BMW International Open in Golf: German hopes rest on Matti Schmid, Martin Kaymer is going into the tournament in trouble. – Sports

Matthias Schmid probably knew full well that he had made a small faux pas. When he walks through the clubhouse in Eichenried, the golf professional reported, he always sees the pictures of Bernhard Langer and Martin Kaymer on the wall – and feels an urgent desire “that I would also like to be part of it.” The 28-year-old referred to the portraits of the winners, but Langer’s portrait cannot be found there. Langer came second five times at the BMW International Open, but was denied a tournament victory. Two years ago, at the age of 66, the Anhausen native finally said goodbye to Eichenried; the Munich Open was his last tournament in Europe.

Schmid, whom everyone calls Matti, said something different: Langer, who won the US Masters in 1985 and 1993, and Kaymer (PGA Championship 2010 and US Open 2014) are the only two Germans to win one of the four major tournaments, the highest of all honors in professional golf. And Matti Schmidt also wants to move into this exclusive club.

Not only do many experts believe that he has what it takes, he has only recently impressively proven it. In May, he looked like the winner of the PGA Championship for a long time at the Aronimink Golf Course in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and he still thought he was in the lead on the 14th hole. But when he looked at the leaderboard, he saw that the eventual winner Aaron Rai had passed with an unearthly good last lap. Schmid ultimately took fourth place. An outstanding result, but not a major victory. For the BMW International Open, Schmid’s favorite home tournament, the Regensburg resident has formulated a clear goal: “This is one of the classic tournaments on the European Tour and for me the best. It’s not like a classic PGA tournament, where I’m playing for points. Here it’s not about the top ten, it’s just about winning.”

A confident announcement for a difficult task. Because the competition on the 18-hole course near Munich is traditionally first-class. Above all, the eight-time LIV Tour champion Joaquin Niemann from Chile, the Spaniards Eugenio Chacarra and Sergio García, the English Masters winner Patrick Reed and the Austrian Bernd Wiesberger want to have a say in the three million dollar prize money. Of course, Kaymer should also be mentioned – still the only German whose portrait can be found in the clubhouse. In 2008, the now 41-year-old triumphed in his home country; in addition to his major victories, Kaymer was also number one in the world rankings. For the current tournament, however, he formulated his goals more modestly: “It’s about showing the right shots at the right time, which has already worked out quite well.” More recently, on his home tour, the LIV Tour, Kaymer repeatedly struggled with shoulder and elbow injuries. So he won’t put too much pressure on himself.

Shortly before the start of the tournament, Martin Kaymer was with Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt to have his shoulder and elbow injected

Shortly before the tournament he went to the doctor in Munich, says Kaymer, Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt gave him a few injections: “I feel good, that’s an advantage compared to the last three or four years.” How does he define a good tournament week? “If I win,” says Kaymer with the experience of two decades as a professional, ultimately only the result counts: “Nobody cares whether I come 16th.”

Of course, Schmid also sees it that way, whose chances of winning are rated significantly higher by the experts. From Ulrich Eckhardt, the national coach of the German golfers, he has known Schmid since his great talent first became noticeable as an eight-year-old: “Interestingly, he hasn’t yet won victory as a professional, but if you look at his entire career, it was always the case that he needed a little time to get used to the new arena.” By this, Eckhardt means that Schmid always has to acclimatize first: “He was always a late bloomer,” says Eckhardt, remembering his time as a youth coach in the German Golf Association, “he didn’t start with five youth championships straight away. But he kept getting better and won many tournaments.”

At the BMW International Open, Eckhardt believes, “he will play for victory. He feels comfortable here, he enjoys playing the course and he can sleep at home.” The national coach believes that the latter is not an advantage that should be underestimated. In addition to an apartment in Florida, Schmid now also has one in Munich. In addition, his former protégé is characterized by a special calmness on the pitch and in his game, as well as a special resilience: “I don’t know anyone who had to accept so many blows in the neck in sport, even as a teenager.” For example, when Eckhardt himself did not consider him for the European Championships, both in his youth and later with the men: “He was a substitute,” says Eckhardt, but Schmid did not see this as a setback, but rather as motivation: “Matti never throws in the towel, something like that spurs him on, that is his greatest quality. Matti is a stand-up man before the Lord, there is no giving up for him, that is always great to see.”

The highly acclaimed himself agrees: “I think my game still depends somewhat on what the conditions are and whether they suit me.” At the PGA Championship he “had a great week, saw the greens well, putted well and played the tournament with a very good long game.” If he brings his “speed to the course”, then he is a force to be reckoned with, regardless of the fairways in the world. The fact that he needs time to get used to the conditions, he says, “I would like to keep that much more consistent and become a better player all around.” However, he has a very simple plan for the BMW International Open: “Go out and play, it’ll be okay.”