June 25, 2013 is the date for KING of GREENS, the first international golf tournament for professional action sports athletes. It takes place at Golfclub Gut Thailing near Munich, Germany. The player list is almost complete and is made up of international top athletes from a wide range of action sports. Participants include motocross icon and 13 times X Games medalists Ronnie Renner (USA), pro skateboard champ Sean Malto (USA), Freeskier PK Hunder (NOR) and many more national and international action sports athletes. The combination of action sports and golf also attracts current top European golf pro Matteo Manassero (ITA). He will play the 18 holes together with his action sport counterparts.
Rumor has it that the participants have lately been spending more time on golf courses than in waves, halfpipes and skateparks. However: Ambition is high among the players. Will local heroes and snowboard pros Christophe Schmidt (Handicap 3.7) and Konstantin Schad (Handicap 6.9) be able to use their homefield advantage? Will basejumper Cedric Dumont from Belgium take advantage of his mental strength and secure the crown?
The Belgian combines the worlds of golf and action sports probably like no one else does. He is a professional basejumper and former member of the Belgian national golf team. At the same time he works as a mental coach for both action sports athletes and PGA Tour golf professionals.
Golf is the perfect cross-training sport for any pro athlete who wants to improve focus, mental toughness, dealing with frustrations, visualization and concentration. There are many similarities between action sports and golf like being able to be in the flow, stay in the present moment to perform at highest level and find the perfect line. As a Sport Psychologist, I would definitely recommend any athlete to pick up the game.
Ronnie Renner has already put this into action a long time ago. The US Freestyle- Motocross legend not only comes to Munich to secure his 14th X Games medal but also to crown himself king of the golfing action sports athletes.
The competition’s greens will also see young idols of action sports like 23 year-old skateboarding hero Sean Malto from the US, a silver-medal winner at X Games 2013 in Barcelona.
Despite all ambition and competitive spirit one thing is central to the event: It’s all about having a good time on the course with athletes from other action sports. German Olympic Games 2010 boarder cross participant Konstantin Schad:
KING of GREENS for me is a chance to play a professional tournament in the sport I like second most in the world. I put a lot of time into my game, so it will be nice to see if it pays off besides from all the good times we are gonna be having at this event.
The unique format of KING of GREENS has also caught the attention of Italian golf professional Matteo Manassero. Only 20 years of age he has already written history in his sport. In May 2013 he became the youngest winner of the BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event of the European PGA Tour. After playing the BMW International Open in Munich, Matteo is looking forward to get to know his golfing action sports counterparts on the green. He will certainly raise the bar for the following players that have confirmed their presence.
Name | Nationalität | Sport |
PK Hunder | NOR | Freeski |
Sean Malto | USA | Skateboard |
Ronnie Renner | USA | Motocross |
Christophe Schmidt | GER | Snowboard |
Tim Boal | FRA | Surf |
Ben Kilner | GBR | Snowboard |
Bernd Flessner | GER | Windsurf |
Cedric Dumont | BEL | Wingsuit |
Ethan Morgan | GER | Snowboard |
Markus Schranz | AUT | Windsurf |
Javier Sarmiento | ESP | Skateboard |
Dennis Ehlert | GER | Freeski |
Erik J Pettersson | SWE | Skateboard |
Alex Tank | GER | Snowboard |
Andy Laufer | GER | Windsurf |
Tomas Kraus | CZE | Ski Cross |
Tobi Tritscher | AUT | Freeski |
Sebastian Hannemann | GER | Freeski |
Tilo Eber | GER | Windsurf |
Alain Goikoetxea | ESP | Skateboard |
Sven Kueenle | GER | Freeski |
Florian Jung | GER | Windsurf |
Konstantin Schad | GER | Snowboard Cross |
Stefan Gimpl | AUT | Snowboard |
Kalle Ohlson | SWE | Snowboard |
Aymeric Tonin | FRA | Snowboard |
The KING of GREENS, the first international golf tournament for professional action sports athletes, will be held at Golfclub Gut Thailing near Munich on June 25, 2013. Surfers, skateboarders, snowboarders, mountain bikers, base jumpers and all other kinds of adrenaline athletes finally have the opportunity to compete with their peers and elect the best golf player of the scene.
KING of GREENS combines two at first glance contrary sports worlds, also with regard to the date. The tournament will take place immediately after the BMW International Open (June 18-23), the only stop of the European Tour in Germany, and only two days before the X Games (June 27-30) that will take place for the first time in Munich in 2013 – just the perfect time to crown the KING of GREENS among action sport’s golf enthusiasts.
Head over to their official website for more info.
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