A Behind-the-Scenes Look at ‘DP World Tour TV’
07 Jun 2025
Leader Ricardo Gouveia takes on the wind on day one of the KLM Open
Dutch players struggle in the first round
Many players had already predicted it: the strong wind on the first day of the KLM Open would make things tough. For most of the 156 participants, that turned out to be true — but not for Ricardo Gouveia. The 33-year-old Portuguese player equaled the course record (-7) at The International under very challenging conditions and leads after the first round. Of the sixteen Dutch players, only one finished under par: Lars van Meijel (-1).
Joost Luiten
That course record of 64 on the KLM Open routing (with hole 11 as a par 3) was set last year by Finland’s Mikko Korhonen. On June 5, a few players came close to matching that score in slightly calmer conditions, but no one equaled Gouveia’s performance.
For the Dutch players, that was wishful thinking. Even Joost Luiten was far off. The two-time winner of the tournament (2013 and 2016) had a tough start. After two bogeys on the first two holes, he said he had to “switch to a different game plan.” Luiten’s round then alternated between solid and shaky moments.
“I have mixed feelings. I had hoped for more, but the course showed its teeth. Mistakes are easily made, though I’m really frustrated about the double bogey on my card. That was unnecessary.”
Luiten was nearly finished when all players were called off the course for over an hour due to threatening thunderstorms. After play resumed, the Bleiswijk native only had two putts left on his final hole. “Given the poor start and the unpredictable wind, I can’t be too unhappy with +1,” he ultimately concluded.
Ricardo Gouveia
Rollercoaster
Lars van Meijel finished the day as the best Dutch player, ending up inside the top 20. He had a dream start, carding four birdies in his first six holes. But after the weather delay due to the looming thunderstorms, that advantage was quickly wiped out by two double bogeys.
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster today,” said the Brabander afterward. “On the back nine, I maybe made a few poor decisions. But -1 is not a bad score — definitely acceptable. A day like today is a real test, and you have to be mentally strong, or it’ll drive you crazy.”
Putts
There was no prize for it, but Van Meijel was the only Dutch player to finish under par today. The other fifteen couldn’t manage it. Like Luiten, both Darius van Driel and Daan Huizing signed for rounds of 72. Huizing, with a colorful scorecard featuring birdies, bogeys, a triple bogey, and an eagle, also stood out with his putting stats — sinking over 250 feet of putts. That alone was an impressive feat.
Wouter de Vries also deserves a mention. As the final player to receive a wildcard, he delivered a solid round of 73 (+1). The four Dutch players at +1 are still just inside the top 50.
Among the other Dutch players, Wil Besseling (+2) and Lars van der Vight (+3) are still very much in contention to make the weekend.
