Bernd Wiesberger set to carry the hopes of a nation in Austria Open Championship
Bernd Wiesberger is ready to carry the hopes of a nation into the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity as the Austrian seeks to reclaim his national Open Championship.
The 29 year old has already won the event (in 2012), being hosted for the sixth successive season at the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg, but would love nothing more to go one better than last year when he lost out in a sudden-death play-off to Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg.
Wiesberger is not only the home favourite this week, but also the highest ranked player in the field at 37th in the Official World Golf Ranking and he hopes to deliver on his status in front of an adoring home crowd.
Among the other players expected to perform well at the €1.5 million event are European Tour champions Rafa Cabrera Bello, Nicolas Colsaerts and Matteo Manassero. The man who denied Weisberger last year, meanwhile, will quite happily play the villain once again in his defence of the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity.
Going head-to-head with Wiesberger in a sudden-death play-off for last year’s title, Lundberg holed a brilliant 40-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole to deny the partisan home crowd the chance to crown Weisberger their champion for the second time in three years.
Player Quotes
Bernd Wiesberger: “I think because it is a course where I have played well and have always had a lot of support that helped make me feel a bit more comfortable and helped me feel a bit more competitive. Of course I really want to win every tournament, every week, but that is elevated even further at your home Open, which is obviously on anyone’s bucket list as a golfer.
“I’m sure if you asked Rory (McIlroy) he would say he’d love to win the Irish Open, or if you asked Lee (Westwood) he’d say he’d love to win at Wentworth and it’s no different for me. Yes, I have one already but it would be nice to get at least another couple. Hopefully more to come!”
Mikael Lundberg: “It was really funny actually because when I holed the putt the crowd cheered because it was a pretty good putt from about 40 feet so I think they naturally reacted to it by cheering and applauding,” said Lundberg.
“It was only after a few seconds they then seemed to realise that putt was going to probably stop Bernd winning the tournament so there was a kind of funny silence when they realised that.
“But that is golf isn’t it? I mean, I didn’t hit a great tee shot but then as soon as I hit that putt I knew it had a great chance. It was just one of those putts that you know you have struck perfectly as soon you hit it. Obviously he had a chance to match it but missed from about 20 feet and it was all over. I will happily break the crowds’ hearts again this week if it means I can win again!”
