Two side events kicked off the Austrian Alpine Open presented by Kitzbühel – Tirol on Tuesday. In the afternoon, Austria’s top golf star Sepp Straka, defending champion Nicolai von Dellingshausen and Tirolean local favourite Maximilian Steinlechner teed off from the Streif start house onto the world’s most famous ski run in glorious conditions. In an entertaining “Nearest to the Mausefalle” competition, von Dellingshausen claimed victory for Germany with a distance of 3.01 metres, ahead of Steinlechner (5.53 m) and Straka (12.33 m). Playing outside the official competition, “forerunner” Matthias Schwab went even closer, placing his ball just 2.85 metres from the flag.
In the evening, the golf stars made their next appearance at the Austrian Alpine Open Night in the VIP Club at Golfclub Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith. A total of 350 guests accepted the invitation from tournament organiser Edwin Weindorfer, with an impressive line-up of sporting celebrities among them, including Olympic champions Leonhard Stock, Stephan Eberharter and Felix Gottwald, Super-G world champion Stephanie Venier, as well as German tennis stars Tommy Haas and Philipp Kohlschreiber. Actors Hans Sigl and Mark Keller, stars of Der Bergdoktor, added a touch of showbusiness to an evening that also supported a good cause.
An entertaining charity auction hosted by comedian Matze Knop raised funds for the Franz Beckenbauer Foundation. Much to the delight of Heidi and Joel Beckenbauer, who were in attendance, the auction raised a substantial sum, which will be further increased through additional fundraising activities over the course of tournament week. “We wanted to combine a social highlight with a charity event, and we achieved exactly that. It was a fantastic evening all round,” said Weindorfer.
Ever approachable and friendly, Sepp Straka shook countless hands during the Open Night, happily posed for every selfie request and once again emphasised on stage just how much he was looking forward to playing on home soil. “Playing in Austria again for the first time in eight years is something very special. Being in the spotlight as much as I am at this tournament is a new experience for me, but it’s something I’m really looking forward to as well,” said Straka.
For all information about the Kitzbühel destination, please visit kitzbuehel.com.