Whe is the last German golf pro to win on the DP World Tour, the former European Tour? No, Martin Kaymer’s victory at the US Open 2014 is not the last German victory in the annals of this series. But you have to look back almost as far. Almost five months after Kaymer’s second major victory (majors count for both the European and the PGA Tour), Marcel Siem won the BMW Masters in Shanghai, the fourth and last win for the professional from Ratingen in the first European league.
At that time, Siem climbed to 51st place in the world rankings. But he wanted more, desperate to get in the top 50 eligible to compete at all majors. Therefore, he changed his swing based on the example of the American Dustin Johnson. A failed endeavor that also led to a shoulder injury. Siem not only lost his job on the European Tour. He disappeared into no man’s land in the world rankings, at times he didn’t even appear in the top thousand.
But after the fall, the pro with the trademark ponytail has made it all the way back onto the DP World Tour. Last year, after 13 consecutive appearances in France, he finally managed to win the Challenge Tour. He finished 15th in the money for that second division, placing him in the top twenty to move up to the DP World Tour. However, he has struggled with the comeback so far. He only made the cut three times in eight tournaments in 2022, also because he was plagued by a wrist injury.
But at the Porsche European Open in Winsen, his 479th start on the tour, the 41-year-old veteran made a good start. On the extremely long (7165 meters) and difficult North Course at Green Eagle Golf Courses, Siem played a round of 71 strokes (1 under par) thanks to two birdies on his last two holes and was only four strokes behind the leaders after the first day China’s Haotong Li and Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren (both 67).
After the successful start, Siem spread a lot of optimism. “Unfortunately, I’m the last one (to win), but the younger players are all doing a good job, playing really good golf. A lot will happen there. It’s not like ten years ago. At that time there was only Martin Kaymer and me, maybe Alex Cejka.” Siem particularly praised his young colleague Frederik “Freddy” Schott. “I played a few practice rounds with him at Green Eagle,” said Siem.
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It was obviously worth it. With a round of 70 shots, Schott even needed one stroke less than the veteran – one of the highlights of a cool, windy day in the Lüneburg Heath, which began with bad news for German golf fans. Kaymer canceled his start in the morning just before the start of the lap. “He has fluid in his left wrist. It is not so bad. He will probably be able to play again next week in London at the first tournament of the LIV Invitational series,” reported Swede Johan Elliot, who has taken over the management of the Rhinelander again after seven years.
So the attention turned to the remaining Germans. Siem in particular was in good spirits: “I’m trying to be the first to win again after 2014.” The chances of him making it in Winsen aren’t that bad. Because a very special coup connects him with the course of the North Course of Green Eagle. In 2017 he scored an ace on the par 3 17th hole and received a sports car from the title sponsor. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the car anymore,” said Siem, explaining that someone who plays on the Challenge Tour cannot afford such a vehicle.
But Siem didn’t just have to cut back financially. Anyone who has played on the European Tour for as long as Siem and celebrated victories there will not find it easy to be relegated to the second division: “It wasn’t pleasant. But then I checked that this is my way now. I wanted to keep playing. i love sports I’m very proud that I did it. The last few weeks have been this and that. But now I’m as hot as I was last year on the Challenge Tour.” Good prospects on a place that Siem easily describes as “great meadow”.
