Tag: Legends Tour

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Senior Tours

Legends Tour Announces Record Prize Pool of 20 Million for Upcoming Season

The Legends Tour offers a record prize money fund during the 2025 season. (Credit: Legends Tour)
The Legends Tour offers a record prize money fund during the 2025 season. (Credit: Legends Tour)

The Legends Tour has unveiled its first wave of tournaments scheduled for the 2025 season including two new events and an eye-watering prize pool for senior professionals. Legends Tour also continues to offer keen amateurs the greatest amateur experience in sport, playing alongside Legends of the game in stunning locations.

The globetrotting schedule will start with the 2025 Legends Tour Qualifying School played at Gloria Hotel and Resorts, Belek, Turkey (13th-20th January). Following this, sixteen additional tournaments have been confirmed including Barbados, Vietnam, Zambia, Greece, Ireland, France, Italy, Mexico and India.

New tournaments include the Marbella Legends at Aloha Golf Club, in Spain (14th-16th February) and the NI Legends Open to be played at Galgorm, Ballymena (29th-31st August), with more additions to be announced later this year.

(Credit: Legends Tour)
(Credit: Legends Tour)

They join Legends Tour staples such as the flagship Staysure PGA Seniors Championship which will return to Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen (31st July-3rd August) for its third year following the success of previous year’s events and the OFX Irish Legends hosted on the championship course at Mount Juliet Estate (16th – 17th May), which has previously been the venue for five Irish Opens and two World Golf Championships.

Many of the Legends Tour’s brightest stars will be eyeing up Major victory in 2025 at the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club, Bethesda (22nd-25th May), the US Senior Open at The Broadmoor Golf Club, Colorado Springs (26th-29th June), and The Senior Open returning to Sunningdale Golf Club, Berkshire (24th-27th July).

As well as the tournament silverware, some of golf’s biggest names will also be competing for the largest prize pool in Legends Tour history. The €20million (more than €10million of which will be assigned outside of the Majors of senior men’s golf – the Senior PGA Championship, the US Senior Open and The Senior Open) represents a 16% increase in prize funds year-on-year.

Complementing the drama of the professional events will be the unique Legends Experience where passionate amateurs can tee off alongside their heroes in the Tour’s one-of-a-kind pro-am experience. Amateurs live the life of a professional golfer, playing in tournament conditions in-front of the crowds and TV cameras with access to the players’ lounge and locker room, private coaching clinics with our Legends and practice on the players’ range. Amateurs will also enjoy world-class hospitality and attend VIP functions, such as evenings hosted by Ryder Cup Legends. The Legends Experience has now been rolled out to 11 tournaments across the globe.

The Luxe Scot Celebrity Pro-Am will also return to the OFX Irish Legends and the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship and features stars from the world of sport and entertainment competing to raise money and awareness for their chosen charities.
Phil Harrison, CEO of the Legends Tour, said: “Over the summer we have been working hard and 2025 promises to be another incredible year for the Legends Tour.

“Securing new events in some truly spectacular venues around the world is always a key objective of ours, and we are thrilled with the additions to the schedule for this season, as well as the prestigious venues we are honoured to return to.

“Everything from the standard of competition to the number of amateurs getting involved has been growing year on year, and 2025 will be no exception. This is the earliest we’ve been able to announce next year’s schedule due to the new approach to multi-year tournament contracting. Further additions to the schedule will be announced later this year and we cannot wait to see it all unfold.”
(Written by Legends Tour Communication)

Categories
Professionals

Legends Tour: Biggest schedule and record prizepool

The Legends Tour has unveiled plans for a record-breaking 2024 season (Source: Getty)
The Legends Tour has unveiled plans for a record-breaking 2024 season (Source: Getty)

Running from April to December, this year’s globetrotting schedule will feature 20 events – featuring new tournaments set to debut in Barbados, Kenya, Mexico, Spain, the UK and Zambia, with even more additions still to be announced. They join Legends Tour staples such as the flagship Staysure PGA Seniors Championship – which will return to Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen following the success of last year’s event – and the Irish Legends at Seapoint Golf Links.

