For the 14th successive year, the BMW International Open will be staged at the Golfclub München Eichenried course on the outskirts of Munich where, this year, England’s Nick Dougherty will defend the title he won in emotional circumstances 12 months ago.
When Dougherty rolled in his par putt on the final green for victory, he immediately raised his eyes to the heavens, a touching gesture in honour of his beloved mother Ennis who had passed away the previous spring.
Having had such an influence on his life and his golf, it was little surprise that Dougherty’s game suffered in the aftermath but the 27 year old’s performance in Germany proved he was firmly back on track.
Going into the final round in third place, adrift of Retief Goosen and Bernhard Langer, Dougherty conjured up a sensational Sunday, carding a 64 and a winning 22 under par total of 266. He finished one clear of Rafa Echenique who produced a truly remarkable finish.
The Argentine holed his three iron second shot from 243 yards for the first albatross on the 18th in the tournament’s history. It helped him to a 62 and was a shot later voted European Tour Shot of the Year for 2009.
