BMW International Open 2015: Stage set for highlight of the golfing year in Germany.

Munich. The countdown is on: Golfclub München Eichenried will next week (23rd to 28th June) host the 27th staging of the most renowned professional golf tournament in Germany. The BMW International Open is a superlative event in many regards – from the high-class field to the premium level of organisation that goes into making the iconic tournament on the outskirts of Munich such a resounding success. Before the tournament gets underway, we have put together some fascinating facts for you.

Who to look out for: Many of the stars teeing off at the BMW International Open will have travelled straight from the second major of the year, the U.S. Open. This goes for local favourites Martin Kaymer and Marcel Siem (both GER), Ryder Cup heroes Henrik Stenson (SWE) and Victor Dubuisson (FRA), current European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke (NIR), “Spiderman” Camilo Villegas (COL) and two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen (RSA). One player is particularly looking forward to the BMW International Open: Stephan Jäger. The 26-year-old is an “Eichenried boy” and grew up just a stone’s throw from the clubhouse before he moved to the USA, where he has spent the past few years fine-tuning his game. He is now set to make his major debut at the U.S. Open in Chambers Bay, where he joins Kaymer and Siem as one of just three Germans in the field. Jäger will then have his sights set on causing a stir at his home tournament in Munich. Incidentally: Jäger was born in 1989 – the same year as the inaugural BMW International Open was held.

Plenty of space for sheer golfing pleasure: Some elaborately constructed temporary buildings provide a total area of 9,500 m² for gastronomy, exhibitions and working areas at the tournament site. The Public Area spans over 20,000 m² and offers space for no fewer than 60 exhibitors. For comparison: when the tournament was held for the first time in 1989, the Public Area covered just 400 m². In total, 250 trucks are used to assemble and dismantle the Public Area.

Pure manpower: 3,500 people are employed during the BMW International Open: 100 security staff, 200 experts to put together the TV coverage, 500 technicians to assemble and dismantle equipment, and 250 catering staff to look after the physical well-being of fans and guests. 500 volunteers kindly give up their time to make the event possible. 

Top-drawer golf: More than 3,000 spectators will follow the action from specially erected grandstands over the course of the tournament week. 2,000 guests will witness top-class golf from the BMW Customer Lounge, while 3,500 VIP guests will enjoy an outstanding golf experience in the Fairway Club during the BMW International Open.

Always well-informed: No fewer than ten leaderboards and two hole-by-hole scoreboards keep spectators up-to-date with the latest scores during the tournament. They are complimented by two video walls and 50 televisions. 

Information highway: About 150 kilometres of cable are laid across the tournament site for electricity, telephone and television broadcasts. A far cry from the inaugural tournament in 1989, when this figure was just 20 kilometres.

Sheer pleasure: The sport is not the only top-class aspect of the BMW International Open: it is matched by the quality catering. 5,000 pretzels, 3,000 bottles of bubbly, 5,000 sandwiches, 2,000 bottles of wine and 10,000 litres of water are consumed over the course of the tournament week.