After arriving on the Staysure Tour with a bang in 2016, earning the title of Rookie of the Year, Magnus P Atlevi has been one of the most reliable performers on Europe’s over-50s circuit over the last three years.
Finishing second behind Paul Broadhurst on the Order of Merit in 2016, in a campaign which included his first victory at the Paris Legends Championship, Atlevi finished fifth on the season-long Rankings the following year, overcoming a relatively slow start to the season with three top-five finishes in the final six events.
In the first eight events of the 2018 season, he recorded finishes of fifth, tied sixth and 11thbefore his then-best performance of the year at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship. Despite his efforts, he was overtaken on the leaderboard by eventual champion Phil Golding, who carded a course record-equaling round of 63 to take the title by two strokes.
He did not have to wait long to record his second victory on the over-50s circuit. Just over a month later he traveled to Lighthouse Resort in Bulgaria for the European Tour Properties Senior Classic.
Holding the 36-hole lead, he started the final round two strokes ahead of Peter Baker and Stephen Dodd and he quickly moved ahead with three successive birdies. Dodd pegged him back just before the turn and the deficit remained at two strokes through ten holes.
Atlevi displayed the grit he has shown on many occasions on the Staysure Tour over the last three years, birdieing four of the last seven holes to move clear and claim his second victory.
Another three top ten finishes followed, including a runner-up finish at the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius – his eighth top-three result in three years – and he would again finish fifth on the Order of Merit.
For a player to have overcome the disappointment of missing out on a Staysure Tour card by just a single stroke at Qualifying School in 2015, only to then respond with two victories and earnings of almost €600,000 over the last three years shows the strength of character Atlevi possesses.
Receiving the Rookie of the Year Award
In 2016, he started the year with a T7 result at the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open before recording successive top three finishes at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open and then The Senior Open Presented by Rolex on the formidable links of Carnoustie.
He was forced to withdraw from the Travis Perkins Masters with injury only to win his first title at Le Golf National just seven days later.
Resilience is part of Atlevi’s DNA. Expect him to enjoy further success as he continues to make strides on the Staysure Tour.
