Apes Hill Barbados is to host a new tournament on the Legends Tour, formerly known as the European Senior Tour, when the inaugural ‘Barbados Legends hosted by Ian Woosnam’ takes place in May.
With golf icon and Apes Hill ambassador Woosnam at the forefront, the tournament will see an array of golfing greats tackle the picturesque par-72 layout that reopened in 2022 following a major redesign by the late Ron Kirby.
While the Barbados leg tees up a glorious first for the Legends Tour following its rebrand and name change in 2020, the tournament marks a welcome return to the island for the over-50s circuit, after the DGM Barbados Open – an early season event on the formerly named European Senior Tour – was last played in 2009 at Royal Westmoreland.
“It is an honour to welcome the Legends Tour to Barbados and an even greater honour to host an event at Apes Hill Barbados as an ambassador for the resort,” Woosnam said. “It will be great to welcome the guys back to Barbados after 15 years.
“The course is simply breathtaking, serving up a series of stunning holes with views over the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Knowing many of the players on the Tour, I can say firsthand how much they will love the course and it promises to be one of the most anticipated tournaments on the Legends Tour schedule for 2024.”
The event is one of the first stops in a record-breaking season for the Legends Tour in 2024 – much of which is still to be fully unveiled. Alongside all the competitive action – with the main tournament running from May 3-5 – will be the unique ‘Legends Experience’, which gives passionate golf fans the opportunity to tee off alongside their heroes in tournament play in front of the TV cameras and crowds, as well as two pro-am tournaments on Wednesday and Thursday (May 1-2).
Woosnam is a long-term Barbados resident and was unveiled as an official ambassador of Apes Hill in January.
Phil Harrison, CEO of the Legends Tour, said: “The Caribbean has been high on our list since rebranding as the Legends Tour in 2020, and we are delighted to have agreed to host a tournament on this stunning new golf course. As well as being a destination worthy of hosting prestigious events, Apes Hill ticks every box when it comes to its facilities, and we feel the venue’s ambition and quality make it a perfect fit for the Legends Tour.”
Sunil Chatrani, executive chairman of Apes Hill Barbados, said: “Together with the great Ron Kirby, we set out to create a course that both world-class players and amateurs would want to experience again and again. That is why hosting an event on the Legends Tour is a hugely exciting step for us, and we look forward to welcoming iconic players of Ian’s calibre to play our golf course this spring.”