Bernd Wiesberger posts a solid opening round at the Austrian Alpine Open

Bernd Wiesberger (Foto: GEPA Pictures)

Kitzbühel, May 28, 2026. – A picking-up wind made conditions increasingly difficult on Thursday afternoon during the opening round of the $2.75 million Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel – Tirol. One player who handled the challenging conditions on the par-70 course at the Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith Golf Course best was Bernd Wiesberger. The winner of this year’s China Open carded five birdies, made just one bogey, and finished the round in 17th place with a score of 66 (-4).

“It was definitely tough out there today. With the wind, you never knew what to expect. On top of that, the ball flies a bit farther here at about 800 meters above sea level. All of that meant I didn’t have the best distance control with my wedges at the start. But I putted well and managed to even out my score. I’m happy with the start, but I also know I still have room for improvement. Overall, it was a solid round—both in terms of my play and my mental game,” Wiesberger said, giving a thoroughly positive assessment after the first 18 holes of his home tournament.

After the opening round, the Burgenland native is the second-best Austrian, one stroke behind Maximilian Steinlechner. The local hero from Tyrol impressed in the morning with a round of 65 (-5) and is currently in ninth place. Sepp Straka opened with a 67 (-3) and is currently in 25th place. With Matthias Schwab from Styria (68/-2) in 37th place and Alexander Kopp from Tyrol (69/-1) in 57th, two other Austrians are currently on course to make the cut.

After the first day, China’s Zhou Yanhan is in the lead, having capped off his outstanding round of 62 (-8) with an eagle on his final hole. One stroke behind, Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia (63/-7) is in second place. Another stroke back, no fewer than six players are tied for third place at six under par.

The shot of the day was made by Brazilian Frederico Biondi Figueiredo, who holed out for a hole-in-one from 132 meters on the par-3 seventh hole.