The Austrian Open has been part of the European Tour since 1990. Between 1997 and 2005, however, the golf tournament in Austria was "only" part of the European Challenge Tour, not least due to the significant drop in prize money. Since 2006, however, the Austrian Open has once again been part of the "big" European Tour. Golf tournaments in Austria are very rare, especially in the professional sector, so that the Austrian Open can be described as one of the biggest summer sporting events in the country.
