Rolf Muntz
Encyclopedia
Rolf Frederick Cornelis Muntz (born 26 March 1969) is a Dutch
professional golf
er.
Muntz was born in Voorschoten
. As an amateur, he won three Dutch Amateur Championships and two Dutch Stroke Play Championships and became the first Dutchman to win The Amateur Championship
. He also represented the Netherlands in the Eisenhower Trophy
in 1990 and 1992 before quitting his law and psychology studies at Leiden University
to turn professional in 1993.
Muntz began his career on the second tier Challenge Tour
in 1994, finishing 13th on the end of season rankings, and picking up his first title. At the end of that year, he qualified for the elite European Tour
for 1995 at final qualifying school
. Having had to return to qualifying school at the end of his rookie season, where he was again successful, he maintained his status on the tour though the 2004 season though his position on the Order of Merit.
In 1999 Muntz came close to his first European Tour victory when he lost to Warren Bennett
in a play-off for the Scottish PGA Championship. The following season he won the Qatar Masters
to become the first Dutchman to win a European Tour event since the tour was founded in 1972 and the first to win a top level European professional tournament since Joop Rühl won the 1947 Dutch Open.
Muntz has also played on the Sunshine Tour
and represented the Netherlands in the WGC-World Cup
in 1999.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Professional
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er.
Muntz was born in Voorschoten
Voorschoten
Voorschoten is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km²...
. As an amateur, he won three Dutch Amateur Championships and two Dutch Stroke Play Championships and became the first Dutchman to win The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
. He also represented the Netherlands in the Eisenhower Trophy
Eisenhower Trophy
The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
in 1990 and 1992 before quitting his law and psychology studies at Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
to turn professional in 1993.
Muntz began his career on the second tier Challenge Tour
Challenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
in 1994, finishing 13th on the end of season rankings, and picking up his first title. At the end of that year, he qualified for the elite European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
for 1995 at final qualifying school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
. Having had to return to qualifying school at the end of his rookie season, where he was again successful, he maintained his status on the tour though the 2004 season though his position on the Order of Merit.
In 1999 Muntz came close to his first European Tour victory when he lost to Warren Bennett
Warren Bennett
Warren Bennett is an English professional golfer.Bennett was born in Ashford, Surrey and is the son of former footballer Peter Bennett. In 1994, he won the Australian Amateur and was the leading amateur at The Open Championship...
in a play-off for the Scottish PGA Championship. The following season he won the Qatar Masters
Qatar Masters
The Commercialbank Qatar Masters is a golf tournament held at the Doha Golf Club in Doha, Qatar. The tournament was established in 1998, and is one of four European Tour golf tournaments which are staged in the countries of the Persian Gulf, the others being the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the...
to become the first Dutchman to win a European Tour event since the tour was founded in 1972 and the first to win a top level European professional tournament since Joop Rühl won the 1947 Dutch Open.
Muntz has also played on the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
and represented the Netherlands in the WGC-World Cup
WGC-World Cup
The World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...
in 1999.
Amateur wins (6)
- 1990 The Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
, Dutch Amateur Championship - 1991 Dutch Amateur Championship, Dutch Stroke Play Championship
- 1992 Dutch Amateur Championship
- 1993 Dutch Stroke Play Championship
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 Mar 2000 2000 European Tour The 2000 European Tour was the 29th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by England's Lee Westwood who won six times during the season to end Colin Montgomerie's seven year reign as Europe's number one.... |
Qatar Masters Qatar Masters The Commercialbank Qatar Masters is a golf tournament held at the Doha Golf Club in Doha, Qatar. The tournament was established in 1998, and is one of four European Tour golf tournaments which are staged in the countries of the Persian Gulf, the others being the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the... |
5 strokes |  Ian WoosnamIan Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
Other wins (4)
- 1994 Nedcar National Open (Netherlands)
- 1995 Nedcar National Open, Muermans Vastgoed Cup (both Netherlands)
- 2008 Ricoh National Open (Netherlands)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Team appearances
Amateur- St Andrews TrophySt Andrews TrophyThe St Andrews Trophy is a biennial men's team golf tournament contested between teams of amateur golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe. It takes its name from St Andrews in Scotland, which is colloquially known as the "Home of Golf". The competition was founded in...
(representing Continental Europe): 1990, 1992 - Eisenhower TrophyEisenhower TrophyThe Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
(representing the Netherlands): 1990, 1992
Professional
- World Cup (representing the Netherlands): 1999