The Wales Senior Open will return to the European Senior Tour schedule when The Celtic Manor Resort, in Newport, hosts the tournament for the first time, from May 29-31, 2015.
The tournament was last played in 2013 at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club but did not feature last year due to Wales hosting the hugely successful Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex, which was won by Bernhard Langer at Porthcawl.
On the back of that success, the Wales Senior Open returns to the Senior Tour schedule in 2015 as part of the Welsh Government’s commitment to golf, continuing the legacy of hosting its first Senior Major and The 2010 Ryder Cup, which was also played at The Celtic Manor Resort.
The Wales Senior Open, which has a prize fund of £250,000, will be played on the Roman Road Course, which was used for the Wales Open on The European Tour from 2005-07.
It will be the 13th edition of the tournament, which was first played in 2001, with The Celtic Manor Resort becoming the fifth different venue to host the event, following Royal St David’s Golf Club, Vale Hotel Golf and Spa Resort, Conwy (Caernarvonshire) Golf Club and Royal Porthcawl.
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “The return of the Wales Senior Open to our schedule is great news, and I am certain our players will all look forward to playing the Roman Road Course at The Celtic Manor Resort.
“This continues our presence in Wales following the huge success of The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex last year and ahead of the Championship returning in 2017.
“It also adds to the legacy of The 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort, so we must thank both the Welsh Government and Sir Terry Matthews, the owner of Celtic Manor, for their valued long-term support of The European Tour group, and we look forward to making the Wales Senior Open another successful golf tournament on Welsh soil.”
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates, said: “I’m delighted to see this event back on the schedule. It follows on from the hugely successful Senior Open Championship held in Porthcawl last summer, and we’re looking forward to the return of some world-class players to Celtic Manor in May.
“Wales really is a golfing destination with big ambitions, and we look forward to working with the in-Wales and wider golf industry on continuing to raise the country’s golfing profile and increase the value and volume of golf tourism to Wales.”
Russell Phillips, Vice President of Facilities and Development at The Celtic Manor Resort, said: “We are delighted to be hosting this year’s Wales Senior Open and continuing the partnership with both the Welsh Government and The European Tour, which saw Celtic Manor stage Wales’ first Ryder Cup in 2010 and 15 editions of the Wales Open between 2000 and 2014.
“The Wales Senior Open maintains the strong tradition of top tournament golf here at Celtic Manor, and we are sure that the many legends of the game who compete on the European Senior Tour are going to enjoy the challenge of the Robert Trent Jones-designed Roman Road Course, as well as our facilities and hospitality.”
Past champions of the Wales Senior Open include the Senior Tour’s most prolific winner, Carl Mason (2005, 2007), former Ryder Cup players José Rivero (2006) and Barry Lane (2012), and Philip Golding (2013). Wales’ greatest golfer, former World Number One and Masters Tournament champion Ian Woosnam, has three top three finishes in five appearances in the tournament.
To register your interest in applying for tickets to the tournament, please visit the following link: http://tickets.europeantour.com/event/sse-swalec-wales-senior-open/the-celtic-manor-resort/854468
European Tour www.europeantour.com
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