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DID YOU KNOW – THE 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 Luiten (2013). The latter won here at Kennemer, beating Miguel Angel Jiménez, the 1994 champion, in a play-off.
• Five-time Open Champion, Tom Watson will be making his first appearance in a regular European Tour event since the 2010 Omega Dubai Desert Classic, when he finished tied eighth.
• The KLM Open was first played in 1912 and this year will be the 96th playing in 2015. The event is one of only seven tournaments to be played every year since The European Tour’s first season in 1972. The events are: The Open Championship, Open de España, Alstom Open de France, Italian Open, Omega European Masters, PGA Championship and KLM Open.
