Winning Ryder Cup Captain Ian Woosnam has hailed the capturing of the Senior Open Championship by Rolex for Royal Porthcawl in 2014 as a truly major success for golf in Wales.
The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex becomes the first Major Championship to be held in Wales when it is hosted by Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, South Wales, from July 24-27, 2014, before returning to Welsh shores on two further occasions between 2015 and 2024 through a £5 million agreement between the Welsh Government, The European Tour and The R&A.
Woosnam declared: “It’s fantastic to see the Senior Open Championship going to Wales following on from the success of The 2010 Ryder Cup. We put on a great show at Celtic Manor and now we’ll put on a great show at Royal Porthcawl.
“Winning The Ryder Cup showed the world that Wales is a terrific golfing venue and I’ll be looking forward to playing in 2014 at Royal Porthcawl.”
Woosnam was the victorious captain of Team Europe in 2006 when they equalled the Ryder Cup’s record winning margin with an 18½-9½ win over the USA at the K Club in Ireland.
It was another proud moment for Wales’ most famous golfing son when the world’s greatest team golf tournament visited his home shores last year, where Team Europe again emerged victorious in an epic contest at Celtic Manor Resort, winning 14½-13½.
Wales will also welcome the return of the Wales Senior Open to the regular Senior Tour Schedule as part of a wide-ranging deal which will continue the strong golfing legacy of The Ryder Cup. It will be played at Conwy Golf Club in 2012 before moving to Royal Porthcawl the following year.
Woosnam became the first former Number One of The European Tour winner to repeat the feat on the Senior Tour when he lifted the John Jacobs Trophy in 2008 after a dream rookie season and he is relishing the opportunity to claim a first Wales Senior Open title when it returns to Conwy Golf Club next year.
“It would be nice to win that one wouldn’t it! But I’ll just take it day by day when it comes around and see what happens,” he said.
A total of 30 tournaments have been played in Wales on The European Tour International Schedule since the official start of the Tour in 1972, while no fewer than 14 Senior Tour events and eight Challenge Tour events have been hosted by the country.
Colin Montgomerie is one of several Ryder Cup players who will become eligible to enter the Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex by 2014. The others are Miguel Angel Jiménez, Davis Love III, Ronan Rafferty, Scott Verplank and Philip Walton.
Rolex, the prestigious Swiss watchmaker, was recently unveiled as the Presenting Patron of The Senior Open Championship beginning in 2012 and continuing for a minimum of three years.
