- Almost 5,400 participants in 2018 BMW TrackMan Open.
- Chris Killmer (USA) wins innovative tournament format.
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Frida Kinhult (SWE) earns invitation to play in the Pro-Am
tournament of the 2019 BMW PGA Championship for being best amateur.
Munich. American Chris Killmer (Open Category) and Tzu-Chi
Lin from Taiwan (Ladies) are the winners of the 2018 BMW TrackMan
Open, an innovative and global tournament format, which was open to
globally ambitious golfers of any playing strength from May to
October. A total prize fund of 120,000 US dollars was awarded at the
competition, at which accuracy was recorded digitally and the score
was transferred in real time. The special prize for amateurs – a
ticket to the Pro-Am tournament of the BMW PGA Championship – went
to the 19-year-old Swede Frida Kinhult, the younger sister of
European Tour pro Marcus Kinhult. Among the best-known players to
enter the 2018 BMW TrackMan Open were major winners Patrick Reed and
Jason Dufner (both USA), as well as multiple European Tour winners
Marcel Siem (GER) and Dylan Frittelli (RSA).
The TrackMan is a tablet-sized device for data analysis and
evaluating golf shots. It is placed behind the player and uses cameras
and radar technology to accurately record such things as distance,
club head speed and attack angle. To take part in the BMW TrackMan
Open, entrants must complete the “Combine Test”: 60 shots at a total
of ten virtual targets, with a maximum score of 100 points.
In total, 5,378 participants from 71 nations submitted 10,388 combine
tests in real time during the tournament period. The best result was
achieved by Chris Killmer (USA) with a proud 94.0 points. This earned
him the overall winner’s cheque for 50,000 US dollars. Each monthly
winner received 5,000 US dollars in prize money.
The Ladies competition was won by Tzu-Chi Lin (TPE) with a score of
91.3 points. She was rewarded for her efforts with 25,000 US dollars.
The monthly prize money in this category was 2,500 US dollars.
What makes the BMW TrackMan Open so special is the fact that amateurs
can go head to head with the pros. 1,524 people from all over the
world took this opportunity. The best amateur result of the 2,430
Combine Tests was submitted by Frida Kinhult, who achieved a score of
90.4 points. The young Swede’s impressive performance earned her an
invitation to play in the Pro-Am ahead of the 2019 BMW PGA
Championship at the Wentworth Club (London, ENG).
“The BMW TrackMan Open combines high tech, digitalisation and
networking, and enables amateurs and pros around the world to take on
an entertaining yet demanding challenge,” said Christian Masanz, head
of BMW Golfsport Marketing. “Congratulations to the winners and many
thanks to the almost 5,400 participants. This popularity shows that
the expansion of the global BMW golfing involvement with a young,
thrilling and innovative format is a great success.”
“We think it’s important to practice with a purpose, with the online
tournament BMW TrackMan Open you get a feel of tournament pressure
where every shot counts. You can spot your strengths and weaknesses
and see where you should focus your practice. With the common passion
for innovation and technology, we couldn’t have chosen a better
partner than BMW on this project,“ said TrackMan CEO and founder,
Klaus Eldrup-Jorgensen.
The popularity of the BMW TrackMan Open was also evident on social
networks. Pros and amateurs alike challenged their friends via
Facebook and Instagram. 32 pros took on the challenge and entered the competition.