Welshman Phillip Price leads the Staysure Tour Order of Merit in the race for the John Jacobs Trophy at the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius, the final event of 2019. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

PHILLIP Price will go in search of a career-first John Jacobs Trophy when he tees it up at the 2019 Staysure Tour season-finale, the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius.

The 2002 Ryder Cup hero leads the Staysure Order of Merit by 556.2 points and knows that a 12th top 10 – ninth place or better – of the season would see him crowned Staysure Tour No. 1 for the first time.

Price, who lifted the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship trophy in August, has recorded 10 other top 10 in a very consistent 2019 campaign, which included a share of third place at last week’s MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles.

There are five players hoping to knock 53-year-old Price off the top spot in the year’s final event, held at Constance Belle Mare Plage.

James Kingston, who failed to convert his overnight lead in the Seychelles, Madagascar winner Barry Lane, Lancashire’s David Shacklady, last week’s winner Peter Fowler and Argentinian rookie José Coceres, are pushing Price for the honour of holding the John Jacobs Trophy come Sunday.

But to become the Staysure Tour Order of Merit winner they must triumph in Mauritius and hope Price finishes down the leaderboard.

The Welshman has finished tied fourth on two occasions at the European Tour Destinations venue. But Price is aware of the challenge that lies ahead of him should he wish to end a memorable season with more silverware.

“I think another top 10 would do the trick to win the Order of Merit but I’m trying to think better than that,” Price said. “I like this course and I like this week at Constance Belle Mare Plage.

“If I have a good week, then everything else will take care of itself.

“There is pressure on me because I’m out in front on the Order of Merit and there are a lot of guys who could pass me because there are a lot of points to play for.

“I have to focus on what I need to do and not be worried about everybody else,” added Price, who recorded three victories on the European Tour, having joined via the Qualifying School, in 1991.

“It would be nice to get off to a good start tomorrow because it would settle me down,” said Price.

“I want to have a good week and I want to have a high finish and I want to get involved in the tournament.

“I’d like to win the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius after coming close a couple of times. I want my mind to be thinking about the top of the leaderboard and not what everybody else is doing.”

After 18 events, the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius will bring the 2019 Staysure Tour season, and the three event final series MCB Tour Championship, to a close.

Australian Fowler currently leads the race to become King of the Swing, awarded to the top-performing player in the Indian Ocean events – following his share of 20th in Madagascar and his victory in the Seychelles last week.

The Rookie of the Year, meanwhile, will be fought for by three players – 1999 Open winner Paul Lawrie, who currently leads the battle for the award, Sussex’s Gary Evans and American Dan Olsen, who has produced some eye-catching rounds without quite converting his fine form into a win.

The final action of the season at the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius gets under way at 8.30am local time with Price teeing off at 11.15am – Mauritius is four hours ahead of GMT.

•For live scoring click here.

The post Price needs another top 10 to secure John Jacobs Trophy as five push leader in Mauritius appeared first on Golf North.

Roger Chapman will defend his MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles title when he returns to Constance Lemuria for the second leg of the Indian Ocean Swing on the Staysure Tour. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

ROGER Chapman returns to the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles 12 months after winning the inaugural title at Constance Lemuria.

And the former Kent amateur is relishing the opportunity to reacquaint himself with the stunning Indian Ocean layout.

The two-time Senior Major Champion came from seven shots behind at the start of the final round to lift the trophy in 2018, beating Phillip Price on the first play-off hole after sinking a 30-foot eagle putt.

Chapman, who has four top 10s to his name in 2019, including a share of 10th place at The Senior Open, at St Andrews, is excited to be back on the Indian Ocean island.

“It’s always great to be a defending champion,” said Chapman. “It’s great being in Seychelles and I’m looking forward to defending my title.

“The win meant a lot last year. I was injured at the beginning of the season and had a shoulder operation in the middle of May and did nothing until The Senior Open at St Andrews.”

The Berkshire-based golfer, who was born in Kenya where he lived until he was five, will tee it up in the second staging of the event.

The Seychelles tournament is the second of the three event final series MCB Tour Championship, where the top-performing player will be crowned King of the Swing after the Indian Ocean events.

Chapman, who has five victories worldwide to his name – including the 2012 US Senior Open and US Senior PGA – was crowned both the inaugural King of the Swing and the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles winner.

The 60-year-old who lives in Ascot. will face a tough test, not just from the players battling for the title, but from the picturesque course which hosted the first European Tour-sanctioned event in Seychelles 12 months ago.

“The course is like an examination,” said the three-time Staysure Tour winner, who believes the Constance Lemuria course, which has serious elevation changes, offers one of the most spectacular views in the world of golf according to the defending champion.

“The paper is there in front of you and you’ve got to do your best,” added Chapman.

“You have to plot your way around this course, like a game of chess, and make sure you hit the fairways.

“The first 12 holes are really, really good and then you get to the 13th tee and you go up, and then you get to the 14th tee and you go up again.

“You think you have to come down sooner or later and then you hit 15, which is probably one of the most beautiful holes in the world.

“The hang time on the shot into the green is close to 10 seconds, which is incredible. Then the par five 16th goes back up the hill before you get to 17 which is a little par three.

“You then arrive at the 18th tee and see the fantastic view but the tee shot puts the fear of God into you.

“It’s not an easy tee shot, especially with the wind. Some guys hit driver, but a lot of guys will take an iron off the tee to make sure they hit the fairway – it’s fraught with danger.”

Chapman will tee off at 11.45am local time alongside the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar winner Barry Lane.

