Stenson completes the “double” a decade later. The “Iceman” keeps his cool on an action-packed final day to win the BMW International Open for the second time.

Pulheim. Henrik Stenson is the winner of the 28th BMW
International Open at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof. Ten years after his
first title at what is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the
European Tour, the Swede finished three shots clear on 17 under par
(271 shots) to join an exclusive group of just 4 players whose names
feature twice on the coveted trophy. The winner of the 2006 BMW
International Open had finished runner-up for the past two years.
Heavy rainfall caused play to be suspended yesterday, resulting in
Stenson, and the majority of the field, having to play 36 holes today.
The “Iceman” refused to allow this to knock him out of his stride,
however, carding a total of ten birdies on Sunday and holding his
nerve to fend off the challenge of runners-up Thorbjørn Olesen (DEN,
-14) and Darren Fichardt (RSA, -14). Fourth place went to Raphaël
Jacquelin (FRA, -12), while Sergio García (ESP, – 10) and Kiradech
Aphibarnrat (THA, -10) finished tied in fifth place.

For Stenson, who receives a winner’s cheque for 333,330 Euros and
climbs to fifth place in the world rankings, the tenth victory on the
European Tour was a special one: “It is so sweet to win it now, after
coming so close for the last two years,” said Stenson. “Outside
Sweden, this is like my second home tournament. I’ve got a great
relationship with the German fans. I really feel the support all the
time. It is fantastic.” The Swede joins Paul Azinger (USA, 1990 and
1992), Thomas Bjørn (DEN, 2000 and 2002) and Pablo Larrazábal (ESP,
2011 and 2015) as one of only four players to have won the BMW
International Open twice.

Stenson, who in 2013 became the only player ever to win both the
“Race to Dubai” and the “FedExCup” in one season, was presented with
the champion’s trophy by Peter van Binsbergen, Senior Vice President
Sales and Marketing BMW Germany. “Congratulations to Henrik Stenson on
his impressive performance,” said van Binsbergen after the trophy
presentation. “He showed emphatically why he has been a permanent
fixture in the top ten of the world rankings for years. The 2016 BMW
International Open has a worthy winner at the end of a tournament week
packed with highlights. I would like to thank everyone who has helped
to make the BMW International Open such a success. The passionate golf
fans, who create such a spine-tingling atmosphere around the course,
are the life and soul of a top-class tournament like this. As such, we
are delighted that, despite all the rain yesterday, we have still
welcomed 58,500 spectators over the course of the week.”

Over the course of the past for days, the stars of the European Tour
have treated the crowds at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof to top-class golf
and countless memorable moments. The very first day of the tournament
saw Scotland’s Richie Ramsay (+2, T56) hit the ultimate drive and ace
the 16th hole. Ramsay received a dream prize worthy of the centenary
of the BMW Group and the BMW brand: the new BMW M760Li xDrive, worth
over 170,000 Euros. However, this was not to be the only sensational
shot of the tournament: García repeated the feat on the eleventh, and
was rewarded with an exclusive hotel voucher, courtesy of corporate
partner Hilton.

The best amateur of the tournament was Jeremy Paul (+2, T56) who,
along with his brother Yannik, were responsible for a first on the
European Tour: this was the first time that twins had teed off at the
same tournament. The weekend was a fantastic experience for Jeremy
Paul. “It is a great feeling when you walk onto the 18th and everyone
applauds you. It really gives you goosebumps when everyone is clapping
for you,” he said on Sunday. “I am delighted that the spectators
cheered for me the way they did. It was a magic feeling, and I will
not forget the BMW International Open for a long time.”

Runner-up Thorbjørn Olesen showed signs of a return to the kind of
form that earned him a reputation as one of the most exciting young
players in Europe. The 26-year-old carded three successive rounds of
67 (-5), before coming up just short of his fourth European Tour
title. “All in all it has been a good week,” said Olesen after his
final round. “It is always nice to be in contention, but I wish I
could have done a little bit more this afternoon and put some pressure
on Henrik.” World number 12 Sergio García, an eleven-time winner on
the European Tour, had mounted a strong challenge, including a
stunning eagle on the 13th, but was stopped in his tracks by a
double-bogey on the following hole. The 36-year-old can now look
forward to a well-earned rest after playing 36 holes of golf in one
day for the second successive tournament. “Two weeks in a row with 36
holes – I’m getting too old for this,” García joked.

The BMW International Open returns to its spiritual home at Golfclub
München Eichenried next season.