Ryder Cup star Lee Westwood believes Close House Hotel and Golf Club will be the ideal venue for this week’s ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship, as it hosts a European Senior Tour event for the first time.
The tournament will be played over the 6,813-yard par-71 Lee Westwood Colt course in Newcastle upon Tyne, which was designed as a tribute to iconic English golf course architect Harry Colt.
Sam Torrance and Mark James, both of whom captained Ryder Cup teams featuring Westwood, are included in the field for the £260,000 tournament, along with Australian Peter Fowler, winner of last week’s Acorn Jersey Open, and defending champion Santiago Luna of Spain.
Westwood is Close House’s attached Touring Professional and a regular visitor to the venue. Working with architect Scott Macpherson, the 23-time European Tour winner helped design both the Filly Course and the Colt Course, the latter of which will be the backdrop this week for the Senior Tour’s oldest Championship, and the only four round event outside the Majors.
He said: “Close House is sure to be a fantastic venue for the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship. I’m proud to be associated with the club and the Colt will offer a unique test to the players that head to the North East.
“It’s a real challenge. You’re constantly changing direction and elevation, which can be quite unsettling if it’s a course you haven’t played much before, even for professionals. The guys will certainly have to do their homework this week. There’s also plenty of risk and reward there which will make it a great event for the fans too.
“The facilities at Close House are second to none and everyone is in for a fantastic week.”
