The European Tour Returns to Slaley Hall this week for the third edition of the Compaq European Grand Prix with another world-class field gathered.
Major Champions Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam head a star cast that includes former champion and Slaley Hall specialist Retief Goosen and six other champions of the 1999 season. Also in the field this week after returning from the US Open at Pinehurst, North Carolina, is the 1998 European Tour Golfer of the Year, Lee Westwood.
Welshman David Park, leader of the Challenge Tour Rankings, is in the field following his performance in the Moroccan Open where he led from the start only to be denied victory in his first European Tour event at the sixth hole of a sudden-death play-off by Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin.
Goosen, winner of the Novotel Perrier Open de France earlier this year, set the tone for the tournament in 1996 with an opening 66 which gave him a two-stroke lead over Juan Carlos Pinero. He still led at the end after rounds of 69, 70 and 72 to win his maiden European Tour title with an 11-under-par total of 277. Twelve months later Goosen was two shots lower over 72 holes but Colin Montgomerie scored seven birdies in his last 11 holes to be home in 30 for a record equalling last round of 65 and a five-stroke victory over the defending champion. Twelve months ago the tournament was cancelled after incessant rain.
The Slaley Hall course was designed by Dave Thomas and opened in April 1990. It hosted pre-qualifying I for the European Tour in 1994 and 1995, the Northern Electric Seniors from 1992 to 1996 and the following year the European Tour event. The course has become the flagship course in the north east alongside the five-star De Vere Slaley Hall Hotel. A spectacular mix of imposing pines, rolling moorland and water makes for a typical Thomas course with massive bunkers and raised green.
The 452-yards ninth hole, described by Ronan Rafferty as an Augusta-like par four is Slaley’s signature hole played as it is over water and through and avenue of towering pines and dense rhododendrums to a sloping green.
Ross Drummond set the course record of 65 (-7) in 1996. It was equalled the following year by Montgomerie.
