Ryder Cup duo Donald & Molinari tee off in Altentann

The DP World Tour event at GC Gut Altentann has gained another attraction: European Ryder Cup vice-captain Molinari has been awarded a wild card. Molinari's captain Luke Donald is looking forward to his Austrian debut at the Austrian Alpine Open presented by SalzburgerLand at the end of May. 

The Austrian Alpine Open presented by SalzburgerLand continues to gain momentum: Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari, two key architects of the historic Ryder Cup victory in Rome, will be teeing off at Gut Altentann, bringing top sporting quality to the field of participants.

Donald is looking forward to his Austrian debut: the captain of the European Ryder Cup team will tee off in Austria for the first time at the end of May when the DP World Tour returns to Salzburg. Donald, who will lead the European team for the second time at the Ryder Cup in Bethpage (New York) later this year, will play his first tournament on Austrian soil at the GC Gut Altentann.

‘I'm looking forward to playing in Austria and experiencing the country for the first time,’ said Donald. ’It's always a privilege to play in front of new fans, and I'm looking forward to feeling their support as we approach the Ryder Cup in New York.’

He will be joined by Edoardo Molinari, one of the leading figures in the Ryder Cup team in Rome. The Italian had applied for a wild card for Gut Altentann – and got it. After recovering from a hand injury, Molinari has recently proven his strong form with several top results on the DP World Tour.

At the same time, the enforced break has also enriched him personally.Molinari: ‘Absolutely. The good thing about an injury or an operation is that you finally get to spend time at home with your children, your wife, friends and family. When you're on the road, you sometimes don't get to see them enough, but that's the nature of the job. Suddenly, I was able to spend four months with them, see them every day, take the children to school and do normal everyday things with my wife. That was very refreshing and helped me put things back into perspective."

Edwin Weindorfer, CEO of GOLF ENTERPRISES GmbH, is delighted: ’The fact that Edoardo Molinari, one of the masterminds behind the Ryder Cup victory in Rome, will be teeing off at Gut Altentann is a huge sporting boost for our tournament – and a gift for all fans.’The Ryder Cup duo will face a strong field: recent Hainan Classic winner Marco Penge will be there, as will Ashun Wu (winner of the 2016 Austrian Open), Richard Mansell and Eugenio Chacarra – all winners on this year's Asian Swing. 

Austrian aces Matthias Schwab and Bernd Wiesberger, as well as young hopefuls Max Steinlechner, Niklas Regner and Timon Baltl, will also be looking to have a say in the DP World Tour Event in Salzburg.

The venue is the traditional GC Gut Altentann, where the first Austrian Open was held in 1990. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the course – the first of its kind on the European mainland – is considered a real gem and provides a worthy stage for the return of the DP World Tour to the SalzburgerLand.