European Senior Tour members return to action this weekend for the sixth edition of the Italian Senior Open, we take a look at the in-form players to keep an eye on at Golf Club Udine…
Magnus P Atlevi
In 1982, the Swede became the youngest player to earn a European Tour card through Qualifying School at just 17 years of age. Although a European Tour title eluded him, despite two runner-up finishes, including a play-off defeat by the late, great Seve Ballasteros, he wasted little time in securing his first Senior Tour title in his first full season on the over-50s circuit.
He became the latest winner on the Senior Tour in just his tenth event, emerging victorious at the inaugural Paris Legends Championship at Le Golf National, host venue for The 2018 Ryder Cup. He has also finished tied third twice in 2016, including at the Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Carnoustie in July.
Phil Golding
The 2003 Open de France winner may well be viewed as the form horse going into this weekend’s Italian Senior Open. Still on the hunt for a third Senior Tour title in 2016, he has finished tied third and tied second twice in his last three events, and currently sits in sixth place on the Order of Merit. Earnings of more than €80,000 in those events have seen him fly up the Rankings in his bid to secure exemption to the 2017 US Senior Open, of which there are just six spots available.
He has finished inside the top six in the Rankings since 2013 and is on course for another successful season on the Senior Tour.
James Kingston
The two-time European Tour winner is one of a number of golfers to have joined the Senior Tour after turning 50 in 2016, making his debut in the season-opening SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open at Celtic Manor Resort.
After a steady start to the year, he found form in August as he finished 11th at the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open and backed that up with a tied third finish at Hanbury Manor the following week at the Willow Senior Golf Classic. He then finished tied tenth at Woburn in the Travis Perkins Masters before a solo fifth result at the Paris Legends Championship.
Peter Fowler
The Australian has a knack for finding form at just the right time after finishing inside the top five on the Order of Merit in five of the last six seasons, winning the John Jacobs Trophy in 2011. In search for his first title of the season, he has finished runner-up, third and inside the top ten on four occasions in 2016.
His best result of the season to date came at the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open, where he rallied on the final day, shooting a third round 67 to finish tied for second with Spain’s Santiago Luna.
Stephen Dodd
Another golfer to have joined the Senior Tour in 2016 after turning 50 earlier this year, making his debut at Carnoustie in the Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex. Paul Eales and André Bossert became the seventh and eighth players respectively to have won on the European Challenge Tour, European Tour and Senior Tour earlier this year, with Dodd narrowly missing out on taking the tally up to nine as he finished tied second at the Paris Legends Championship last month.
He finished tied 14th at Carnoustie, and has finished inside the top 20 in his last three events, with his runner-up finish in Paris adding to a tied tenth finish at the Willow Senior Golf Classic.