Many of the Legends Tour’s brightest stars will be eyeing up Major victory in 2024 at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores Golf Club, the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club and The Senior Open presented by Rolex at Carnoustie Golf Links. The season will culminate with the MCB Tour Championship Mauritius at Constance Belle Mare Plage, where qualifying players will contest for the John Jacobs Trophy, which was won in 2023 by former Ryder Cup player Peter Baker.

Largest prize pool in Legends Tour history

As well as the tournament silverware, some of golf’s biggest names will also be competing for the largest prize pool in Legends Tour history. The €18 million (more than €8.6 million of which will be assigned outside of the Majors of senior men’s golf – the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, the US Senior Open and The Senior Open presented by Rolex) represents a 100 per cent increase since the tour returned to a full schedule in 2022 following the Covid pandemic, with $2 million to play for in the final two events on the Road to Mauritius and a bonus pool of $100,000 for the top five players in the final standings.

Complementing the drama of the professional events will be the unique Celebrity Pro-Am, which sees stars from the world of sport and entertainment competing to raise money and awareness for their chosen charities. Meanwhile, passionate amateurs can tee off alongside their heroes in the Legends Experience, the tour’s one-of-a-kind pro-am experience.

Legends Tour on the rise

The announcement suggests the global growth of the Legends Tour – which hit new heights in 2023 – is set to continue. At the end of the season, the brand announced record figures for amateur participation, spectators and social media engagement, with the latter taking total reach across all channels to over 100 million people for the first time. In November, the inaugural Vinpearl DIC Legends Vietnam – the competition’s first foray into Vietnam – embodied the expansion into new markets, including Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Central America, that has characterized the Legends Tour’s first three years.

Phil Harrison, CEO of the Legends Tour, said: “We have been working hard behind the scenes, and 2024 promises to be another incredible year for the Legends Tour. “Securing new events in some truly spectacular venues around the world is always a key objective of ours, and we are thrilled with the additions to the schedule for this season, as well as the prestigious venues we are honored to return to. “Everything – from the standard of competition to the number of amateurs getting involved – has been growing year on year, and this year will be no exception. We cannot wait to see it all unfold.”

(Text: The Azalea Group)

Categories
Europe Highlights Tours

San Domenico Golf to host Senior Italian Open

(C) Jacob Sjöman. [email protected]

Press Release

San Domenico Golf, located in the Puglia region of Italy, will provide the setting for the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open from November 3-5, 2021.

San Domenico Golf

The South East Italy venue will welcome the Legends Tour for its final stop on European soil before the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius in December, as the inaugural Legends Tour season edges towards its conclusion.

San Domenico Golf is rich in history and has previously hosted the prestigious Challenge Tour Grand Final between 2005 and 2012. The course will be a true test for many with carefully positioned fairways containing centenary olive trees and glimpses of the ancient city of Egnathia, combined with strategically designed bunkers.

Bringing first-class golf to Puglia

The event will be played as a legacy to the late Sergio Melpignano, the driving force behind the development of the resort and through his visionary entrepreneurship and determination he inspiringly lived his lifelong dream of bringing first-class golf to Puglia.

A strong field is set to compete for the title in Puglia, including Costantino Rocca, the five-time European Tour winner and two-time Legends Tour winner. Rocca was the first Italian to compete in the Ryder Cup in 1993 and will be joined at San Domenico by two-time winner of the event Clark Dennis, of the United States, and Senior Major Champions Stephen Dodd and Roger Chapman.

England’s Barry Lane will tee it up as defending champion after triumphing in the most recent edition of the event in 2019 when he defeated Frenchman Marc Farry in a play-off, while 2005 U.S. Open Champion Michael Campbell will also travel to San Domenico.

Additionally, three-time European Tour winner Anders Hansen will make his Legends Tour debut at the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open after turning 50 in 2020.

Legends Tour Chief Executive comments

Phil Harrison, Chief Executive of the Legends Tour, said: “San Domenico Golf is a truly stunning venue and fits perfectly with our ethos of visiting world class destinations and showcasing them to the world.

“We are all looking forward to visiting Puglia next month as we bring the European leg of our season to an end.”

The Senior Italian Open will take place with the support of DS Automobiles, Fideuram, Kappa and Eureco, Corriere dello Sport, Tuttosport, Il Giornale and Infront. Sport Senza Frontiere Onlus has also been integral in carrying out the goal of social inclusion through golf in Italy.

