+++ 27 players from the Top 30 of the “Race to Dubai” confirmed +++ Defending champion Ewen Ferguson (SCO) and numerous former winners to compete +++ A stage for the future: wildcards for ambitious young players +++ Taiga Semikawa (JPN) earns a spot through victory at the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship +++ BMW International Open from July 2 to 6, 2025, at GC München Eichenried +++
Munich. German golf fans can look forward to a world-class field at the BMW International Open, featuring nearly the entire current Top 30 of the DP World Tour season rankings. Additionally, the tournament will showcase an exciting mix of past champions from the event’s 36-year history and young players poised for bright futures.
Ewen Ferguson returns to GC München Eichenried as the defending champion after his emotional triumph last year – and he arrives in excellent form. The Scotsman recently finished tied for second and fourth in his last two DP World Tour events. One of the tournament’s record winners, Pablo Larrazábal (ESP), who triumphed in Eichenried in 2011 and 2015, will also be back in Munich.
Other former champions in the field include Martin Kaymer (GER, 2008), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR, 2014), Andrea Pavan (ITA, 2019), and Li Haotong (CHN, 2022). Li, who won the Qatar Masters in February and has consistently delivered strong performances since, currently ranks fifth in the “Race to Dubai”. Additionally, the second and fourth-ranked players in the standings, England’s Laurie Canter and John Parry, will also compete at the BMW International Open. The winner of the first BMW tournament of the current DP World Tour season will also be present in Munich: Elvis Smylie (AUS) triumphed in November 2024 at the inaugural BMW Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane.
Three of the eight wildcard spots granted by tournament organiser BMW will go to promising young players with the potential for stellar careers: Tiger Christensen (GER), David Puig (ESP), and Taiga Semikawa (JPN).
Semikawa, 24, was named after Tiger Woods by his parents, despite the different spelling. Before turning professional in 2022, he reached the top of the amateur world rankings. Last Sunday, Semikawa claimed his fifth title on the Japan Golf Tour by winning the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship. As part of BMW Group’s global commitment to golf, the winner of this tournament receives an invitation to the BMW International Open.
Christensen, whose first name also reflects his father’s admiration for the 15-time major champion, is a 21-year-old from Hamburg. In 2023, as an amateur, he experienced major championship play first-hand, qualifying for The Open at the “Final Qualifying”, where he outperformed Ryder Cup stars Sergio García (ESP) and Graeme McDowell (NIR). Christensen turned professional at the end of last year.
Puig has been a professional golfer since 2022 and previously represented Europe at the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup in France. The 23-year-old has already competed in three majors, making a splash despite missing the cut at The Open in 2024. The Spaniard finished tied for 39th at the 2023 U.S. Open and tied for 60th at this year’s PGA Championship just a few weeks ago.
Together with other notable participants such as Sergio García, Patrick Reed (USA), and Luke Donald (ENG), as well as top German players Stephan Jäger, Martin Kaymer, Matti Schmid, Marcel Siem, and Nicolai von Dellingshausen, the tournament boasts a stellar lineup that promises thrilling competition for the coveted title.
Tickets for the BMW International Open are available at: www.bmw-golfsport.com/tickets