Austria’s Golf Superstar Gives Fans the Long-Awaited Homecoming

Austria's biggest golf tournament gets its ultimate highlight: Sepp Straka, currently ranked 15th in the world, two-time Ryder Cup winner, four-time PGA Tour champion, and Austria's most successful golfer of all time, will tee off at the 2026 Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel-Tirol. The tournament will take place from May 28 to 31, 2026, at the Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith golf course and is part of the DP World Tour 2026. With this exciting news, ticket sales for the DP World Tour event are also starting.

“I am very excited to return to Austria to play in our national Open again after five years,” says Sepp Straka. "It was great to see the event back on the DP World Tour calendar last year, and I am happy to be able to include it in my tournament schedule in 2026. It's been a few years since I played in front of a home crowd, and a lot has happened in that time. It will be a great opportunity to celebrate my achievements with family, friends, and fans—I'm really looking forward to it."

The fact that Sepp Straka will be teeing off in Kitzbühel in 2026 is thanks to the tireless efforts of the organizing team at Golf Enterprises GmbH and the DP World Tour officials. For months, they have been working with the utmost professionalism and great personal commitment to bring Austria's golf hero back to his homeland.

Edwin Weindorfer, CEO/Founder Emotion Group/Golf Enterprises: "We have been working for a good six months to bring Sepp to our tournament. Unfortunately, it didn't work out in Salzburg – now a dream is coming true for us. Sepp Straka will be part of our initiative to establish the Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel-Tirol as the Hahnenkamm of the summer. We are extremely proud to be able to present this figurehead to local golf and sports fans. With this great news, we are starting ticket sales and expect to top the fantastic result from Altentann with around 18,000 fans."

After its successful premiere at GC Gut Altentann 2025 in SalzburgerLand, Austria's biggest golf event will move on to Tyrol in 2026 as planned. This collaboration was the goal from the outset, which Leo Bauernberger (CEO of SalzburgerLand) also pursued.

Bauernberger was one of the driving forces behind the return of the DP World Tour to Austria: “Thanks to this DP World Tour event, the fantastic golf tourism offerings in the Austrian Alpine region will be showcased worldwide. We are delighted to have made a more than successful start with the premiere in SalzburgerLand, and I congratulate Kitzbühel and Tyrol on this incredible coup with Sepp Straka. It will be a highlight for all golf fans in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.”

Mario Gerber, Tyrol's Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism, is also looking forward to the Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel-Tyrol with great anticipation: "This event is a prime example of how top sporting achievements, sustainable tourism development, and economic value creation can go hand in hand. The combination of sporting passion, regional identity, and innovative event management makes the Austrian Alpine Open a real flagship for our country."

Kitzbühel – Austria's sports capital

With the return of the biggest domestic golf event, Kitzbühel is also impressively reinforcing its reputation as Austria's sports capital. In addition to the Hahnenkamm Race and the Generali Open, golf is now also being given a worthy stage with stars such as Sepp Straka and Co. Christian Harisch, Chairman of Kitzbühel Tourism: "Winning the Austrian Alpine Open as part of the DP World Tour for Kitzbühel – the golf center of the Alps – goes beyond a sporting highlight. It is a great statement for the future of Kitzbühel as an alpine year-round destination."

The venue for the Austrian Alpine Open 2026, the Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith golf course, is already shining in new splendor months before the big home game with Sepp Straka. With completely renovated tee boxes, elegantly modeled new bunker areas, and a state-of-the-art short game area, the course presents itself as a stage that meets international standards – while at the same time bearing the unmistakable alpine signature of Kitzbühel.

In keeping with this, Golfland Tirol, as a partner of the event, is presenting itself from its best side: more than 20 golf clubs – including 16 partner facilities of “Golf Tirol” – invite you on a journey through the most beautiful landscapes of the province. Between majestic peaks and gentle valleys, golfers can expect perfectly manicured fairways and incomparable views. The Golf Tirol Card opens the doors to 16 first-class courses and combines the best that golf in the Alps has to offer – from a relaxed 9-hole round to a championship course at a spectacular altitude.

Comments on the event

Mario Gerber, Tyrolean Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism:

"With the Austrian Alpine Open 2026, Tyrol will once again become an international showcase for Alpine sports and hospitality culture. This event is a prime example of how top athletic performance, sustainable tourism development, and economic value creation can go hand in hand. The combination of sporting passion, regional identity, and innovative event management makes the Austrian Alpine Open a real flagship for our state."

Patricio Hetfleisch, Head of Marketing and Authorized Signatory, Tirol Werbung“:

In addition to great sport, the Austrian Alpine Open will also put the region's excellent golf facilities and Tyrol's landscape in the international spotlight. After all, the DP World Tour is one of the world's largest professional golf tournament series. Furthermore, thanks to its early summer date, the event boosts tourism during the off-season, underlining our commitment to year-round tourism.”

Christian Harisch, Chairman of Kitzbühel Tourism:

"Winning the Austrian Alpine Open as part of the DP World Tour for Kitzbühel—the golf center of the Alps—is more than just a sporting highlight. It is a great statement for the future of Kitzbühel as an alpine year-round destination. With events like this, we are showing what modern tourism in the Alpine region can look like: international, sustainable, and inspired by a genuine passion for sport and nature.“

Viktoria Veider-Walser, Managing Director of Kitzbühel Tourism:

”We are very proud and grateful that the Austrian Alpine Open 2026 will take place in Kitzbühel. For us, this is a wonderful confirmation of the great work that is done in our region every day. Kitzbühel combines sporting excellence and tourist appeal in a unique way – ideal conditions for a tournament of this global magnitude. We are particularly honored and delighted that Sepp Straka, an absolute leading figure in golf, will be there. The large number of inquiries and the enormous interest shown by guests demonstrate the strength of the Kitzbühel brand. We would also like to thank the team on site – the course was rated in excellent condition by the head agronomist of the DP World Tour. Of course, there is still a lot of work ahead of us, but we accept this task with great joy and motivation."

Gerhard Frühling, President of the Austrian Golf Association:

"Last year, the Austrian Alpine Open impressively demonstrated the potential of domestic golf – in terms of sport, organization, and emotion. The fact that the tournament will now continue in Kitzbühel in 2026 is an expression of the dynamism that we as an association desire. The change brings new impetus, new partnerships, and new opportunities to further consolidate golf in Austria. We are convinced that Kitzbühel – with its international appeal and experience as a host of major sporting events – offers the ideal stage to continue the success story."

Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament and Operations Officer of the DP World Tour, said:

“We are delighted to be heading to the magnificent Golfclub Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith for the 2026 Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel Tirol. Austria has provided us with some magical moments in the DP World Tour’s history, none more so than earlier this year when we witnessed Nicolai von Dellingshausen secure his maiden DP World Tour title. We are looking forward to working with Kitzbühel and everybody involved as we plan for another highly successful staging of the Austrian Alpine Open in 2026.”