Competitive golf is back — kind of.
The BMW Indoor Invitational started Saturday with 18 holes at a virtual version of the Old Course at St Andrews. The five-tournament series is powered by Trackman as European Tour pros compete against one another on simulators from their homes. Joost Luiten won Saturday’s event by two shots after firing a 66, with a charity of his choice receiving $10,000.
“It’s a good feeling to win the inaugural event,” Luiten said. “We’ve been doing nothing for such a long time, so it is nice to get that feeling of competition going again.”
Here are the seven best shots from the first day of action.
7. Lee Westwood sticks it close on 11
While Westwood’s even-par round left him well outside of contention, he still showcased some excellent shotmaking.
6. Zander Lombard smashes one on 14
When Lombard stepped to the 14th tee for the long drive competition, he left nothing in the tank.
5. Damien Perrier hits it stiff on 8
Thanks to shots like these, Perrier notched a runner-up finish in the debut event.
4. Joost Luiten sets up birdie on 8
It’s easy to see how Luiten got the win when he was hitting shots like these.
3. Dean Burmester with the shot of his life
Hitting a 2-iron out of the rough on the Road Hole might be a bit easier on a simulator than in real life, but nevertheless, it was an impressive shot from Burmester.
2. Laurie Canter holes out for eagle
Useful shot from Canter on No. 6.
1. Dean Burmester aces No. 8
Does a hole-in-one really count if it comes on a simulator? Great shot either way from Burmester.
