The year’s first Staysure Tour event on European soil begins Thursday, but who will win? If history is any indication, you might find these three players hanging around the top of the Senior Italian Open leaderboard.
Clark Dennis
Clark Dennis is the man with the target on his back this week. The American, who first earned his Staysure Tour card at Qualifying School in 2016, wasted no time making his presence felt on the over-50s circuit. He picked up his first-career Staysure Tour win at the 2017 Senior Italian Open, which was played at Villaverde Resort, when he defeated Peter Fowler in a play-off. The win was one of two for Dennis that year and he rode the momentum all the way through his maiden campaign—capping off his rookie season as the Order of Merit winner.
There must be something about Villaverde Resort that Dennis really likes because the next year, he successfully defended his Senior Italian Open title when he triumphed over Rafael Gomez, once again in a play-off. This week, he will aim to become the first player to win a Staysure Tour event in three consecutive years since Colin Montgomerie won the Travis Perkins Masters in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Phillip Price
If Dennis is the king of Villaverde Resort, then Phillip Price is the prince. In two appearances at the stunning mountain-side golf course—2016 and 2018—the Ryder Cup star has finished in second and third place respectively. Both times, the Welshman missed out on a play-off by a single shot. Currently sitting in the fourth position on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit, Price is off to a good start this season. He opened his 2019 campaign with a top ten at the ground-breaking Jordan Mixed Open, where he was the third-best Staysure Tour player.
A proven winner, the 52-year-old triumphed three times on the European Tour and also has a Staysure Tour victory under his belt from the 2017 WINSTONgolf Senior Open. He has pedigree, experience and most importantly, motivation. Price will look to take care of the unfinished business and take his seat on the Senior Italian Open throne.
Paul Streeter
Currently sharing the fourth position with Price on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit is 2018 Rookie of the Year, Paul Streeter. The Englishman, who won twice last season, has rapidly placed himself among the elite in the global over-50s game. After earning his Staysure Tour card through Qualifying School at the end of 2017, he demonstrated that he belonged amongst the legends of the sport when he recorded his first top ten finish at last year’s Senior Italian Open.
Since his breakthrough performance at Villaverde Resort, the 52-year-old has notched a further six top ten finishes, including his two wins—at the Travis Perkins Masters and the Costa Blanca Benidorm Senior Golf Masters—a second place showing at the Scottish Senior Open, and a top ten earlier this season at the Jordan Mixed Open, where he played in the final group alongside Ladies European Tour player Meghan MacLaren and eventual-winner Daan Huzing of the European Challenge Tour. Streeter is a long-hitter in senior golf and continues to trend upwards as he chases success in Italy and on the season-long Order of Merit.
