Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Bernd Wiesberger have entered the BMW Indoor Invitational which will feature five top European Tour courses over the next five weeks. Pictures by GETTY IMAGES

MARTIN Kaymer and Lee Westwood will go head-to-head from their own homes as the European Tour switches formats for the new BMW Indoor Invitational.

The eSport special is a series of virtual golf tournaments using the latest simulator technology powered by TrackMan that will run over the summer featuring courses including St Andrews, Royal Portrush, Valderrama and the European Tour’s Wentworth HQ, in Surrey.

With regular tournament action currently suspended due to the ongoing global fight against the spread of coronavirus, many leading professionals have been turning to solutions at home to try and keep their game in shape.

Thanks to the latest TrackMan software and simulators, they have been able to keep their golf brain sharp.

So as well as Ryder Cup stars Kaymer and Westwood, Joost Luiten, Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Bernd Wiesberger will start off the BMW challenge.

Players will compete remotely using their home set-up between Monday and Wednesday.

The action will then be shown on the European Tour’s social media channels each Saturday for the next five weeks:

The BMW Indoor Invitational will enable them to compete against each other, with golf fans able to watch all the action – using #BMWTrackManInvitational – on Youtube, Instagram and Twitter.

Tournament footage will also be available via https://bmw.trackmaninvitational.com

Martin Kaymer playing on a simulator using Trackman technology which will be used in the new European Tour online tournament which will run throughout May and early June

The new series will consist of five one-round strokeplay tournaments played virtually on some of Europe’s most iconic golf courses.

Winner will receive £10k for charity

Each tournament winner will receive $10,000 towards their chosen charity or relief fund which has been helping communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saturday May 9 – St Andrews, Old Course
Saturday May 16 – Royal Portrush
Saturday May 23 – Golfclub München Eichenried
Saturday May 30 – Valderrama
Saturday June 6 – Wentworth

Rufus Hack, the European Tour’s chief content officer, said: “While the absolute priority for all of us has been, and continues to be, public health and well-being, we also recognise that golf fans are missing watching the leading players compete.

Hopefully, the BMW Indoor Invitational – powered by TrackMan – can help fill the void and provide our fans with some entertainment across the next five weeks while also benefitting charities, or relief funds, which have been so essential in the battle against coronavirus.”

Jörn Plinke, head of BMW Golfsport marketing, said: “In a time when pro golf tours around the world are being forced to take a break, we are able to offer golf fans – as well as the pros themselves – a unique competition in the form of the BMW Indoor Invitational.

“We are looking forward to the coming weeks, an innovative format, and some exciting digital content.

“BMW enjoys long-term partnerships with TrackMan and the European Tour and shares the aspiration to also drive golf further with a digital format.

“Together, we have managed to create a new type of competition, which features a host of top players and, with the prize money on offer, supports local coronavirus initiatives.”

Trackman co-founder Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen said: “BMW, the European Tour and TrackMan teaming up like this is a great example of how the sport can come together and rise above the difficulties of the current situation.

“With TrackMan Virtual Golf, we’re able to play tournaments on iconic, internationally recognised courses that will push the players to their limits.

“The tournament will be extremely challenging but also great fun. We’re all really looking forward to it.”

EUROPEAN TOUR LAUNCHES ESPORTS SERIES – THE EUROPEAN ETOUR

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Tommy Fleetwood’s victory in a play-off at the Nedbank Golf Challenge earned the biggest prize so far in European Tour history – a cheque for $2.5million. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

TOMMY Fleetwood defeated Marcus Kinhult in a thrilling play-off to win his second Rolex Series title at the Nedbank Golf Challenge after coming from six shots after three eagles in his final round at Sun City.

Victory put the hero of Europe’s record Ryder Cup win at Le Paris National last year, in contention to top the Race to Dubai Rankings for the second time in three years after earning the biggest prize cheque so far in the European Tour’s history.

Fleetwood, who joined the illustrious list of Rolex Series winners at the 2017 Open de France, started the final round at the Gary Player Country Club in 12th spot.

But the Lancastrian flew up the leaderboard after three birdies and the first of an incredible three eagles before the turn.

He then eagled the 10th and the 14th – recovering from dropped shots on the 12th and 13th holes.

A final birdie of the day on the 15th saw him sign for a 12-under total leaving an agonising wait to see if his total could be matched or bettered by the leaders.

Sweden’s Kinhult started three strokes behind overnight leader Zander Lombard, and made a crucial birdie on the 15th to join Fleetwood on 12 under.

That set up a play-off for the S$2.5million first prize as neither Lombard or home favourite Louis Oosthuizen, who had led the tournament between them for three days, could sustain a title charge.

On the first extra hole, Kinhult had to play out sideways after a poor tee shot, eventually settling for bogey.

Meanwhile Fleetwood made an excellent up-and-down to save par and tapped in from three feet for the biggest winner’s prize in European Tour history.

Fleetwood made it five career wins in total, and said: “It feels good, emotional. It has been a long time coming, and I’m not one to complain.

“But I really did want to win something. You know, it’s the best. Winning is just such a good feeling.

“You know everybody puts a lot of hard work in week-in, week-out and you wait for your time to come.

“I’ve probably been impatient most of the time. But I feel happy and lucky that it’s been my time this week.

Fleetwood agreed it had been one of the best rounds of his career, adding: “I would have liked to keep a couple bogeys off the card.

“But I like the way I played, the way I hit it, felt like the way I putted, the way I handled myself emotionally, staying in the present.

