Course Details

Golfclub Munchen Eichenried
Used since 1989 but alternating years recently. Been used in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017

7,284 yards – Par 72 – Bentgrass/Poa Greens
Fairways and Rough: Poa/Rye fairways and rough
Architect: Kurt Rossknecht (1989)
Location: Northeastern Munich
Water Hazards: 10 holes
Style: Tree-lined and flat
Field Scoring: 71.41 (-0.59 RTP) … relatively easy

Important Interview Quotes

TOM CARLISLE: And talking of doing well at this event before, you’ve had two runner-up finishes in I think five Top-10s. How nice is it coming back to golf courses where you know you can score well if you have the right week.
SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, it obviously is nice. So I have done well at this golf course. I think it’s going to play a tiny bit different this year with the new greens. A little bit firmer. A few new pin positions here and there that we haven’t seen in the past. It’s going to be interesting to see how everything comes across.

Obviously scoring will still be good if the weather keeps being like it’s been the last couple of days. So you know, we’re excited to see how it develops. -2019

TOM CARLISLE: And when you were given the opportunity to come and play this event, must have been an easy avenue decision to make.
JHONATTAN VEGAS: Extremely easy. One, because obviously I’m Venezuelan and I like playing around the world. That’s something that I’ve seen myself and that’s something that I’ve talked to my agents a lot about; that I need to become a little bit more of an international player, not only playing in the US. The US is still my main tour, but I’d like to focus on being an international player.

Also, like I said, my wife is half-German. She has family that live here in Munich. It was a super easy decision for both. Coming to play golf, that would be a great opportunity for her to see her family and spend him with them, and you know, like I said, it was just one of those things that worked out and like I said, I’ve always looked forward to playing other places, so winning golf tournaments outside the U.S., and this is a good opportunity. -2019

Q. Quick word on the golf course. A lot of changes for this year. What do you know about those changes? Have you managed to see any?
MAX KIEFFER: Yeah, I played nine holes yesterday, nine holes today, and the greens are totally different. Much more undulated than last year. Some holes are lengthened.

So it’s going to depend a lot on the setup, how you put the pin positions, because there are some long holes with tricky greens where maybe you shouldn’t put the greens in too difficult places. Then there are obviously some shorter holes where you can put the pins in tricky positions. So I think it’s going to depend a lot on how the course is going to be set up with the pin positions and see positions. -2019

TOM CARLISLE: I mentioned at the start, same event but a different golf course. You played it today. What are your thoughts.
MATT WALLACE: Really good, yeah. I know it’s been here a couple times, and talked to Dave, my caddie and a couple other guys who have been here, Rocky. We played nine holes this morning. The greens have changed a lot. Even the complexes of the greens have changed a lot, which I think can help me.

I’ve never played the course, so I only see it as it is. They are a lot bigger than last week, which is nice, and a little less rough. But it’s still demanding. There’s still shots you need to execute and I think if you can drive the ball — drive the ball well this week, you’re going to have a lots of putts and the greens are fantastic. Whatever they have done to get them in the shape they have, they have done a really good job.

So expect quite a few putts going in this week, and yeah, if the weather stays like it is, it doesn’t get too windy, probably 15- to 20-under may win this week. -2019

Q. Quick word on the golf course. A lot of changes this year. Have you seen them and what do you know about them?
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I was here three months ago. It was very, very cold but I took a cart and I drove around. I just wanted to see it because they changed a few greens. They added a couple bunkers. They added a couple tee boxes. I haven’t played it yet. Today I didn’t have time. I will see tomorrow in the Pro-Am for the first time, but I think those changes are more long term. You can’t expect perfect greens this week because the greens are fairly new and they still need to settle down, but long term it was a necessary change. -2019

Q. We haven’t been here since 2015. How is the course and are there any major changes?
MARTIN KAYMER: I think a couple tee boxes, they are a little further back but in general the golf course plays pretty much the same. The thing you is need to go low here this week. Winning score is usually around 18-, 20-under par.

So knowing this, I think it’s more like a mental challenge this week that you don’t think on the first tee, you need to be already 8-under par after nine holes. You have to wait for your chances, and that’s usually the most difficult thing for us athletes and general sports people, the patience. But that’s the only way to succeed this week. -2017

Q. Do you feel as though it’s a golf course this week that you have to go low, but you have to hit it close because from 20, 25 feet, these poa annua greens are going to be tough to hole from long-range?
SERGIO GARCIA: Definitely, they are tricky. A lot of putts look like they are going to break and they don’t from inside eight or nine feet, and sometimes it’s not easy to commit to your lines. You definitely need to hit the ball as close as possible to give yourself an easier chance of making some of the putts on these greens. -2017

Q. How are the greens this afternoon? A lot of guys said it was quite bumpy out there?
HENRIK STENSON: I think they made a correct assessment. -2017

Q. Martin, obviously very disappointed to miss the cut. What happened this week for you?
MARTIN KAYMER: I just didn’t putt enough or didn’t putt well enough. The whole group, even for Rafa and Sergio, it’s very frustrating. Sergio will probably lead the tournament by three or four shots. It’s very frustrating to come back to Germany every time and you put on greens like this. It’s very frustrating, especially if you played the way I played today. I thought I gave myself some chances. I hit some very good putts. So obviously everybody has to go through it but to do that in your home country, it’s not nice, but it is what it is. -2017