Double Senior Major Champion Roger Chapman is hoping to repay the faith shown in him by his sponsor Speedy Services when he attempts to win a third title in 2012 at the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open at Conwy (Caernarvonshire) Golf Club from August 24-26.
It is the first year that Speedy Services have been title sponsor of the European Senior Tour event, and the UK’s leading supplier of equipment rental and support services will be hoping the tournament is as successful as their support of Chapman has been.
Since sponsoring the Englishman last autumn, Chapman has enjoyed a remarkable run of success, winning the US Senior PGA Championship in Michigan in May followed by the US Senior Open Championship in the same State last week. He joined Gary Player (1987), Jack Nicklaus (1991) and Hale Irwin (1998) as the only players to have achieved the double in the same season.
After trying to complete the Senior Major Grand Slam at Turnberry next week in The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex, Chapman will head to north Wales looking to further repay Speedy’s investment in him.
“I played with the CEO of Speedy, Steve Corcoran, at Wentworth the day after The 2011 Senior Open at Walton Heath. We had a lovely day, and we got together and they kindly offered to sponsor me.
“Then after a couple of months I said would you be interested in being the title sponsor of the Wales Senior Open and we are very grateful that they signed up. It would be nice to do a good job for Speedy at Conwy. They’ve been very good to me over the past six months and hopefully it will be a great tournament for everyone.”
“I’m really looking forward to going back to playing Conwy, which is a great golf course. The last time I was there I was actually a rules official, which funnily enough was my first tournament doing that role. So it should be a special week all round.”
Steve McIntyre, Speedy Services’ Group Marketing Director, said: “To win one golf Major in a career is impressive enough, but two in two months is nothing short of remarkable.
“To see the calibre of players he has beaten, and to consider that only three players have achieved thisdouble before, underlines what a special player Roger is.
“On behalf of everyone at Speedy, we would like to congratulate him wholeheartedly and look forward to watching him attempt to win a third title at the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open.”
Chapman, who leads the Senior Tour Order of Merit, joins a strong field at Conwy next month, which includes home favourite Ian Woosnam.
The former World Number One and 1991 Masters Tournament Champion finished runner-up to Peter Mitchell the last time the Senior Tour visited the course in 2008, missing out on back-to-back titles having secured his maiden Senior Tour victory a fortnight previously in Poland.
Conwy Golf Club was also the host venue in 2007, when the Senior Tour’s most successful player Carl Mason won by two shots en route to winning the Senior Tour Order of Merit that year.
The Speedy Services Wales Senior Open forms part of the Welsh Government’s support for golf which also includes The Senior Open Championship, hosted by Royal Porthcawl in 2014 and on two further occasions before 2024. The government’s support programme is part of The 2010 Ryder Cup legacy.
Conwy Borough Council is also supporting the Speedy Services Wales Senior Open, which is expected to attract large crowds to the north Wales coast over the Bank Holiday weekend. Entry to the event is free, making it an ideal family day out. Parking is available for just £5.
