Each July in Munich, the BMW International Open is as much a test of weather as it is of golf. In 2024, steady rain greeted the final round at Golfclub München Eichenried, turning fairways muddy and forcing short delays that ratcheted up the tension. Veterans often joke that you need an umbrella in one hand and your yardage book in the other—because typical July weather here swings from morning showers to sudden sunshine without warning. But more than the weather, the real excitement comes from experienced champions defending their titles and new ones trying to prove themselves.

Players earn their spot at the BMW International Open mainly through their DP World Tour rankings or by receiving a few special invitations. Each year, past champions and legends—names like Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, and Viktor Hovland—return to test themselves against up-and-coming talent. This year’s BMW International Open is scheduled from July 3-6 and will be contested over 72 holes of stroke play, spread across four days (Thursday through Sunday), with players completing 18 holes each day.

This year’s field comprises 156 competitors. For the first two rounds, players tee off in a group of 3, alternating between morning and afternoon waves. After 36 holes, a cut reduces the field to the top 70 players and ties, who then return for the weekend. In Rounds 3 and 4, competitors play in a group of 2, teeing off in reverse order of aggregate score, with the leaders going last. If there is a tie for the lead after 72 holes, a four-hole aggregate playoff decides the champion, followed by sudden-death holes if needed.

The BMW International Open carried a total purse of US$2.5 million in 2024. This year, it has increased to $2,750,000. With the 2025 edition coming up, let us revisit the breakthrough victory of last year.

Ewen Ferguson’s breakthrough win at the 2024 BMW International Open

“The last four holes I felt like I was in a dream. I didn’t think that this was actually happening. It was crazy I was hitting it so well and so much further than usual. It’s such a hard game. I’ve been moaning like mad the last two months and also being sick. The (open) exemption with this is so much weight off my shoulders, and I’m so happy. I can’t believe it.” Ewen Ferguson said, after winning the 2024 BMW International Open. Ewen Ferguson’s win at the 2024 BMW International Open was a breakthrough moment.

Battling soft, rain-soaked conditions at Golfclub München Eichenried, he made five birdies and just one bogey to close with a 4-under 68, finishing at 18-under par 270—two shots clear of his nearest rivals. He did it in just his 101st DP World Tour event, earning the third win of his career.

Ewen Ferguson carried his 2024 form into 2025, opening the year at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, where he chipped in for an eagle on the final hole to share the halfway lead at 11-under par. In May, he battled wet conditions at the Soudal Open, firing a steady 69 to head into the final round with a two-shot advantage. As defending champion, he’ll return to Golfclub München Eichenried for the BMW International Open from July 2–6, then tee it up on home soil at the Scottish Championship at Trump International Golf Links from August 7–10.