Sixteen Dutch in KLM Open including three leaders: ‘This feels like coming home’
‘Fifth major’ and ‘coming home’ are words that are regularly uttered from the mouths of Joost Luiten, Darius van Driel and Wil Besseling when the KLM Open comes up. The trio playing on the DP World Tour under the Orange flag are ready for it, is emerged at the tournament’s first press conference.
With tournament director Daan Slooter, the trio looked ahead to this week at The International. For Besseling, it is more or less the start of his season at the highest level. He has a lesser tour card than the other two and therefore could not play many of the tournaments in the first five months. ‘I hope that will change starting this week,’ he said.
In 2019, Besseling finished seventh at The International, his best ever performance at the KLM Open. ‘I know the course, play here often. That also makes me very much looking forward to this week.’
Luiten won the KLM Open twice. ‘On two different golf courses. It would be very nice to add a third. That’s a bit of our advantage anyway, that we as Dutch know the course well.’
Strong winds
Today it was blowing hard at The International. If that wind stays like that all week, it will be very difficult, the three predicted. But Luiten and Van Driel don’t mind. ‘We have to rely on the ballstriking. With that wind, you can’t lie too far from the fairway here, because then it’s really not a fun course to play.’
Luiten is having a good season with several top-10 finishes. Van Driel made his comeback two weeks back after a wrist injury with a second place in Belgium. Both missed the cut in Austria last week, but that leaves no doubt. Van Driel: ‘I made too many double bogeys after a wedge to the green. That’s when that happens. But my game was otherwise good.’
And that’s how Luiten feels. ‘It made a difference of one stroke. Missing the cut can happen once. I don’t lose sleep over that. In 2016, I won the KLM Open even though I wasn’t in any shape the day before. So I’d rather not come to the KLM Open in super shape. Now the expectations are slightly lower, you might also start the week a bit sharper. I also took a few extra days of rest.’
Trembling knees
Luiten has now played more than 400 tournaments on the DP World Tour. Not much has changed in his mindset. ‘For the most part, I still live towards a tournament in the same way, prepare the same and also how I play the course. I like to keep that same routine. Even after 20 years. I no longer stand on the first tee with trembling knees, like in my first KLM Open as an amateur on the Hilversumsche. I used to want to fight the tension, now I accept a healthy bit of competitive tension. It’s part of the game. It shows that it still does something to you.’
Besseling also once played his first KLM Open in Hilversum. ‘I can’t remember very well if I was very nervous, but I’m sure I was. It’s what Joost says: you want to be in this place, you work hard for that. And then if you don’t have a bit of excitement, you also miss the sharpness.’
Teetimes
Joost Luiten tees off as early as 08.00 Thursday, in a flight with defending champion Guido Migliozzi and John Parry. Wil Bessling will take to the course even earlier (07.40), along with Alejandro Del Rey and Sam Bairstow. Darius van Driel is assigned to the afternoon session (12.50pm) and will play alongside Eugenio Chacarra and Nicolai Von Dellinghausen.
A total of 16 compatriots are competing in the 104th edition of the KLM Open. The first to enter the course is Benjamin Reuter at 07.30.
Check here for all start times on the first and second day.
