Roger Chapman returns to Senior Tour action at next month’s MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius hoping to be inspired by a venue where last year he rounded off his finest season as a professional.
It was at Constance Belle Mare Plage last December that Chapman lifted the John Jacobs Trophy as the crowning reward for a dream campaign in which scaled the heights of senior golf, winning two of the game’s biggest prizes.
Chapman made a staggering impact during the 2012 campaign, in May becoming the first Englishman to win the US Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid – and the first European since Jock Hutchison in 1947 – courtesy of a two stroke victory at Harbor Shores in Michigan.
He returned to the same American state in July and sealed an extraordinary double by capturing the US Senior Open at Indianwood Golf and Country Club, becoming only the fourth player following Gary Player (1987), Jack Nicklaus (1991) and Hale Irwin (1998) to capture both titles in the same season.
After back-to-back top five finishes in the 2012 Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters and the French Riviera Masters, Chapman had already secured the top spot on the European Senior Tour Order of Merit by the time he headed to the season finale in Mauritius.
Chapman signed off his season with a share of 15th position, as his close friend David Frost – one of the first players to congratulate him following his Major breakthrough seven months previously – claimed the title.
While Frost lifted the MCB Tour Championship trophy, Chapman was presented with the John Jacobs Trophy by Senior Tour Managing Director Andy Stubbs, anointing the former European Tour winner as the Senior Tour Number One.
It was a special moment in a special venue for both men, given that Chapman had lost out to Frost two years prior to that in a play-off for the Mauritius Commercial Bank Open.
“To lift the John Jacobs Trophy in Mauritius was a very special moment for me,” said Chapman. “It was the culmination of an unforgettable season, and I’m sure the memories will come flooding back when we return for this year’s MCB Tour Championship.
“I am extremely proud of what I achieved last year and it meant a lot to me to be crowned the Senior Tour‘s Number One. Mauritius is a great place to end the season and it is a tournament we all look forward to.
“I’d love to actually be able to win there and be able to say I’ve lifted the MCB Tour Championship trophy as well as the John Jacobs Trophy in Mauritius. I was close to winning over the Legend Course in 2010 when I so desperately wanted the victory for my long term mentor George Will, who passed away that week. So there are always some mixed emotions for me coming back, but it is definitely a tournament I look forward to each season.”
Chapman finished ninth at Constance Belle Mare Plage in the Mauritius Commercial Bank Open in 2009, before losing in a play-off to Frost the following year.
After a share of 18th in the MCB Tour Championship in 2011 and tied 15th last year, he will be looking to break back into the top ten this week and possibly even lift some more silverware in Mauritius.
“It was always going to be a challenging year following on from last season, but it would be great to end on a high note and play well in the MCB Tour Championship.”
