The Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe was an annual 72-hole stroke play professional golf tournament for men. It was last played in Germany and was part of the European Tour schedule. The tournament was founded in 1992 as the Honda Open and acquired the tag of The Players Championship of Europe or TPC of Europe in 1995. It was last played at Gut Kaden. The prize fund in 2007 was €3.6 million, which put it in the top group of European Tour events outside the major championships and World Golf Championships, but not at the head of the list.
The parallels between this tournament and the PGA Tour's Players Championship are not very strong. The European Players Championship was not the richest event on the European Tour and it was not played close to the Tour's headquarters. The Players Championship's closest parallel in Europe is perhaps the BMW PGA Championship, although that was originally the British PGA Championship, and thus equivalent to the PGA Championship, organised by the PGA of America, which is a major championship and is now a European Tour event.
Before it was attached to the event in Germany, the TPC/Players Championship tag was applied briefly to European Tour events in England and Portugal. It was more of a marketing tool than a genuine indication that the event is different from other leading European Tour events in any important way.
Tiger Woods has played in the tournament several times. He was said to have received large appearance fees, which give rise to some controversy as appearance fees are not normally paid by European Tour events which actually take place in Europe. They are more common in less prestigious tournaments.
The tournament was dropped from the 2008 European Tour schedule.
Winners YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upWinner'sshare (€)Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe 2007 Andrés Romero 269 −19 3 strokes Søren Hansen Oliver Wilson 600,000 2006 Robert Karlsson 263 −25 4 strokes Charl Schwartzel Lee Westwood 600,000 2005 Niclas Fasth 274 −14 Playoff Ángel Cabrera 550,000Deutsche Bank - SAP Open TPC of Europe 2004 Trevor Immelman 271 −17 1 stroke Pádraig Harrington 500,000 2003 Pádraig Harrington 269 −19 Playoff Thomas Bjørn 450,000 2002 Tiger Woods (3) 268 −20 Playoff Colin Montgomerie 450,000 2001 Tiger Woods (2) 270 −18 4 strokes Michael Campbell 450,000 2000 Lee Westwood (2) 273 −15 3 strokes Emanuele Canonica 450,000 1999 Tiger Woods 273 −15 3 strokes Retief Goosen 280,000 1998 Lee Westwood 265 −23 1 stroke Darren Clarke 256,676Deutsche Bank Open TPC of Europe 1997 Ross McFarlane 282 −6 1 stroke Gordon Brand Jnr Anders Forsbrand 175,000 1996 Frank Nobilo 270 −18 1 stroke Colin Montgomerie 169,162 1995 Bernhard Langer (2) 270 −18 6 strokes Jamie Spence 151,662Honda Open 1994 Robert Allenby 276 −12 Playoff Miguel Ángel Jiménez 116,662 1993 Sam Torrance 278 −10 Playoff Paul Broadhurst Johan Ryström Ian Woosnam 116,662 1992 Bernhard Langer 273 −15 3 strokes Darren Clarke 105,000
References
External links Official site Coverage on the European Tour's official site