine, the Pro-Am offered players including major winners
Martin Kaymer, Sergio García, Henrik Stenson and Ernie Els the perfect
opportunity to warm up for the BMW International Open, which gets
underway on Thursday. The amateurs were treated to an unforgettable
round alongside a world-class golfer.
250 youngsters from local schools around Munich, who were invited to
the BMW Kids Day, also enjoyed a unique experience, as they were given
a rare glimpse behind the scenes of a professional golf tournament.
The pupils then welcomed the group with Kaymer, Neureuther and Lochner
as they arrived at the 18th green, and were given the opportunity to
pose questions to Germany’s top golfer.
However, Marc Steinhauser had the best seat in the house. The
12-year-old Swiss won a place in the Martin Kaymer group on Kaymer’s
Facebook page, and was rewarded with a day he will never forget. “It
was excellent with Martin, Felix and Johannes. They were all really
chilled out. I also want to be a professional golfer, and practice ten
hours per week to make that possible. After the summer holidays, I
will go to a sport school, where I will be able to train even more.”
Quotes from the Pro-Am at the BMW International Open
.
Martin Kaymer: “The round was great fun, because we
had a very relaxed group. I have played with Felix a few times now. I
met Johannes for the first time today, but had heard plenty about him.
He gives the ball a good whack. There is always a good atmosphere when
you play with other athletes, because we seem to speak the same
language and can discuss our experiences. And we also played with Marc
from Switzerland, who earned his place here with a trick shot on my
Facebook page. He had a lot of fun. It could have been a bit
overwhelming for a 12-year-old to play with us, but he did really
well. I was impressed how well he plays. I only started playing golf
when I was 12.”
Felix Neureuther: “It was great fun. Martin is a
really good guy, and I’ve known him for a few years now. There is no
point in him giving me any tips on the tee, as what he does is a
completely different sport – another level altogether. You can learn a
thing or two from watching him putt though. Hansi Lochner is a brutal
golfer. He can hit it a long way, but also a long way left and right.
However, when he really gets hold of it, it is cool to watch.”
Johannes Lochner
: “It was awesome. It is a dream that BMW has allowed
me to play with Martin. To play this European Tour course was a
fantastic experience for me. The greens are particularly impressive.
It was a fantastic day.”
Felix Loch
: “It was very, very entertaining. We had a lot of
fun. It was a really great group with Marcel, Thomas and Fritz. We got
on like a house on fire. My game could have been better, but I still
managed to contribute a few birdies.”
Fritz Fischer
: “Everything was perfect: superb course, great
people, good atmosphere. And I think we did a good job of warming
Marcel up for the next four days. It was just great fun to play with
those three guys.”
Tobias Arlt
: “The weather is sensational. We could not have
wished for better. Our group played well. Our pro was simply class,
and we had an awful lot of fun. Golf helps me find the right balance,
and just can’t seem to get enough of it – even when you have the odd
bad day. It is great fun, particularly with the people here. I would
like to say a big thank you to BMW for this great day.”
Sandra Kiriasis
: “Getting Jorge Campillo as our pro proved to be a
real stroke of luck. It was great fun with him, as he chatted to us a
lot and gave us useful tips. And all in this weather and this
atmosphere. I am absolutely thrilled, but also a little sad that it is
over already.”
Ralph Hasenhüttl
: “It was hot, but good. It is a beautiful course and
we had a nice group. And we did not play badly at all. It was
definitely great fun. We all had a few good holes and hit some good shots.”