A Brazilian football star, some sneaky fig-picking and some superb story-telling from the great Mark James awaits you as our Press Officer at the Benahavis Senior Masters takes you behind the scenes...
Real star turns up at Benahavis
Forget the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - it was celeb watch at the Benahavis Senior Masters in Spain as La Quinta Golf and Country Club played host to a Brazilian international footballer on the second day.
Former Real Madrid and Arsenal star Júlio Baptista turned up on the course in the south of Spain to watch his friend Juan Quiros play.
Unfortunately the centre-forward, who has 47 caps for Brazil, could only watch helpless as his pal fell to a six over par second round of 78.
Baptista currently plays for nearby Málaga CF, who are currently sixth in the Spanish La Liga just four points behind Barcelona.
How do they get the figs…?
If there is one thing the Benahavis area has got going for it (other than the magnificent golf courses, of course) it is the food, which often tastes like it has been hand-picked from the trees or caught straight from the ocean before it hits your placemat.
So it came as little surprise when our wily photographer caught two Spanish golf legends, Manuel Piñero and Juan Quiros, double-jobbing out on the course when no one was looking (see above picture) – picking some fresh figs from one of the trees!
James on the Mark with Clark story
One of the great things about European Senior Tour events is that feeling, that intangible sensation, that you are in the presence of true sporting legends.
That aura was well and truly present when former Ryder Cup Captain Mark James joined some of the Senior Tour staff for dinner at La Quinta Golf and Country Club on the evening before the opening round.
By no means was James the only legend at the table, indeed, three of the staff members are former professionals – Tournament Director Guy Hunt is a European Tour winner and former Ryder Cup player, referee Derrick Cooper has also won on The European Tour in a long and fruitful career while the Senior Tour’s Managing Director Andy Stubbs was also a European Tour professional.
But James does shine at a dinner table as much as he does on the golf course and can tell a story as well as he can swing a club, as the former pros shared numerous side-splitting stories about some of the greatest players they had played with and some of the greatest experiences they had.
One of the great stories from the 18 time European Tour winner was regarding the great Howard Clark, now a Sky Sports commentator but formerly a hugely successful pro and Ryder Cup veteran.
James, as modest as ever, said he was a nervous young amateur and couldn’t believe it when he was chosen to represent England as a youth. He felt out of his depth and his first brush with Clark, who he regarded as a far superior player, was at a 186 yard par three.
The Manchester-born man couldn’t believe his eyes when Clark took an eight iron out of his bag for what he figured was at least a six iron tee shot.
The ball, according to James, went higher than he had ever seen a ball fly – almost into orbit - and was never going to reach the green.
It did. In fact, it popped straight into the cup without a single bounce.
“That was my first experience of Clark,” concluded James, “I don’t think I slept a wink that night, I thought, ‘I’m never going to make it alongside these boys!’”
Eight Ryder Cups and 29 professional wins later, we think he proved his own prophecy wrong, don’t you?
Horton returns to honour retiring Bruner
One surprising, but certainly welcome, name on the drawsheet this week is that of European Senior Tour legend Tommy Horton, who makes a rare return on an invite.
The reason for the 23 time Senior Tour winner’s presence is to honour his friend Jerry Bruner, who is playing one of his final events this week before retiring at the end of the year.
As some of his friends on the Tour are unlikely to be present at his final two events, the Fubon Senior Open and the season-ending MCB Tour Championship, it is proving an emotional week in Spain for the American.
His week has been boosted by the fact that he has been drawn with his good friend Horton, who has retired from the Senior Tour having claimed a record five John Jacobs trophies in what is one of the most decorated careers in Senior Tour golf, even if his record of 23 wins was surpassed by Carl Mason this year.
A canvas photo of Bruner has been doing the rounds in La Quinta Golf and Country Club this week as players leave best wishes for the retiring three time Senior Tour winner and Horton’s message in the centre was a very simple one: “Tom & Jerry, Best wishes, Tommy Horton”.
On top of that, a toast reception was held at the La Quinta clubhouse, where players, officials and families honoured the three time Senior Tour winner. See our picture gallery above for photos.