Press Release from the European Tour Communications

Categories
Highlights Tours

Legends Tour Announces The JCB Championship for 2022

(Photo: Venue)

The Legends Tour, formerly known as the European Senior Tour and most recently the Staysure Tour, is the men’s professional golf Tour for members aged 50 and older. Five years after the first edition of The Senior Open, won by Neil Coles in 1987, more than 60 professionals called for a formally-structured Tour, which was then created in 1992. Many of the pioneering champions who played on the European Tour during the 1970s, 80s and 90s make up the Legends Tour’s active membership.

JCB Championship for 2022

JCB’s Golf and Country Club is set to realise its vision as a major international tour destination when the English venue hosts The JCB Championship on the Legends Tour International Schedule from July 29-31, 2022.

Some of the biggest names in the sport will descend on the course for a star-studded competition at the prestigious Staffordshire club – the brainchild of JCB Chairman Lord Bamford.

The event will take place in the week after The Senior Open at Gleneagles and will offer a prize fund of €600,000. The JCB Championship will be hosted by Ryder Cup and European Tour legend Darren Clarke and profits will be donated to JCB’s NSPCC Platinum Jubilee Appeal.

Anthony Bamford, Chairman of JCB, said: “When JCB set out to create a world class golf and country club, it was always our ambition to attract an international tour event, so it really is wonderful news that the course has been selected to host such a prominent competition.”

The Chief Executive is thrilled with the news,

Graeme Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer of JCB, added: “The JCB Golf and Country Club has already successfully hosted the Rose Ladies Series tournament and our inclusion in the Legends Tour’s international schedule really is the next step in fully realising our aspirations for the course. We are thrilled by the news.”

Darren Clarke, the 2011 Open Champion, said: “I’m extremely proud to be hosting The JCB Championship. Knowing JCB as a company and having been fortunate enough to visit JCB’s Golf and Country Club, you can be certain that this will be a fantastic event and I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Spanning 240 acres of rolling countryside, the JCB Golf and Country Club has been hailed as a masterpiece in contemporary course design since it opened in 2018. It was designed and built using industry-leading technology to create aesthetically appealing tee shots, wide, sweeping fairways and interesting, yet fun, green complexes.

Phil Harrison, Chief Executive of the Legends Tour, said: “We are thrilled to have secured the first international event to be held at JCB Golf and Country Club. It is truly a world-class venue, and this is an opportunity for us to help showcase it to the world.

“We are thankful to the venue, as well as Chubby Chandler and International Sports Management (ISM), for their help in bringing this event to fruition and we are looking forward to working alongside them in the coming months.”

This course has hosted many famous tournaments before

ISM has a rich history of promoting tournaments and past events include the British Masters, Turkish Airlines Open and the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open.

ISM Chief Executive Officer Chubby Chandler said: “As a member of The JCB Golf and Country Club I’m very proud that ISM is involved in what is sure to be a memorable tournament. Darren is also excited to be involved and is sure to bring a few friends to the JCB Championship with him. We have some great plans for the tournament and, befitting JCB and its incredible venue, we’re looking forward to helping produce something unique and very special.”

The JCB Championship will take place from July 29-31, 2022. The full 2022 Legends Tour International Schedule will be revealed later this year.

Press Release from European Tour Communications

Categories
Satellite Tours

Thomas Bjørn: first over-50s triumph at Irish Legends

LETTERKENNY, IRELAND - AUGUST 22: Thomas Bjorn of Denmark poses with the trophy after the final round of the Irish Legends at the Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort on August 22, 2021 in Letterkenny, Ireland. (Photo by Phil Inglis/Getty Images)

Final round report 

Thomas Bjørn claimed his maiden Legends Tour title with a birdie on the second play-off hole after finishing tied with Welshman Phillip Price at the Irish Legends presented by the McGinley Foundation.

The Dane posted a closing six under par round of 65 to join Price on 15 under par, and the duo both made par on the first trip back down the par five 18th hole at Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort. On the second play-off hole, Price saw his birdie putt lip-out leaving Bjørn with a five-foot putt for the win, which he duly converted.

