It's Klammer Time - Next Week The Wooden Spoon Golf Classic Returns

It’s been 5 long years since the last Wooden Spoon Golf Classic, but in June the legendary tournament with Austrian ski legend Franz Klammer will celebrate its great comeback.

Next week The Wooden Spoon Golf Classic, hosted by ski legend Franz Klammer, returns and will be keenly fought over by around 60 UK-based journalists, travel professionals and former ski racers at the Foxhills Country Club just outside London. For our American friends, who are raised on the general idea of winning and nobody remembering who came second, you'll be somewhat confused to learn that the spoils, ie an actual Wooden Spoon trophy, is awarded to the day's worst performance! 

Hosted by the Austrian National Tourist Office and the Tourist Boards of Carinthia and Tirol, the event sees around 60 journalists, tour operators, and partners plus patron Franz Klammer compete. Franz Klammer, Olympic downhill ski gold medallist and winner of 25 World Cup downhills, is by no means a stranger on the golf course – in fact, he has been regularly playing for many years and knows his strokes. This year’s golf tournament, the 18th edition, will take place at Foxhills Golf Club.

Although June is just the beginning of summer, the Wooden Spoon traditionally marks the start of the winter promotion in the UK. “Before Covid hit, 554.000 Brits visited Austria in winter, and we hope they will re-discover their love for Austria’s ski resorts in the upcoming season”, says Martina Jamnig, director of the Austrian National Tourist Office.

The night before the tournament, “Chasing the Line”, a new film about Franz Klammer’s legendary victory at the men’s downhill ski competition at the 1976 Winter Olympic in Innsbruck, Tirol, celebrates its UK premier in London, with its star in attendance. In the most important run of his life, Franz 
Klammer raced down in a spectacular style and secured himself not just the gold medal, but also an entry in the skiing history books and the hearts of skiers around the world.

“We are very much looking forward to both upcoming events, the Franz Klammer film screening Chasing the Line and the golf-networking event Wooden Spoon. After a break of almost 2 years due to the pandemic, we are excited to meet all our travel and media partners from the UK again. It is also a great opportunity to present Tirol and its regions and set an impulse for the travel industry. We are optimistic that Tirol will again be the most visited region in the Alps by British skiers”, says Elena Protopopow, Tirol Tourist Board.

Photos: Österreich Werbung, Tom Hanslien