Former Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin made a solid start to life on the over-50s circuit last year and he’s aiming on making a fast start to this year’s Staysure Tour season at the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq, which gets under way at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club on March 8 – 10.
Sandelin turned 50 after the inaugural tournament in Sharjah last year but has high hopes for his chances in this year’s event.
“I have very good memories from playing in the UAE in the past,” said Sandelin, who made seven top ten finishes in his rookie season last year.
“I held the course record at Dubai Creek and enjoyed a few low rounds at the Dubai Desert Classic. I haven’t played the course at Sharjah before, but it’s always interesting to come to a new venue, and with it being a nine-hole course it will be a great way to begin the season.”
The big-hitting Swede is stopping off in Dubai for some practice ahead of making his competitive debut in Sharjah.
“I’ve been doing a lot of work on my flexibility with a personal trainer recently and I’m touching down in Dubai early to hit some balls at the European Tour Performance Institute at Jumeirah Golf Estates.”
A member of the 1999 Ryder Cup team at Brookline and a five-time winner on the European Tour, Sandelin had been itching to get back into action on the Staysure Tour after losing his European Tour card a few years ago.
“It was a great feeling to turn 50 and get back out there again and enjoy all those feelings and refresh those memories of tournament play," he said.
"If you play for 15 years on Tour and then have a break away from that for a seven-year spell, there are a lot of things you miss out on. When I came out last year those feelings came back, and they came back quickly.
“Looking at my results from 2017 I’m pleased with the seven top tens I had. I was hoping for a win – that’s always the goal – but I think I have created a platform for 2018.
"My final round in the last event of last year – a 62 at the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius – showed that when I play really well, I can score very, very low. If I can put three good rounds together in a week, then, hopefully, it will be enough to win.”
With a new lease of life on the Staysure Tour, Sandelin is looking forward to writing a new chapter in his career.
“If I can stay fit and enjoy another ten years on Tour then that would be a great achievement and bring me lots of joy,” he said.
“I am really impressed with how the Tour is moving forward. David MacLaren, the Head of the Staysure Tour, has done a great job and we all hope it will continue to grow. There are a lot of positive things happening with a couple of new events and new venues, so the future is looking good.”
His Excellency Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), sponsors and co-organisers of the event, said: “We are proud sponsors of this grand three-day tournament scheduled for early march this year. The UAE has been a favourite golfing destination for world-class players from around the world, and the fact that a golfing event as prestigious as the 2018 Staysure Tour season will kick off here as the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters bears testimony to this.”
Entry to see the former Ryder Cup legends in action at the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq, is free of charge.
