Golf last appeared at the Olympics in St. Louis in 1904 but was readmitted to the 2016 Games when the IOC voted it back onto the sports programme at their Session in Copenhagen in October 2009.

The new European Tour event will be called "Made in Denmark" while it will be staged at the recently renovated BACKTEE New Course at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort.

It will have a prize fund of €1.5 million (£1.27 million/$1.93 million) and Sport Event Denmark chief executive Lars Lundov has welcomed the move.

"With golf joining the Olympics in 2016, we will now have even more focus on the sport," said Lundov.

"Along with the team behind Made in Denmark, we will therefore also ensure that there will be side activities at the tournament to encourage Danes and visitors to get into golf."

Thomas Bjorn, the most successful Danish golfer ever with 13 European Tour wins, has also welcomed the announcement.


"It's fantastic news for the Tour and the country that we're having a new tournament in Denmark next year," said the 42-year-old from Silkeborg

"I think Himmerland will be a perfect venue and I hope the Danish golf fans will come along and support the tournament in good numbers.

"My first win as a professional was the Himmerland Open on the Challenge Tour in 1995, so in many ways that's where it all began for me.

"I remember winning in the play-off and it was a great feeling to get your first professional victory, especially as it was in my home country.

"It would be lovely to win at home again on the main Tour almost 20 years later, but most of all I hope the tournament is a great success – and I'm sure it will be."

European Tour chief executive George O'Grady added that the announment is a huge boost for golf in the continent.

"It is very big for European Tour to go to Denmark," said O'Grady.

"The quality of the course is very high.

"European Tour is very lucky to salute this vision and we have found another very, very strong and visionary partner."

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