Why English winner in Munich would deliver double home boost in Genesis Scottish Open
It might go against the grain for some but Scottish golf fans should be hoping one of three Englishmen up near the top of the leaderboard after 54 holes is the eventual winner in the BMW International Open in Munich.
Should either Dan Brown, Jordan Smith or Marco Penge land the prestigious title on Sunday afternoon at Golfclub München Eichenried, both Grant Forrest and Richie Ramsay will almost certainly be teeing up in next week’s Genesis Scottish Open in East Lothian.
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Hide AdAs things stand, local man Forrest is first reserve for the $9 million event at The Renaissance Club and would move above the cut-off line if the spot set aside for the winner in Bavaria is not required due to that player already exempt, which is the case with Brown, Smith and Penge.


If the winner is someone who is not exempt - Dutchman Joost Luiten is the danger man - then Forrest will then get the final invitation up for grabs, which is set aside for the next Scot on the entry list for the DP World Tour and PGA Tour co-sanctioned event.
However, if Forrest gets into the field under his own steam, then that spot would go instead to Ramsay due to the Aberdonian sitting just above Scott Jamieson on the DP World Tour category list at the end of last season.
“I need a little bit of luck tomorrow with someone to win who is already exempt for the Scottish Open as that would help me and Grant big time,” admitted a smiling Ramsay after carding a third-round 68 on the outskirts of Munich to sit joint-20th heading into the final circuit.
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Hide AdIf the four-time tour winner misses out on the Genesis Scottish Open, he’ll be heading to the US instead to play in the ISCO Championship, which is also a co-sanctioned event with the PGA Tour, in Kentucky.


“I don’t know what I am doing next week at all at the moment,” he admitted. “I’d love to be at The Renaissance and in the past have always been in a position where I managed to get in the Scottish Open.
“But I am in the field for Kentucky. The only thing that is an advantage for me in going to Kentucky is that we are going on holiday in the US and I have booked the flights for (wife) Angela and (daughter) Olivia on the Tuesday after the Scottish Open.
“If I went to play in Kentucky, I would meet them in Atlanta, which is only an hour-and-a-half from Kentucky, so that would cushion the blow if I had to go.”
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Hide AdJamieson, who sits on ten under, six shots behind Brown after the Englishman stormed home in 30 to lead by one from Smith, is already resigned to the fact that he won’t be joining defending champion Bob MacIntyre, Connor Syme, Calum Hill and Ewen Ferguson in flying the Saltire on home soil on Scotland’s Golf Coast.
“I will definitely be in America next week as I’m miles away,” said the Florida-based player of currently being the 16th reserve. “Obviously, it is disappointing not to play in Scotland, but, as long as I know what I am doing, then it’s fine.
“I wouldn’t be in the situation like, I guess, Grant and Richie are in. Richie is waiting to see if Grant gets in, which is pretty unfortunate as he doesn’t know where he is going and it’s not as though it’s down the road, either.”
Smith is aiming to go one better un Munich after being pipped by Ferguson 12 months ago while Luiten is also a man on a mission after letting this title slip out of his grasp two years ago. Former Scottish Men’s Open winner Penge, who sits three back, is bidding for a second success of the season.
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