The 12th season of the European Seniors Tour gets underway this week on the idyllic island of Jamaica for the first of 20 tournaments across 13 countries which will make up the 2003 Schedule.
The race to win the Seniors Tour Order of Merit begins with the Digicel Jamaica Classic, in association with Sony Ericsson, carrying a prize fund of US$250,000. Total prize money for the season will be approximately €5.5 million (£3.8 million).
In addition to this week’s tournament in Jamaica, other new events to the schedule include the Wallonia Open in Belgium from May 23-25, the Nigel Mansell Classic from August 22-24 and the Merseyside English Seniors Open from September 26-28.
Events recently confirmed include the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open, part of the Seniors Tour for a seventh successive year, the Tunisian Seniors Open, now in its third year and the Estoril Seniors Tour Championship in Portugal which again brings the curtain down on the season from October 17-19. The year concludes with the re-branded UBS Cup returning to the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club, Georgia from November 21-23, where once again a closely contested match is anticipated between the USA and the Rest of the World teams.
Much of the season will focus on the Senior British Open, incorporated into the US Champions Tour for the first time, with the mouth watering prospect of some of the great players in the history of the game, including Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, teeing up at the Westin Turnberry Resort in Scotland.
The opening event in Jamaica kicks off the extended ‘Caribbean Swing’ which goes on to feature the fourth staging of the Royal Westmoreland Barbados Open and the second Tobago Plantations Seniors Classic.
The Seniors Tour hits Europe from May 16-18 for the AIB Irish Seniors Open, which returns to Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort where Seiji Ebihara will attempt to become the first player to win a hat-trick of titles on the European Seniors Tour. Ebihara, of course, followed his win in Ireland last year with two more victories on his way to topping the Seniors Tour Order of Merit with record earnings of €330,210 (£207,339).
Established events such as the Jersey Seniors Masters, De Vere Hotels Seniors Classic, Wales Seniors Open, with its prize fund of £500,000, The Mobile Cup, De Vere PGA Seniors Championship and the Travis Perkins Senior Masters carry the Tour through the height of summer.
In August Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup Captain, Sam Torrance, becomes eligible for the Seniors Tour in time for the Charles Church Scottish Seniors Open at The Roxburghe and the Bovis Lend Lease European Senior Masters over the Duke’s Course at Woburn Golf and Country Club.
Indeed, the Seniors Tour will be welcoming a number of new faces onto the circuit including Ireland’s Des Smyth, who like Eamonn Darcy, has made an excellent start to his seniors career on the US Champions Tour. Baldovino Dassu, Jeff Hawkes, Bill Longmuir and Carl Mason are among the other former European Tour players who turn 50 during the season.
Future announcements are expected for the venue of the Daily Telegraph European Seniors Match Play Championship and the confirmation of various prize funds.
The European Seniors Tour now enjoys extensive television coverage and throughout the season the tournament highlights programmes will be distributed worldwide by European Tour Productions and broadcast domestically on Channel 5 and Sky Sports. Sky Sports also show live pictures of the Senior British Open, the Travis Perkins Senior Masters and the Bovis Lend Lease European Senior Masters.
The 2003 Schedule is also keenly supported by the official sponsors – Hardys Wines, Official Wine and Super Seniors Prize, Ping, Official Sponsor, and Srixon, Official Ball.
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Seniors Tour, said: ‘The Digicel Jamaica Classic, in association with Sony Ericsson, marks the start of an exciting 12th season for the European Seniors Tour.
‘With four new tournaments, new venues and a host of new faces to welcome onto the Seniors Tour during 2003 we have another season full of exciting and varied playing opportunities for our Members.
‘There is a special ambience on the European Seniors Tour which, over the past 12 years, has established a reputation as the ‘Friendly Tour’ and we look forward to further enhancing this unique relationship between the participants, sponsors and spectators throughout the forthcoming season.’
For more details contact:
European Tour Communications Division
(t) + 44 1344 840400
(f) +44 1344 840444
(e) media@europeantour.com