The DP World Tour returns to Austria this week as the European Swing continues with the Austrian Alpine Open presented by SalzburgerLand. Here are your five things to know.
A welcome return to Austria
After a four-year absence from the schedule, the DP World Tour is back in Austria. Established in 1990, this is the 23rd edition of Austria’s national open. Thirty-five years ago, the tournament was won by European great Bernhard Langer in a play-off against American Lanny Wadkins. That was the first of three consecutive editions held at GC Gut Altentann, which is once again the venue this week. After its first seven editions, during which time future Ryder Cup-winning Captain Paul McGinley also won, the tournament became a HotelPlanner Tour event from 1997 to 2005. Changes in venue occured during this time, including on its return to the DP World Tour at Fontana GC in 2006. Diamond CC, near Vienna, staged it most recently for ten successive editions from 2010 to 2021. While held under different guises, it has played its part in the Tour’s well-established reputation for innovation. In 2018, it was known as the Shot Clock Masters with every player timed on every shot, with a one-shot penalty added to their score if they took longer than their allocated time.
A Jack Nicklaus masterpiece restored to its former glory
This week sees the DP World Tour return to Gut Altentann Golf Club – opened in 1989 – for the first time since 1992. Located in Henndorf am Wallersee near Salzburg, the 18-hole golf course was the first in continental Europe to be designed by 18-time Major Championship winner Jack Nicklaus. With a philosophy that golf should be a game of precision and strategy, those principles were incorporated into the design. A recent redesign has further aimed to restore Nicklaus’ original vision while meeting modern standards. A key element of this redesign was the rearrangement of the routing, with the 18th green – the former ninth – now directly in front of the clubhouse. Measuring over 6,900 yards in length from the championship tees, the course features contoured bunker complexes and huge greens throughout. Water is also a big factor, coming into play on more than half of the holes. The picturesque landscape of the Salzburg region only adds to the visual appeal of the layout. The Tour’s return to the venue once again puts the club in the spotlight of the golfing world.
Ryder Cup duo Donald & Molinari tee it up
With us now less than four months away from the Ryder Cup, two of Team Europe’s principal architects of their victory two years ago in Italy are in action. Luke Donald, who will lead the European team for the second time at Bethpage later this year, is joined by Edoardo Molinari, who will again assume his duties as a Vice Captain in New York. For former World Number One Donald, this will be his debut on Austrian soil. “I'm looking forward to playing in Austria and experiencing the country for the first time,” said Donald. “It's always a privilege to play in front of new fans, and I'm looking forward to feeling their support as we approach the Ryder Cup in New York.” The Englishman will be joined by Italian Molinari, who qualified for the upcoming U.S. Open earlier this month and has shown good form since returning from a wrist injury that delayed his start of the season until March. Speaking to the DP World Tour earlier this season, he said: “The good thing about an injury or an operation is that you finally get to spend time at home with your children, your wife, friends and family… that was very refreshing and helped me put things back into perspective." Nicolas Colsaerts, who was also a vice captain to Donald in Rome, is also teeing it up in Austria.
Leading home hopes on show
One of the great aspects of national opens on Tour is the opportunity for homegrown stars to take the acclaim of their home fans. The leading Austrian star in action is Bernd Wiesberger, with the eight-time DP World Tour winner shouldering the majority of expectation as he bids to win national open for the second time, having done so in 2012. The 2021 Ryder Cup player’s last start on Tour came at the Hainan Classic when he finished in a tie for 11th. Countryman Matthias Schwab, an ambassador for presenting partner SalzburgerLand, has twice finished runner-up on the DP World Tour and boasts PGA TOUR experience. After just retaining his card last year, he has struggled so far this season, but he is hoping the chance to play on home soil will bring about an upturn in his form. “The Austrian Alpine Open is a real home game for me, and many friends and fans have already said that they want to come and watch in Altentann,” he said. They are among 15 Austrians – six of whom are amateurs - set to feature, with Lukas Nemecz teeing it up after an encouraging start to his season on the HotelPlanner Tour.
The state of play in the Swing
This is the third counting event on the European Swing, the fourth of five Global Swings on the 2025 Race to Dubai. Both the champion of the Turkish Airlines Open – Martin Couvra – and the winner of last week’s Soudal Open – Kristoffer Reitan – are in the field this week, with Reitan the man to catch at the top of the standings. The winner of the Swing will earn entry into every event in Phase Two of the Race to Dubai - the Back 9 - along with a US$200,000 bonus, while there is also an exemption into the Genesis Scottish Open at play. Events in The Netherlands, Italy and Germany are to follow next month, with the U.S. Open not counting towards the Swing Rankings.