“And then the play-off, bit of luck with the tee shot, chip shot probably a bit lucky and holed the putt, but it all goes together with just such an amazing day.

“It’s such a great, great thing and a feeling to be playing with a chance to win the Race to Dubai in the last event.

“Everybody starts the Tour at the start of the season to get there, and be one of the guys that can actually finish at the top is very special.”

Kinhult, who won for the first time at the Betfred British Masters at Hillside, in May, said: “I’m proud. Shot a good score today.

“Got into the play-off and made a silly bogey, but I’m happy with the week and how I played. It’s a good week.

“Losing is not all fun but Tommy deserved that. Great up-and-down. Great champion,” added the Swede, who is not starting to fulfil the promise that had him tipped for the top as an amateur.

A year ago, Kinhult finished in last place on his debut at the Nedbank.

Kinhult added: “It’s quite an improvement. I look forward to coming back next year and seeing if we can do better.

“I’m happy this week, especially how last year turned out with that last place finish. I think we’re learning every time we come here.”

The win moves Fleetwood to second place on the Race to Dubai in his bid to be named European No. 1 for the second time, following his 2017 triumph,  at next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, when the first prize will create a new record for a second week running.

Current leader – Austrian Bernd Wiesberger – finished in a share of third place alongside Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Australian Jason Scrivener, who both moved inside the top 50 on the Race to Dubai, securing their places at Jumeirah Golf Estates this week.

Defending champion Lee Westwood and home favourite Louis Oosthuizen shared sixth, while Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre took the lead again in the race for the Rookie of the Year title, finishing in eighth place alongside Lombard.

•For final results and prize money at the Nedbank Golf Challnege click here.

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PADRAIG Harrington returns to this week’s D+D Real Czech Masters hoping to go one better than his debut appearance in Prague 12 months ago.

The Irishman finished runner-up to Andrea Pavan after a thrilling final day battle.

The 2020 Ryder Cup Captain shared a three-stroke lead with the Italian going into Sunday last year at Albatross Golf Resort.

And it was Pavan who upset the odds by toppling the three-time Major winner courtesy of a blistering back-nine performance.

Harrington said: “I’ve been injured earlier this year with the broken wrist and I’m back playing for a few months now.

“But they tell me it’s going to be close to the end of the year before it’s fully healed in the sense that I won’t be thinking about it.

“It doesn’t seem to affect my golf swing. It affects me a little bit on some of the bunker shots and chip shots.

“I’m good to play though, it’s not getting in my head on the golf course.

“It was very tight last year, there was a great ebb and flow to that final round. It was exciting, the golf was good.

“It was low scoring so there were birdies as well. There was plenty of drama.

“I thought I had it, all the way up to the 69th hole where I missed a short putt, and then he holed a big putt on the 70th hole and had a two-shot lead with two holes to play.

“There weren’t enough holes for me to come back,” Harrington added.

Harrington’s last European Tour win came three years ago at the Portugal Masters – and he has struggled to build any consistency in the 2019 campaign following a wrist injury over the winter break.

So the winner of back-to-back Majors in 2008 will be hoping memories of his best performance of 2018 can provide a welcome confidence boost in Prague.

The 2007 and 2008 Open winner’s fellow multiple Major winner – Ernie Els – makes his debut this week, while former World No. 1 Lee Westwood returns for his fourth consecutive appearance at Albatross.

Westwood said: “I played well at Royal Portrush and then I’ve had three weeks off since then.

“I’ve been down to Portugal for a couple of weeks for a holiday with my fiancée and my family, and I’m looking forward to getting going again.

“It’s nice to be playing again after such a good performance at The Open.

“The way I approach tournaments now has changed. I take it less seriously but I still try my hardest.

“If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen, you can only try your best and that’s what I try and do each time I go to a tournament.

“The last thing I want to do is turn up at a tournament and not want to be there. I want to be keen to play at every tournament.

“I’m 46 now so it means I can’t play as many. I enjoy it a lot more,” Westwood added.

“It’s a good golf course. It’s pretty straightforward. The course has been designed well and shows you where you need to hit it, and then it’s up to the individual to execute it.

“There’s a lot of water out there, there’s a lot of risk and reward if you want to take it on. There’s a little bit of rough this year which will be better for me. It should set up well and I’m looking forward to it.”

Els revealed that like Harrington, he has also been battling injury.

The South African said: “I have had a lot of treatment on my back. It’s nothing too serious but serious enough that I couldn’t play an event recently.

“When the ball’s in the rough, it’s tough to follow through. I’ve had it before so we worked it out and it should be good.

“It’s a beautiful hotel here, and a beautiful city. There has been a lot of rain and so it will be very different from last year, but we will see as we go along.”

Defending champion Pavan can’t wait for play to get under way on Thursday morning.

Pavan, who added a second career win in Germany in the BMW International Open, earlier this summer, said: “It’s nice to be back.

“Last year was a very special week and I was looking forward to coming back here for a long time so finally to be here is great.

“Early on in the year I didn’t have a great start and then my game has been trending upwards.

“That win in Germany was very special, it got me into The Open, got me way up in the rankings and set up the rest of the year.

“The Open was a great experience, it was obviously a big week. I didn’t perform as well as I’d like but I felt good playing it, I felt like I was part of it, not just excited to be there.

“This week I’m here to try to defend and play as well as I can. I feel like I’m coming in with some form so hopefully I can do very well.”

Bernd Wiesberger, currently second in the Rolex Race to Dubai rankings, also plays – as does Frilford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell, who accepted a late invite and enters as the highest-ranked player in the field.

To follow live scores from Thursday to Sunday click here.

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