Out of the Rough: KLM Open (2026)

As the DP World Tour prepares to break for the U.S. Open in two weeks time, it’ll head to Amsterdam for the 106th playing of the KLM Open.

This event dates back to 1912 as it was first known as the Dutch Open. It joined the European Tour schedule in 1972 and has been a staple ever since.

As many as 13 different courses have played host to this nomadic event. Hilversumsche Golf Club holds the title of hosting the event a record 30 times.

For the third straight season, The International in Amsterdam will play host. This will mark the fourth time that this course has hosted the KLM Open (2019, 2024, 2025 and 2026)

Following this season, the tournament will move to a new host course.

KLM Dutch Airlines, the sponsor of this week’s event, has been one of the Tour’s most loyal supporters, serving as a title sponsor for the 30th time.

The Field

A strong field is in line to take to The Netherlands this week as nine of the top-ten DP World Tour regulars in the Race to Dubai Standings will be in attendance.

That list includes Jayden Schaper, Casey Jarvis, Andy Sullivan, Dan Bradbury, Mikael Lindberg, Daniel Hillier, Julien Guerrier, Jorge Campillo and Calum Hill.

Shaun Norris is the only member of the top-ten of the Race to Dubai standings to not be playing this week.

Joost Luiten was the last Dutchman to win the KLM Open, doing so for the second time in 2016. He also won the event in 2013. He’ll be back this season in an attempt to win his third national title.

Darius van Driel is currently the highest ranked Dutchman in the Race to Dubai Standings and will look to win on home soil for the first time. Another notable Dutchman teeing it up this week is Mike Toorop who’s home course is The International. 

Connor Syme comes in as the defending champion, having topped Joakim Lagergren by two strokes a season ago. Both golfers will be playing this week as well.

Guido Migliozzi (2024) is the only other winner of this event at The International to be teeing it up this week. 

The Course

The International in Amsterdam, Netherlands will play host this week.

It plays as a par-70 at 6,915 yards and promises to test every aspect of a golfer’s game.

Designed by Ian Woosnam and opened in 2012, the course sits near the Schipol Airport. Some may argue, too close. Fitting though as KLM continues on as the tournament’s sponsor.

In 2014, The International hosted a tournament on the European Senior Tour and also hosted the KLM Dutch Open in 2019. It also has played host to this event for the past two seasons.

The International features plenty of water hazards and bunkers to test golfers off-the-tee. Water comes into play on ten holes and much of the sand comes greenside.

It too features several dog legs and a number of blind shots.

Many of the holes are also bordered by a plethora of mounds, which adds a sense of seclusion on each hole from the rest of the course.

The greens this week are both large, fast and well-contoured. The greens, due to their size, offer a large selection of potential pin positions throughout the week as well.

The 11th hole was a very easy par four during the 2019 playing of the KLM Dutch Open but has since been converted to a par-three.

In all, most of the golfer’s games will be tested this week. On top of the challenges the course has to offer, golfers too must deal with the noise of planes landing at the nearby Schipol Airport.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, the weather may have its say in who wins this event this week. Thursday currently calls for a 60-percent chance of rain showers. Friday is calling for a 65-percent chance of showers, Saturday a 45-percent chance and Sunday a 35-percent chance. Temperatures will begin the week at 66-degrees on Thursday before settling to 65-degrees on Friday. Temperatures will rebound to 66-degrees on Saturday and peak at 67-degrees on Sunday. Winds will be the highest on Thursday at 17 miles-per-hour. Winds will settle to 12 miles-per-hour for both Friday and Saturday before bumping up to 13 miles-per-hour on Sunday.

Key Stats

•  Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Driving Accuracy

• Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG: TTG)

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Scrambling

• Birdie or Better Percentage

• Three-putt avoidance

Betting Card

Daniel Hillier (+2000)

Hillier is going to win sooner rather than later. There is a ton of value on him at 20/1 with names such as Angel Ayora and Jayden Schaper above him. Hillier is currently sixth on Tour in both GIR% and SG: APP, eighth in SG: OTT, 14th in birdie-or-better percentage, 16th in SG: TTG, 20th in SG: PUTT, 34th in driving accuracy percentage and 53rd in scrambling. After a rough stretch of three consecutive missed cuts between the Volvo China Open and the Soudal Open, Hillier bounced back with a seventh place finish last week at the Austrian Alpine Open. Earlier in the season he placed 20th at the Qatar Masters, fourth at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, 26th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and second at the Dubai Invitational. He also placed 26th at this event a season ago. 

Nathan Kimsey (+4300)

A new week and another week I’m on Kimsey. He continues on with his great form. He placed 17th last week at the Austrian Alpine Open and eighth at the Soudal Open. He missed the cut at the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship but placed 29th at the Turkish Airlines Open and sixth at the Volvo China Open. He also placed 13th here a season ago. Kimsey is currently sixth on Tour in driving accuracy percentage, seventh in GIR%, eighth in SG: TTG, ninth in SG: OTT, 24th in scrambling, 42nd in SG: APP, 44th in birdie-or-better percentage and 107th in SG: PUTT.

Dan Bradbury (+5000)

This was my first click this week. Bradbury is currently 11th on Tour in birdie-or-better percentage, 12th in SG: TTG, 16th in SG: APP, 19th in GIR%, 20th in SG: OTT, 40th in driving accuracy percentage, 93rd in SG: PUTT and 103rd in scrambling. He placed sixth in his latest outing at the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship after missing the cut at the Turkish Airlines Open. Prior to that he placed 59th at the Hero Indian Open, 17th at the Hainan Classic and won the Joburg Open. He placed seventh here a season ago and missed the cut in 2024. 

Jorge Campillo (+6000)

Campillo placed seventh at this event a season ago. He also continued on with his great form in his latest outing, placing second at the Soudal Open. Prior to that he placed 25th at the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship after missing back-to-back cuts at the Volvo China Open and Turkish Airlines Open. He also placed 20th at the Hero Indian Open, second at the Hainan Classic and 18th at the Joburg Open. Campillo is currently 18th on Tour in SG: PUTT, 20th in SG: APP, 24th in birdie-or-better percentage, 28th in GIR%, 32nd in SG: TTG, 75th in both SG: OTT and driving accuracy percentage and 76th in scrambling.

Sean Crocker (+12500)

My longshot this week is the USC grad, Sean Crocker. Crocker is currently sixth on Tour in SG: OTT, 14th in GIR%, 34th in SG: TTG, 37th in SG: APP, 45th in driving accuracy percentage, 74th in birdie-or-better percentage, 134th in scrambling and 146th in SG: PUTT. There’s no doubt he'll need a hot flat stick to contend this week as that is his glaring weakness. That is obviously baked into his price. He placed 63rd last week at the Austrian Alpine Open and 41st at the Soudal Open. He missed three straight cuts between the Hero Indian Open and the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship but also placed 28th at the Hainan Classic and 36th at the Joburg Open. He’s also been fairly good at this event and course, placed 19th a season ago and 21st in 2024.

2025 Betting Card

• Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (+1800) - MC

• Eugenio Chacarra (+4000) - T46th

• Jayden Schaper (+4500) - 3rd

• John Parry (+7000) - T55th

2024 Betting Card

• Brend Wiesberger (+2000) - T7th

• Frederic LaCroix (+4500) - W/D

• Paul Waring (+5000) - 68th

• Joel Girrbach (+15000) - 74th