The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect professional sport and golf in particular. Last week the German authorities put United Kingdom on its travel ‘red list’ and as a result the schedule of this week's Porsche European Open was changed. The tournament is reduced to 54 holes and will be played from Saturday June 5 to Monday June 7. The change will allow vast majority of players, caddies and European Tour staff to enter Germany without observing a mandatory quarantine period.
This week we will see one of the strongest field on the European Tour so far this season with several major winners and Ryder Cup stars. Home favorite Martin Kaymer, Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey and Thorbjørn Olesen are some of the big names which will tee off this week at Green Eagle Golf Courses.
Who are the favorites?
Paul Casey
Paul Casey during the final round of the PGA Championship © Getty Images
The defending champion Paul Casey arrives at Green Eagle Golf Courses after a solid performance at the PGA Championship where he finished tied for fourth. The Englishman will be the second highest ranked player in the field this week and will try to become the first player since Lee Westwood in 2000 to successfully defend his title.
Abraham Ancer
Abraham Ancer during the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge © Getty Images
Abraham Ancer is not a popular name among the European golf fans as the Mexican plays mainly on the PGA Tour. He has played in 20 European Tour events since 2018 and he is yet to win. Ancer's game is at a top level right now and it is visible from his results. He has three top 10 finishes in his last four starts. A win this week will climb the Mexican inside the top 15 in the world, where he currently sits 17th.
Bernd Wiesberger
Bernd Wiesberger at the Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJ © Getty Images
Bernd Wiesberger returned inside the top 50 in the world thanks to his win last week at the Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJ. The Austrian will chase his ninth European Tour title on a course he knows well and has good memories from. At the last edition of the tournament in 2019 Wiesberger finished solo fifth, two shots behind the winner Casey.
Form-horse
Matthias Schwab
Matthias Schwab at the Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJA © Getty Images
Matthias Schwab had a slow start of the year, but since March we see him more and more often on the first page of the leaderboard. In his last six starts, Schwab has finished outside the top 11 only once. The Austrian has good memories from Green Eagle Golf Courses where he is T7 - T2 in his last two visits.
Wildcard
Pablo Larrazabal
Pablo Larrazabal at Made in HimmerLand presented by FREJA © Getty Images
Pablo Larrazabal is struggling with his game and it is not a surprise that the Spaniard missed the cut in three of his last five tournaments. Larrazabal showed some signs of revival last week in Denmark where he finished tied for 19th. Is there a better place for the Spaniard to return to the winning circle than Germany, where he won two of his five European Tour titles? Moreover Larrazabal shared seventh place in the last edition of the tournament in 2019 so he knows what to expect from Green Eagle Golf Courses.
Full field and tee times here