The sun shone on County Donegal on the final day and it was 15-time European Tour winner Bjørn who seized the initiative. Heading into the final round four shots off Price’s lead, the 50-year-old birdied the first and made the turn on two under par, before four further gains on the back nine ensured the fight for the Irish Legends title would be only a two-horse race.  

The victory adds another memorable moment to an already illustrious career for the 2018 Ryder Cup Captain and he now becomes only the 13th man to win on the European Challenge Tour, European Tour and the Legends Tour.

Bjørn and Price finished six strokes clear of their nearest competitors, with English duo Peter Baker and Peter Wilson sharing third place with Argentina’s Mauricio Molina, who set a new course record on the Old Tom Morris Links with a sublime nine under par round of 62.

South Africa’s James Kingston, Scotland’s Euan McIntosh and English pair Paul Streeter and Gary Wolstenholme finished in a tie for sixth on eight under par, with Denmark’s Steen Tinning and 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie finishing tied tenth on seven under par.

Irish amateur Clem McCloskey won the Alliance Pro-Am competition after converting his overnight lead, finishing on 100 Stableford points after 54 holes.

The next event on the Legends Tour International Schedule is the Legends Open de France hosted by Jean van de Velde, which takes place at Golf de Saint-Cloud, Paris, from September 2-4, 2021.

Thomas Bjørn:

“It was nice. It never gets old, that feeling that you lose it for a few years when you go through the motions on the European Tour and you don’t really get in contention and once you get in there, all those old feelings come up in you. As a sportsman, there’s no greater feeling than Sunday afternoon. It doesn’t really matter where it is, I really got into it today. I recognised myself and I haven’t seen that person for quite a while, which is quite nice. It’s pretty special winning any golf tournament.

“I was quite comfortable yesterday. I was so far behind and I was quite happy when I saw that Streeter got in the final group and it just left me and Paul Lawrie together. I felt like I was in a group today where if we got going, we had a chance of edging each other on knowing we both had the capability of doing good stuff on Sunday. Paul didn’t have his best today but I still felt comfortable and it was quite nice not being in the last group. I think if you’re in the last group and you’re too far behind it becomes difficult so I felt like we could just go out and play golf. I got off to a decent start and from there it just snowballed into knowing there was only me and Phillip that could win it and it had to end in a play-off.

“I’ve been to Ballyliffin and played the Irish Open but coming up here and knowing Paul McGinley for so many years, he always talks about how great the places up here are. You don’t always get to go to the places you want to but I’m really, really glad I came. It’s a wonderful part of Ireland and a wonderful part of the world.”

Categories
Senior Tours

Thomas Bjørn to headline star-studded field at Trevose

Image: Getty

Thomas Bjørn, the 2018 Ryder Cup winning captain and 15-time European Tour winner, will make his Legends Tour debut at the Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship hosted by Ian Woosnam at Trevose Golf & Country Club from June 18-20, 2021.

The most successful Danish golfer of all-time turned 50 earlier this year and will make his Legends Tour bow in the first event on European soil since the Tour rebranded in 2020.

The three-time Ryder Cup winning player will be joined in Cornwall by tournament host and 1991 Masters Champion Ian Woosnam and 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie.

Bjørn is entering the next phase of his career on the Legends Tour after competing on the European Tour for 25 consecutive seasons, since earning his card by winning the 1995 Challenge Tour Rankings.

“I am really looking forward to making my Legends Tour debut,” he said. “I have known many of these guys for a long time, so I am excited to be able to catch up and spend some time with them again.

“The guys are still incredibly competitive, and the standard of golf will be very high, so I know I will need to be razor sharp in order to compete where I want to be at the top of leaderboards.

“I think it is a really exciting time to be involved with the Legends Tour following the changes over the last 12 months and I am intrigued to see what the future holds.”

Legends Tour Ambassador Lawrie, who won his maiden over-50s title at the Scottish Senior Open en route to being named Rookie of the Year in 2019, is looking forward to teeing it up on the links once more after his first visit to Trevose did not quite go to plan.

“I absolutely love links golf, it’s what I am used to living in Scotland, and hopefully I’ll have a better experience than last time I was down there.

