Northern Ireland’s Ronan Rafferty is hoping for a strong start to the 2017 European Senior Tour season at the inaugural Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq from March 16-18.
As the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq, held at the Peter Harradine-designed course, rapidly approaches, competitors are preparing for the first European Senior Tour event of the 2017 season, the first in the UAE since 2000 and the first to be held at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
“Having played in the one-day Sharjah Senior Invitational Pro-Am presented by Shurooq last March I know that I’m going to enjoy the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters,” said Rafferty.
“It’s a good course with some tricky greens but it doesn’t feel like a nine-hole course because you’re going in at a different angle on the ‘shared’ holes.
“The Pro-Am last year was a lot of fun and the banter between the players and spectators had everyone interacting with each other. That’s one of the features of the Senior Tour. We’re all totally focused on winning but that doesn’t stop us sharing a few jokes and having a laugh with the galleries.
“There’s a great field for the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters with every player in the top 20 of the 2016 Senior Tour Order of Merit signed up to play. Playing on the Senior Tour is a bit like attending a series of old reunions. It’s great to meet up with so many old friends again.
“Although there were only four Senior Tour players taking part in the 2016 Pro-Am - Des Smyth, Paul Broadhurst, Malcolm Mackenzie along with myself – I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It was a good introduction to the main event 12 months later and a good advert for the European Senior Tour. It would be great if next month’s Sharjah Senior Golf Masters were to lead to another Senior Tour event in the region.”
Rafferty was European Tour Number One in 1988 thanks to three wins that season, which earned him a place in the 1989 Ryder Cup at The Belfry where he earned a crucial point with a 1-up win over Mark Calcavecchia in the singles to help Europe to a 14-14 draw, successfully retaining the Cup.
“The Ryder Cup has a fantastic atmosphere and let’s hope we can create some friendly noise at Sharjah next month. As Senior Tour players we’ve got to do everything we can to give spectators a reason to attend the event and join in and the two days of Pro-Ams on the Tuesday and Wednesday, prior to the main event on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, has all the hallmarks of an outstanding week of fun-filled, top-class golf.
“Good luck to all the enthusiastic amateurs and I hope they enjoy the occasion and when their friends and families outside the ropes see them having so much fun with their team-mates inside the ropes, they’ll want to join in the party and have a chat and contribute to the banter. Next time around they’ll be wanting to play.”
Rafferty, who has seven European Tour titles to his name, will be heading out to Sharjah well in advance to sharpen up his game.
“I have a daughter who lives in Dubai,” he says, “so it will be good to see her and I’ll be heading over to Jumeirah Golf Estates to spend some time at the wonderful European Tour Performance Institute so I’ll be raring to go at Sharjah.”
