Frenchman Marc Farry will hope his groundwork off the course pays dividends on it when he attempts to win his second title of 2010 in the inaugural Cannes Mougins Masters this week.
Farry was instrumental in launching the new tournament, working alongside promoter Sante & Loisirs Golf Events to bring the Pro-Am event to Cannes Mougins Golf Club and secure the European Senior Tour’s first return to France since 2007.
The 51 year old has been resurgent in recent weeks, finishing fifth at the Travis Perkins plc Seniors Masters and ninth in the Casa Serena Open, to suggest his game is close to the level it was in June when he won the Handa Irish Senior Open presented by Fáilte Ireland.
That was Farry’s maiden Senior Tour title, to add to the BMW International Open he won on The European Tour, and he has extra incentive to capture the title this week given his personal interest in the tournament.
“I’ve been talking to a lot of the players and they are all keen to come over so we have a good, strong field this year and I’m very happy to help the players having already helped set up the Mauritius Commercial Bank Open,” he said.
“Mr Dubois, the promoter, has an idea to get this tournament as big as the Evian Masters for the ladies.
“We have a good, strong field this year and I’m very happy to help the players by having another tournament after also being involved with Mauritius.”
With a prize fund of €250,000 on offer, the inaugural Cannes Mougins Masters could play a decisive role in the Senior Tour Order of Merit, just a month before the season ending OKI Castellόn Senior Tour Championship.
One player looking to improve his position is Welshman Ian Woosnam, who has enjoyed previous success at Cannes Mougin where he won the Cannes Open on The European Tour in 1994.
The 1991 Masters Champion is languishing in 30th place in the Order of Merit after a below par season by his own standards but he will be hoping to continue his run of winning in each season since he joined the Senior Tour in 2008.
Former Ryder Cup winning Captain Woosnam returns to Cannes having been an ambassador for Wales at The Celtic Manor Resort last week when Colin Montgomerie’s European Team regained the Ryder Cup.
Another Ryder Cup winning Captain Sam Torrance, the 2009 Senior Tour Order of Merit winner, is also in the field having spent last week at The Celtic Manor Resort, as did former Ryder Cup player Costantino Rocca who returned to action in the Casa Serena Open for the first time since July following an injury.
Englishman Gary Wolstenholme heads to France buoyed by his lucrative victory in the Czech Republic two weeks ago. The former Walker Cup player, who only turned professional at the age of 48, has enjoyed a superb start to his Senior Tour career and is currently 13th in the Order of Merit.
