Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club will welcome the European Tour for the first time since 2005 for the Farmfoods European Senior Masters, the penultimate event on the European Senior Tour schedule. Here’s all you need to know ahead of this week’s event…
Rewind
In 2004, Barry Lane ended a ten year wait between European Tour titles as he won the British Masters at Forest of Arden by three shots from Argentinian pair Angel Cabrera and Eduardo Romero.
Lane fired rounds of 70-69-67 and sat one stroke behind 54-hole leader Paul Broadhurst heading into the final round. He then carded a six under par 66 to seal the biggest victory of his career. His wait of ten years and 57 days between victories, his previous win coming at the 1994 Turespana Open de Balearas, was then the fourth longest in European Tour history.
The following year, Lane was joined by Welshman Stephen Dodd in a share of 11thplace on one under par; five strokes behind the eventual winner, 2018 Ryder Cup Captain, Thomas Bjørn.
Forest of Arden also played host to the Compass Group English Open on seven occasions with Ian Woosnam winning in 1993 and Philip Walton emerging victorious two years later.
Des Smyth, Paul McGinley and Sam Torrance
The field
Three victorious Ryder Cup Captains will tee it up this week, joined by a further 11 former players. Paul McGinley, winner in 2014, Sam Torrance, winner in 2002, and Ian Woosnam, who captained Europe to glory in 2006, will tee it up together for the first time on the Senior Tour.
Woosnam will be teeing it up in his first event since his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Ian Woosnam was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in September
They are joined by Gordon J Brand; Gordon Brand Jnr; Eamonn Darcy; David Gilford; Barry Lane; Ronan Rafferty; Costantino Rocca; Jarmo Sandelin; Des Smyth and Philip Walton in the 54-man field.
A member of the 1993 Ryder Cup side, Peter Baker will make his over-50s debut and act as tournament host throughout the week. Baker will become the tenth player from that year’s Ryder Cup team to tee it up on the Senior Tour.
Current Order of Merit leader Clark Dennis will secure the John Jacobs Trophy should he win this week, with the winner set to receive €50,000, but the American, who won the Dutch Masters earlier this month, will face stiff competition on the fairways at Forest.
The course
The Championship Arden Course was designed by Donald Steele in 1992 and can measure as long as 7,213 yards. A variety of different tee boxes, water hazards and trees make the course a true test of golf.
The signature hole is undoubtedly the par three 18thhole. Overlooking fishing lakes and the resort itself, the elevated tee shot is over water to a large green. Players must clear the deep bunkers and stop the ball on the narrowest part of the green – expect drama on the final day.
