DID YOU KNOW – KLM OPEN
• Kennemer Golf and Country Club witnessed a marathon play-off in 1989 with José Maria Olazábal claiming victory at the ninth extra hole, beating Roger Chapman and Ronan Rafferty. The Englishman bogeyed the first hole and was eliminated. Olazábal and Rafferty went a further eight holes, before the 1994 and 1999 Masters Champion took the title with a double-bogey six. This play-off still stands as the longest in European Tour history. This was matched by the 2013 Open de España, which also went to nine holes. However, it was Rafferty who had the final word. The Northern Irishman holed a five foot putt to win the Volvo Masters and pip Olazábal in the race to win the European Tour Order of Merit, with the Spaniard finishing the season in second place.
• The KLM Open has a unique place in the history of the European Tour. Seve Ballesteros (1976, aged 19 years and 121 days) and Paul Way (1982, 19 years and 149 days), won the event, meaning this tournament was the first to witness two teenage winners. Noh Seung-yul (2010, 18 years and 282 days) and Matteo Manassero (2011, 17 years and 363 days) have since won the Maybank Malaysian Open, as teenagers.
• Since the event became part of the European Tour, only two home players have won. They are: Maarten Lafeber (2003) and Joost Luitern (2013).
• The KLM Open was first played in 1912 and this year will be the 97th playing in 2016. The event is one of only seven tournaments to be played every year since the European Tour’s first year in 1972. The events are: The Open Championship, Open de España, Open de France, Italian Open, Omega European Masters, PGA Championship and KLM Open.
• Defending champion, Thomas Pieters will be looking to continue his wonderful run of recent form. He was fourth in the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition, second in the D+D REAL Czech Masters and first in the Made in Denmark. He is a total of 40 under par for these tournaments.
• The KLM Open is being played at The Dutch, for the first time. Since the European Tour’s first season, the Colin Montgomerie-designed venue will be only the seventh different course to stage the tournament.
