The European Senior Tour returns to Portugal for the first time in three years when Peter Fowler continues his bid to capture the John Jacobs Trophy at the Belas Clube de Campo Senior Open de Portugal this week.
Fowler has a €21,330 lead in the Order of Merit with just four events remaining on the European Senior Tour schedule and can extend that advantage with a strong performance at Belas Clube de Campo, on the outskirts of Lisbon.
The Australian has opted to travel to Portugal rather than play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland on The European Tour where nearest rival Barry Lane will compete, and he will be looking to keep his remarkably consistent run of form going, having finished tied fourth in last week’s Cannes Mougins Masters.
That was his 12th top ten finish in 15 appearances and seventh in a row, a sequence that included his victory in the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open which was his second title of 2011.
With a prize fund of €300,000, another strong performance would significantly boost his bid to become only the third Australian to win the Senior Tour Order of Merit after Noel Ratcliffe (2000) and Ian Stanley (2001).
“I’m playing really well at the moment and I’m feeling confident every time I go out on the course,” said the 52 year old. “Hopefully I can keep it going in Portugal. I’ve not played the course before but I’m hoping to do well and hopefully the weather will be good.”
Fowler need look no further than the last Senior Tour event played on Portuguese soil for inspiration. This week’s Belas Clube de Campo Senior Open de Portugal will be the first time the Senior Tour has returned to the country since the Azores Senior Open in 2008, which was won by Australian Stewart Ginn.
It will be the eighth Senior Tour event overall to be staged in Portugal, with the most successful golfer in this history of the European Senior Tour, Carl Mason, enjoying his fair share of success having captured two of this titles.
Mason can claim to be defending champion this week, having won the last Senior Open de Portugal in 2006, one of 24 Senior Tour victories the Englishman has on his CV.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing in Portugal and I’ve had quite a bit of success there over the years so I’m looking forward to going back,” said Mason.
“I’ve been in decent form of late, with top ten finishes in Scotland, Woburn and the Czech Republic and it would be nice to get another victory before the end of the year.”
The 58 year old was also a winner of the Senior Tour Championship during the period when it was staged in Portugal from 2002-2004, triumphing in 2003 at Quinta da Marinha, and he will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of Portuguese success at Belas Clube de Campo.
Former Ryder Cup Captains Mark James and Ian Woosnam are also part of the field, along with Englishman Roger Chapman, who has finished tied second and tied third in his last two appearances on the Senior Tour, and Juan Quiros, who captured the title last week in the Cannes Mougins Masters.
Belas Clube de Campo is owned by the Andre Jordan Group and previously hosted the European Challenge Tour Grand Final in 1998.
