Denmark will return to schedule in 2014 with event at Himmerland Resort

FARSO, Denmark – The European Tour will visit Denmark for the first time in more than a decade next year at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort.

The tournament, to be called Made in Denmark, will be played at the North Jutland venue from 2014-2016 and will carry a prize fund of $2 million, with $350,000 on offer to the winner.   

Ian Poulter was triumphant the only previous time the European Tour has staged a tournament on Danish soil. He beat Colin Montgomerie by a stroke after shooting a 66 on the final day of the 2003 Nordic Open in Copenhagen.    

Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort is northern Europe's largest golf resort, containing two 18-hole courses, a nine-hole course and extensive practice facilities in the Nike Performance Centre.

The 7,382-yard, par-72 Backtee New Course, which will be used for the tournament, reopened at the start of the year after a $2.5 million renovation that included the relaying of all 18 greens and the reshaping of every bunker.

Prior to the recent redesign, which was carried out by Philip Christian Spogard of Spogard and VanderVaart, the Backtee New Course was the scene of Danish star Thomas Bjorn's first professional victory in the 1995 Himmerland Open – one of 27 European Challenge Tour events played on Danish soil.

''It's fantastic news for the tour and the country that we're having a new tournament in Denmark next year,'' said Bjorn. ''I think Himmerland will be a perfect venue, and I hope the Danish golf fans will come along and support the tournament in good numbers. With Thorbjorn [Olesen] playing so well and a lot good young amateurs coming through the ranks, it's a good time for Danish golf and having a European Tour event in Denmark can only help grow the game even more.''

''Made in Denmark complements our impressive event list for 2014, as Denmark also hosts the European Men's Handball Championship, the World Badminton Championships and the World Half Marathon Championships,'' said Lars Lundov, Director of Sport Event Denmark. ''With golf joining the Olympics in 2016, we will now have even more focus on the sport. Along with the team behind Made in Denmark, we will therefore also ensure that there will be side activities at the tournament to encourage Danes and visitors to get into golf.''

The tournament will be promoted by Flemming Astrup of GolfPromote, and its primary sponsors will be: Nordea, ECCO, Willis, SAP, Mercedes-Benz, Einer Hessel, Hilding Anders, Freja Transport, JYSK and Garia.