Bernd Wiesberger returns to his roots this week for the Austrian Alpine Open. The Ryder Cup veteran seeks to recapture the magic of his 2012 national title at a brand-new venue in Kitzbühel.

The 40-year-old spoke to the DP World Tour ahead of this week’s Austrian Alpine Open, marking his 15th appearance at his national open and 366th DP World Tour event. The tournament’s 32nd edition runs from May 28 to 31 at Golfclub Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith.

"We've got a lot of cultures. A lot of countries in Europe and most of them have their own home opens," he said. "So, there is a lot of pride within the players to play and compete in their home opens."

He first played the Austrian Open as a 17-year-old amateur in 2002. A decade later, he won it, holing a long putt on the last hole at Diamond Country Club to seal a final-round charge he described as "six or seven under that day."

"There's not much that can beat winning your home open," he said. "It was a great experience to win in front of home fans, with family and friends watching. That makes it special."

He also credits former Austrian champion Markus Brier, a three-time national open winner, for showing a generation of Austrian golfers what was possible.

"It is important to have local role models and people that show the way," Wiesberger said.

He became the first Austrian to represent Team Europe in the Ryder Cup in 2021.

He ended a nearly five-year wait for a DP World Tour win at the Volvo China Open earlier this year, also securing his first major appearance since 2022 at the 2026 PGA Championship.

Bernd Wiesberger Returns to Kitzbühel in Form And With a New Course to Figure Out

The Austrian Alpine Open 2026 marks the tournament’s first visit to Kitzbühel, where Golfclub Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith has been set up as a 6,822-yard par 70.

At roughly 800 meters above sea level, the course forces players to adjust for longer ball flight.

Wiesberger also took a full week off after the PGA Championship to prepare for a course he had never played on.

"I don't know the golf course, but it's a world-famous ski town, and they're great at organising sports events," he said. "I'm excited to see a new venue on the DP World Tour and for our national open."

Wiesberger will be joined by fellow Austrian golfers Sepp Straka and Maximilian Steinlechner, while defending champion Nicolai von Dellingshausen also returns to Kitzbühel.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav