Porsche European Open: Five sleepers
The European Open isn’t Germany’s only European Tour event, but not seeing Martin Kaymer in the field is a little surprising. Nonetheless, the highest-ranked German in the field honor now shifts to Bernd Ritthammer.
The 30-year-old from Munich has been grinding as a professional for over a decade. Ritthammer had sparse starts on the European Tour until this season when he made it on Tour via a dominant season last year on the Challenge Tour.
He won three times from July to November, including the season finale, the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, to place second in the Road to Oman rankings.
This season hasn’t gone exactly to plan with 11 missed cuts in 16 starts. Still, with several starts left before the Race to Dubai playoffs, Ritthammer is right in the mix to keep his tour card at No. 107 on the money list. The top 100 keep their cards for next season.
He snapped a four-cut streak with his best pound-for-pound finish two weeks ago at the Scottish Open. Ritthammer finished seven back in a tie for 15th in a loaded field preparing for the Open Championship.
Ritthammer at No. 189 in the world is not far from 2016 European Open champ Alexander Levy’s No. 170 world rank at the time of victory.