Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club is the venue for the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq, which kicks off the 2018 Staysure Tour season.
Providing an excellent platform for golfers bidding for the John Jacobs Trophy, 57 players will vie for a prize fund of $425,000. Last year’s winner Chris Williams, included in our Five in Focus, would go on to finish second on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit – his best season on the European over-50s circuit since 2010.
Here are five golfers to watch at this yea'rs Sharjah Senior Golf Masters.
Clark Dennis
After an incredible debut season in 2017, which saw the 51 year old become the first American to finish first on the Order of Merit and also pick up the Rookie of the Year Award, all eyes will be on Clark Dennis in 2018.
The stand-out player last season, Dennis picked up two titles, the Senior Italian Open presented by Villaverde and the Dutch Masters, was a runner-up twice, and finished inside the top five on four more occasions.
Dennis recorded a top 20 finish at last year’s Sharjah Senior Golf Masters, but with a year on Tour under his belt, he will hope to start his season with victory in the United Arab Emirates.
Chris Williams
The defending champion this week, Williams enjoyed a remarkable return to form in 2017, defeating Gary Marks in a play-off to secure the inaugural Sharjah Senior Golf Masters title.
Runner up to Boonchu Ruangkit on the Order of Merit in 2010, Williams recorded his best finish on the season-long rankings in nearly a decade as he posted seven further top ten results in 2017.
Consistency was key for the South African last year, as he finished no lower than fifth in five consecutive regular Staysure Tour events mid-way through the season. His performances throughout the year meant that the race for the John Jacobs Trophy went down to the final tournament of the season, the MCB Tour Championship, for the first time since 2013.
Thaworn Wiratchant
The Thai hit the headlines in 2017 after recording the lowest ever 54-hole score at a Staysure Tour event as he won the season-ending MCB Tour Championship by finishing a sublime 23 under par.
Not only did he set a new course record at Constance Belle Mare Plage last year with a ten under par 62, Wiratchant also broke records on the WINSTONlinks course at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open with a course record eight under par 64.
No stranger to playing in the heat, if the Thai hits his stride in Sharjah he may well find himself challenging on Saturday afternoon.
Roger Chapman
The two-time Senior Major Champion goes in search of his first regular Staysure Tour victory in Sharjah this week.
Chapman famously became the first European in history to win both the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open in the same season, as he went on to finish at the top of the Staysure Tour Order of Merit in 2012.
Chapman enjoyed a solid season in 2017, finishing no lower than 16thin his final seven appearances of the year. The 58 year old finished fifth at last year’s Sharjah Senior Golf Masters.
James Kingston
Leader of last year's Sharjah Senior Golf Masters heading into the final day, South Africa’s James Kingston is also aiming for his first over-50s victory since joining the Staysure Tour in 2016.
The two-time European Tour winner carded a final round of 70, two under par, finishing just one stroke behind compatriot Williams and England’s Gary Marks. In 2017, he finished inside the top seven on five occasions and recorded his best finish on the Order of Merit – 11th.
Kingston has had the opportunity to play on the European Tour at the start of 2018, making the cut at the BMW SA Open hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni before finishing tied 54th.