“I got disqualified for playing the wrong ball in 2019. It was just one of those things that happens and you learn from.  Although the week didn’t go as I planned, I was able to appreciate the beauty of the venue and also the quality of the golf course.

(Text: European Tour Communications)

Categories
Senior Tours

Legends Tour launches Celebrity Series

The Legends Tour today launched the innovative Celebrity Series and confirmed its first five Celebrity Ambassadors, who will be joined by other stars of sport and screen to compete for a spot in the Grand Final, which will take place in the Indian Ocean at the end of the year.

There will be four Celebrity Series qualifying events in 2021, taking place in the days prior to tournaments on the Legends Tour International Schedule, culminating in the Celebrity Series Grand Final in the Indian Ocean.

Harry Redknapp, Georgie Bingham, Glen Johnson, Sir AP McCoy and Dan Walker, all highly-respected figures in their chosen fields, have signed up to be Celebrity Ambassadors and will be the face of Celebrity Series.

The Celebrity Series events will take place prior to the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Formby Golf Club, the Irish Legends presented by the McGinley Foundation at Rosapenna Golf Club, the Senior Scottish Open hosted by Paul Lawrie at Royal Aberdeen, and at an additional European venue to be announced.

The Series finale will take place in the Indian Ocean at the end of the year, where the five ambassadors will be joined by the five highest-ranked celebrities on the Order of Merit.

Sir AP McCoy, the 20-time Champion jump jockey, winner of two Cheltenham Gold Cups, the Grand National and BBC Sports Personality of the Year, will play in Celebrity Series events at Formby Golf Club and at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.

He said: “I think the new Legends Tour events will be brilliant, not only for the pros playing but for people like myself who want to try and do something competitive on an Order of Merit.

“I think it’ll help the game of golf but I also think it will help those who rarely have the opportunity to be involved in sport. I think it will be great for former sportspeople like myself to keep competitive.”

Harry Redknapp, FA Cup winning manager, ex-footballer and TV personality, said: “I had a great day playing at Wentworth at the launch of the Legends Tour and I really am delighted to be signed up as a Celebrity Ambassador.

“I played in lots of Pro-Ams now and it’s nerve-wracking. When you stand on that first tee and you get an audience there and you’re playing with a professional golfer, you’re out of your comfort zone. When you hit a good shot or you sink a good putt, it’s so satisfying. The buzz you get is amazing.”

Dan Walker, journalist and TV presenter, said: “I love golf and when the opportunity to compete in the Legends Tour Celebrity Series arose, I knew I had to go for it.

“I have been fortunate enough to play alongside some of the world’s best players in Pro-Ams over the years but this is something really special.

“I grew up watching the likes of Woosie win the Masters and so many Legends Tour players competing in Ryder Cups and I am delighted to now have the chance to spend some time with them in the Legends Tour Celebrity Series.”

Georgie Bingham, the TV and radio presenter best-known for hosting shows on talkSPORT, ESPN and Sky, said: “I am over the moon to have been asked to be a Celebrity Ambassador for the Legends Tour and I can’t wait to get out on the course.

“I have been lucky enough to play in many Pro-Ams and I can honestly say they are so much fun. Being able to play golf with Legends of the game is so appealing and I am sure the Celebrity Series will be a great success.”

Glen Johnson, ex-Liverpool and England international footballer, Premier League winner with Chelsea and FA Cup winner with Portsmouth, will play in three of the four Celebrity Series events, said: “After retiring from professional football, golf became my sporting passion and being involved with the Legends Tour is a dream come true.

“It is a great initiative by the Legends Tour to launch this series and I am sure it will be hugely popular and will attract more people to the sport.

“It will be amazing to tee it up with my fellow Celebrity Ambassadors and the pros on the Legends Tour, many of whom I have watched on TV over the years winning Majors and Ryder Cups.”

Ryan Howsam, CEO of the Legends Tour, said: “When I took over as CEO of the Legends Tour, launching a Celebrity Pro-Am Series was something I was really eager to do and therefore today is a very proud day.

“Bringing together the Legends of golf with some of the biggest celebrity names is a winning combination and I’m excited to see these guys tee it up throughout the year. I have admired all five ambassadors for a number of years as they have excelled in their respective fields and it is wonderful to welcome them to the Legends Tour.”

(Text: European Tour Communications)