Ewen Ferguson’s BMW International Open triumph on the lush fairways of Golfclub München Eichenried marked a career-defining moment, securing his third DP World Tour title and a coveted spot at The Open.
As Ferguson celebrated his 28th birthday just a day earlier, he unwrapped the best gift of all on Sunday—a two-stroke victory sealed with a round of 68, leaving him at 18 under par and emotionally overwhelmed as he hoisted the trophy.
From the outset, it was clear that the final day would be a showdown to remember.
Ferguson and England’s Jordan Smith, both leaders at the start of the day, engaged in a gripping contest that captivated spectators.
The pivotal moment came on the 14th hole, where a critical two-shot swing in Ferguson’s favour tipped the scales.
Demonstrating composure and a knack for frontrunning, he not only managed the pressure but thrived under it, finishing the front nine with a trio of birdies and a lone bogey to edge out Smith.
The drama peaked as Ferguson, a 2021 European Challenge Tour graduate, delivered consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th holes.
These decisive plays expanded his lead to three strokes over Smith, who faltered with a bogey on the 14th.
This cushion allowed Ferguson the luxury of playing conservatively, parring his way to the finish line and etching his name alongside Scottish legends like Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie as champions of this prestigious event.
Meanwhile, the battle for The Open slots was equally intense. Alongside Ferguson, Jesper Svensson, Laurie Canter, Nacho Elvira, and Matteo Manassero secured their spots at Royal Troon, all finishing within the top five of the Race to Dubai rankings not already exempt.
Additionally, Guido Migliozzi celebrated his triumph as the European Swing winner.
In the runner-up circle, Jordan Smith shared second place with Australia’s David Micheluzzi, who made a spectacular finish with a closing eagle to card a 68.
Just behind them, Matthew Southgate and Connor Syme of Scotland, along with a trio of international players, rounded out the top ranks, making this BMW International Open a truly global spectacle.
Ewen Ferguson: “I honestly can’t believe it. 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.
“I just wanted to do it for my dad, my mum, my sister, my brother at home. I love them so much and every shot I hit, I hit with them in mind.
“It’s such a hard game, I’ve been moaning like mad the last two months and with also being sick. The (winner’s) exemption with this is so much weight off my shoulders and I’m so happy. I can’t believe it.
“I actually made a big decision this week. I played really well the last two weeks at KLM and Italian Open and I was supposed to be flying on Sunday night to play in Open qualifying on Tuesday in Scotland.
“But after I’d done on Sunday I was like, ‘you know what? I think I’m playing well, maybe I can just play in myself’.
“I didn’t want to tire myself out. I felt like I could maybe win this week or maybe finish in the top ten in Scotland and get my own spot that way with just good golf.
“So we decided to pull out of Open qualifying and it’s obviously a really good decision – it kept me fresh and I’m here with the trophy.
“The Open Championship is a tournament that everyone wants to play in and I feel like I can do well there.
“I actually got a text from Tommy Fleetwood saying well done so I said to him, let’s get a practice round in so I’m looking forward to that.”
As the dust settles on this thrilling event, Ewen Ferguson’s victory at the BMW International Open not only marks a personal milestone but also promises to be a stepping stone to further success on the global stage, solidifying his status as a rising star in the world of golf.
Scores after round four:
270 E FERGUSON (SCO) 67 64 71 68,
272 D MICHELUZZI (AUS) 66 70 68 68, J SMITH (ENG) 69 67 66 70,
274 C SYME (SCO) 70 67 70 67, M SOUTHGATE (ENG) 71 65 68 70,
275 M BESARD (BEL) 72 66 69 68, R HOSHINO (JPN) 70 67 69 69, J DANTORP (SWE) 71 68 64 72,
276 T PIETERS (BEL) 69 70 71 66, F CELLI (ITA) 71 70 67 68, R FISHER (ENG) 69 70 68 69, R LANGASQUE (FRA) 68 65 70 73,
277 J DAVIDSON (WAL) 72 68 70 67, J GUERRIER (FRA) 73 64 71 69, P REED (USA) 67 69 68 73,
278 B WIESBERGER (AUT) 69 67 72 70,
279 R FOX (NZL) 69 71 70 69, T BJ?RN (DEN) 69 68 70 72, T AIKEN (RSA) 72 68 67 72,
280 H LI (CHN) 70 67 74 69, J PAUL (GER) 71 70 69 70, K NAKAJIMA (JPN) 69 69 72 70, A WILSON (ENG) 72 69 68 71, S CROCKER (USA) 71 67 71 71, F LACROIX (FRA) 73 67 69 71, T LEWIS (ENG) 72 66 70 72,
281 M SCHWAB (AUT) 74 67 71 69, L NEMECZ (AUT) 70 67 75 69, F KENNEDY (ENG) 67 74 70 70, A GARCIA-HEREDIA (ESP) 71 68 71 71, J DE BRUYN (GER) 70 70 69 72,
282 L DE JAGER (RSA) 70 71 71 70, M KAYMER (GER) 69 72 70 71, C HILL (SCO) 69 68 74 71, M SCHMID (GER) 70 69 72 71, M KORHONEN (FIN) 71 70 69 72, F ZANOTTI (PAR) 71 70 69 72, A JOHNSTON (ENG) 70 67 73 72, B STONE (RSA) 71 69 69 73,
283 R PARATORE (ITA) 71 70 73 69, G WIEBE (USA) 74 66 70 73, B ROBINSON THOMPSON (ENG) 70 68 71 74, J MORRISON (ENG) 69 72 66 76,
284 D HUIZING (NED) 70 70 72 72, M ELVIRA (ESP) 71 68 73 72, G GREEN (MAS) 71 69 72 72,
285 M MANASSERO (ITA) 75 66 71 73, J SVENSSON (SWE) 71 68 70 76,
286 E PEPPERELL (ENG) 69 71 77 69, S JAMIESON (SCO) 71 69 73 73, J DEAN (ENG) 68 70 69 79,
287 K JOHANNESSEN (NOR) 70 70 76 71, S KJELDSEN (DEN) 69 71 75 72, J LUITEN (NED) 68 73 72 74, J GUMBERG (USA) 68 72 73 74, J GIRRBACH (SUI) 71 70 71 75,
288 F SCHOTT (GER) 70 71 75 72, J VEERMAN (USA) 72 69 74 73, C JARVIS (RSA) 67 72 76 73, D FICHARDT (RSA) 68 69 73 78,
289 L DONALD (ENG) 71 69 75 74, J WINTHER (DEN) 69 68 71 81,
290 U COUSSAUD (FRA) 71 70 71 78,
292 G FORREST (SCO) 70 71 81 70, J KO (FRA) 69 70 73 80,
