The European Tour returns to action after layoff to make way for the (U.S.) PGA Championship. The tour pros will tee it up for the sixth annual Made in Denmark at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort in Farso.
Following a one-year stop at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club, the tournament returns to its original home at the Himmerland track, and will feature defending champion Matt Wallace, of England, who enters off two-straight top-3 finishes.
A pair of top-ranked native sons in Lucas Bjerrehaard and Thorbjorn Olesen will join Wallace as co-headliners.
Here’s more on what to expect at this week’s Made in Denmark.
The Skinny
Tournament: Made in Denmark
Dates:Â May 23-26, 2019
Where: Farso, Denmark
Course:Â Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort
Distance: Par 71, 6881 yards
Architect: Jan Cederholm
Redesign: Philip Spogaard
Format: 72-holes, stroke play, 36-hole cut
Official Website: MadeInDenmarkGolf
Purse: €3,000,000
Winning Share: €250,000
Defending Champion:Â Matt Wallace
Top-10 Betting Favorites:Â Matt Wallace, Thomas Pieters, Lucas Bjerregaard, Jordan Smith, Erik Van Rooyen, Thorbjorn Olesen, Jorge Campillo, Victor Dubuisson, Lee Westwood, Paul Waring
TV and Online
Rd 1: Th 05:30-07:30 am
Rd 2: Fr 05:30-07:30 am
Rd 3: Sa 06:30-11:00 am
Rd 4: Su 06:30-11:00 am
The Golf Channel has all the broadcast coverage. EST
Follow Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Tournament History
The Made in Denmark event has played just five editions so there’s not a ton of history to record. The inaugural tournament debuted in mid August (14-17) of 2014 at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort, in Farso.
It was just the second attempt by the European Tour to gain a foothold in the Denmark region, after a its maiden try in 2003 – titled the Nordic Open (won by Ian Poulter), lasted just one edition before going bankrupt.
Scotland’s Marc Warren took home the Made in Denmark’s first trophy, edging Welshman Bradley Dredge by two strokes.
Himmerland hosted the event from 2014 to 2017, before a one-year stop at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club – the home course of 2018 European Captain Thomas Bjorn. It was the last chance for potential Team Europe members to claim an automatic spot for the biennial matches.
Dane Thorbjorn Olesen thrilled the hometown fans as he secured a place on his countryman’s team following a T20 finish.
In June 2018, tournament organizers announced that Made in Denmark re-upped for another five years as the title sponsor, through 2023. The event returns to Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort in 2019, but the host course(s) for the 2020–2023 editions have not yet been selected.
“Made in Denmark” is not a company but a collaborative marketing effort to promote Denmark as a golf and travel destination.
History: Recent Winners
2018: Matt Wallace -19
2017: Julian Suri -19
2016: Thomas Pieters -17
2015: David Horsey -13
2014: Marc Warren -9
History: Records
Scoring:
Strokes: 265 – Julian Suri (2017)
To Par: 19-under – Matt Wallace, Steven Brown, Jonathan Thomson, Lee Westwood (2018), Julian Suri (2017)
Defending Champion
Matt Wallace emerged from a four-man play-off to capture his third European Tour title of the season at the Made in Denmark.
Wallace birdied five of his final six holes en route to a 67 and a four-day total of 19 under, alongside compatriots Steven Brown, Jonathan Thomson and Lee Westwood.
In overtime, Wallace made birdies both times on No. 18 to claim his fourth European Tour win at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club.
South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen birdied three of his last four holes to card a 65 and finish solo fifth at 18-under par, one ahead of local favorite Lucas Bjerregaard, who signed for a 66, highlighted by a chip-in eagle on No. 12.
Meanwhile, Bjerregaard’s countryman Thorbjorn Olesen sealed his spot on the European Ryder Cup team by posting a 68 to finish 11 under par and edge Matthew Fitzpatrick (67) for the final spot.
Final Top 5
1. Matt Wallace -19
2. Steven Brown -19
2. Jonathan Thomson -19
2. Lee Westwood -19
5. Erik Van Rooyen -18
Field Notables
The field in Denmark includes 11 players ranked in the world top-100, led by Englishman Matt Wallace – the defending champ, who, at No. 25, is the field’s top-ranked player.
Wallace enters off an impressive T3 at Bethpage Black for the PGA, and before that was runner-up at the British Masters.
Joining Wallace as marquee players will be two Danes in Lucas Bjerregaard (No. 43) and Thorbjorn Olesen (No. 56).
Bjerregaard posted a T16 last week at the season’s second major, highlighted by a hole in one. He also famously took down Tiger Woods at the WGC-Dell Match Play where he finished T4. Olesen, the 2018 Ryder Cup member, has had a surprisingly poor 2019 thus far, with only one top 10 all season (T7 in Dubai).
Spaniards Jorge Campillo (No. 64) and Adrian Otaegui (No. 83), Englishman Lee Westwood (77), New Zealander Ryan Fox (No. 86), Swede Alexander Bjork (No. 87), South African Erik Van Rooyen (No. 89), Belgian Thomas Pieters (No. 90), and Aussie Lucas Herbert (No. 94) are the .
Other familiar names include Englishmen Jordan Smith, Andy Sullivan, Andrew Johnston, and Chris Paisley; Aussies Scott Hend and Wade Ormsby; Frenchmen Alexander Levy and Victor Dubuisson; and Irishman Paul Dunne.
Full Field & Odds
Matt Wallace is the favorite to take home the prize this week in Denmark. The Englishman, ranked No. 25 in the world, is listed 8-1 to capture his second-straight Made in Denmark title.
Belgian bomber Thomas Pieters, who won here in 2016, is next at 12-1, while native son Lucas Bjerregaard is offered at 14-1. England’s Jordan Smith (16-1) and South African Erik Van Rooyen (18-1) rounded out the top-5 betting favorites.
Top-5 Betting Favorites
1. Matt Wallace (8-1)
2. Thomas Pieters (12-1)
3. Lucas Bjerregaard (14-1)
4. Jordan Smith (16-1)
5. Erik Van Rooyen (18-1)
Place your bets on the Made in Denmark at Bovada
2019 Made in Denmark Field and Odds
Credits: European Tour Media, Getty Images
