Record breaker Carl Mason will hope to kick on after becoming the most prolific winner in European Senior Tour history when he returns to action in this week’s ISPS Handa Senior Masters presented by the Stapleford Forum.
Mason took the weight off his shoulders earlier this month when he captured his 24th Senior Tour title in the OKI Open España by Cleveland Golf/Srixon, taking him past the benchmark he had shared with Tommy Horton for nearly a year.
After missing last week’s US Senior PGA Championship, Mason will be back on home soil this week as he looks to add to his record breaking haul with a first title in England since the 2009 De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship.
The 57 year old finished fourth at Stapleford Park last year in the inaugural edition of the ISPS Handa Senior Masters presented by the Stapleford Forum, eight shots behind runaway leader Bill Longmuir.
Scotsman Longmuir produced one of the performances of the 2010 season to claim his eighth Senior Tour title, carding rounds of 64, 69 and 66 for a 20 under par total of 199. That aggregate was the second lowest to par in Senor Tour history, eclipsed only by the 21 under par 195 posted by Boonchu Ruangkit two months previously in the Chang Thailand Senior Masters presented by ISPS.
Ruangkit, the 2010 Senior Tour Order of Merit winner, was joint runner-up with Roger Chapman at Stapleford Park in Melton Mowbray last year, seven shots behind Longmuir.
The Thai player continues his defence of the John Jacobs Trophy against a strong field this week, which includes former Ryder Cup Captains Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam, and the man currently leading the Order of Merit, Sandy Lyle.
The ISPS Handa Senior Masters is one of five events on the 2011 Senior Tour schedule supported by ISPS and the title sponsor will be continuing its support of the ISPS Handa Japan Relief Fund, raising money for victims of the Japan Earthquake. Lyle, Woosnam and Torrance are all ambassadors for ISPS.
