A hugely impressive field gathers in Venice this week for the third staging of the Sharp Italian Seniors Open, an event which will herald the European Seniors Tour debuts of local favourite Massimo Mannelli and the charismatic Tony Johnstone of Zimbabwe.
Mannelli celebrated his 50th birthday last month and is hoping for a fairytale return to European golf by becoming the first man to win the Italian Open on both The European Tour and the European Seniors Tour.
The first leg of a potential ‘Italian Double’ was completed back in 1980 when Mannelli won the Italian Open. His achievement stood unparalleled for 26 years until Francesco Molinari ended the long drought two weeks ago by capturing the Telecom Italia Open in front of ecstatic galleries at Castello di Tolcinasco G & CC.
A fortnight later and it is the turn of the European Seniors Tour players as they head to Circolo Golf Venezia for the €175,000 Sharp Italian Seniors Open from May 19-21.
The field will be spearheaded by former Ryder Cup players Eamonn Darcy, José Rivero and Sam Torrance, the 2005 Order of Merit winner, plus Carl Mason, winner of The John Jacobs Trophy in 2003 and 2004, and defending champion Gery Watine.
All five will be among the favourites to claim the first prize while the threat posed by Mannelli and Johnstone of Zimbabwe - winner of the 1992 PGA Championship and five further titles during a long career on The European Tour - is less easy to gauge due to their time away from top-level competition.
Giuseppe Cali, a consistent presence on leaderboards over the past three years and winner of The Mobile Cup in 2005, is the highest ranked Italian player in the field while the winner of last year’s European Seniors Tour Qualifying School, Australian Stewart Ginn, a golfer who has collected titles all across the world, is another of the leading contenders.
In each of the past two years the Sharp Italian Seniors Open has produced high quality golf to match the magnificent surroundings of Circolo Golf Venezia, on the outskirts of beautiful Venice.
Last year, Watine launched his challenge with a five under par 67 which equalled the course record set by Arnold Palmer, and then finished the tournament with similar aplomb by sinking an 18 foot birdie putt to defeat Darcy in a sudden-death play-off on the Sunday.
“It was a very special moment for me, winning my first seniors title, and I look forward to defending it,” said the former European Tour player, winner of 25 titles in his native France.
“To hold the course record alongside Arnold Palmer is a great honour for me. Palmer has always been a hero of mine and the first book I ever read about golf, when I was 13 years old, was written by Palmer, so it is quite special for me to hold a course record with such a great man.”
Australian Terry Gale produced another thrilling finish to win the inaugural title in 2004, birdieing both the closing par fours at Circolo Golf Venezia to beat England’s David J Russell by a stroke.
The 2006 Italian Seniors Open begins with two Pro-Ams on Wednesday May 17 and Thursday May 18, followed by the 54-hole professional stroke play event.