Also in the field is Europe’s victorious 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

The first round at the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles gets under way at 9am local time which is four hours ahead of GMT.

•For live scoring at the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles click here.

Chapman was part of Kent’s golden era

ROGER Chapman was a member of the last Kent team to win the English County Championship in 1978 before their triumph at Huddersfield in September.

Kent took the title by beating Northumberland 5&4 in the final at Frilford Heath.

Chapman’s team-mates included Walker Cup ace Peter Hedges, Paul Hoad, who went on to play on the European Tour and has taught on the circuit, Toby Shannon, who beat Sandy Lyle 10&8 in The Boys Amateur Championship, in 1974.

Chapman, whose only win in 20 years on the European Tour came in Rio de Janeiro, in 2000, was the first Kent player to win the English Amateur Championship in 1979, at Royal St George’s.

He also claimed the Lytham Trophy in 1981, the year he made his Walker Cup debut, where he beat Hal Sutton, twice on the final day, at Cypress Point, in California.

The post MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles champion Roger Chapman defends his title appeared first on Golf North.

Berkshire’s Barry Lane became the first winner of a European Tour event in Madagascar with victory in the Staysure Tour’s MCB Tour Championship, at International Golf Club Du Rova. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

BERKSHIRE’S Barry Lane became the first winner of the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar at International Golf Club Du Rova – his second Staysure Tour victory of the season.

The 1993 Ryder Cup player shot a final two under-par 69 as he came from four shots back at the start of play to clinch his eighth victory on the over 50s circuit.

It was his second title of the year, having won the Senior Italian Open in June.

Overnight leader Clark Dennis could not follow his impressive bogey-free second round of 65, as Lane seized the opportunity to win the first stage of the three-legged final MCB Tour Championship series by one stroke.

The 59-year-old made a steady start to his final round with six successive pars before his first birdie of the day came at the par three seventh.

Lane made the turn at level par after dropping a shot on the ninth, but regained his focus on the back nine as he returned to the clubhouse bogey free to post three-under par for 54 holes.

Dennis, playing in the same group as Lane, had trouble on the home stretch as the American dropped six shots in seven holes, eventually finishing in share of fourth place.

The American was going in search of his sixth Staysure Tour title, and second win of the year after victory in the Winstongolf Senior Open, in Germany, in July.

But five-time European Tour winner Lane picked up shots at the 13th and 15th to move into the lead.

With the clubhouse target having been set at two-under by Spaniard Juan Quiros and Frenchman Jean-François Remesy, Lane knew a par on the final hole would seal a memorable victory on a course which tested the players’ patience to the utmost.

His four meant he became the maiden winner of the first European Tour-sanctioned event in Madagascar, the largest island in the Indian Ocean.

“It feels amazing,” said Barry Lane. “I knew I was one ahead coming down 18 and I still tried to hole the birdie putt, but I knew I could two-putt to win, which is always nice.

“I got off to a slow start, but putted beautifully on the first four holes and then started to play quite nicely.

“But I hung in there. Clark had a nightmare on the 15th and that changed things. This game changes so quickly and that’s the nature of it.

“This week was all about mental ability. Whatever happened you had to accept it and try and do the best you could.

“Mentally, I thought I was amazing this week, because not once in 54 holes did I get annoyed or upset with any shot. I just played and got on with it.

“It’s such a difficult golf course because it’s quite bouncy and if you miss the greens it is so difficult to get up and down.

“During the week I didn’t feel like I was flushing it, but I tried to hit every fairway and every green to give myself a chance.

“It’s great that at 59 years old I am still winning, having won the Senior Italian Open earlier in the year when I was 58.

“I’m very happy to win at 59 and may it continue for another few years,” Lane added.

Quiros and Remesy finished in a share of second place, following their final rounds of 69.

Dennis, meanwhile, carded a round of 75 to join Wales’ Stephen Dodd and Sussex’s first round leader Gary Evans in fourth, two strokes behind Lane.

Home favourite Jean Baptiste Ramarozatovo, who was cheered on by the home crowd, recorded a round of 69 to take a share of seventh.

The three-time winner of the Madagascan Open in the late 1990s finished alongside Argentinian Mauricio Molina, Kent’s Peter Wilson and South African duo James Kingston and Chris Williams on level-par.

Lane now in contention for No. 1

THE 675 Order of Merit points won by Lane leaves the Englishman in with a real chance of claiming the John Jacobs Trophy and being crowned the European Seniors No. 1 for a first time.

With two events to go in the Seychelles and Mauritius, Barry Lane is third on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit, with Wales’ Phillip Price, who finished 18th in Madagascar, on 2,377 points, with Lancashire’s David Shacklady in second 2,033.5 points.

This week’s MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles gets under way on Thursday this week, instead of the traditional Friday start.

•For final scores from the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar click here.

The post Barry Lane battles Dennis to win MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar by one shot appeared first on Golf North.

Texan Clark Dennis shot to the top of the leaderboard in the Swiss Seniors Open at Bad Ragaz. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

CLARK Dennis carded three birdies in his final four holes to post a six-under par 64 and race to the top of the Swiss Seniors Open leaderboard at Golf Club Bad Ragaz.

The 2017 John Jacobs Trophy winner started and finished strongly in the Swiss mountains to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend ahead of Mark Mouland and José Coceres after Friday’s first round.

Dennis, a four-time Staysure Tour winner, teed it up in Switzerland with his son Philip on the bag, as he was for his most recent victory on the over-50s circuit, the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius in 2018.

“He’s a tour-winning caddy from Mauritius! He’s my good luck charm,” Dennis said. “Having him and my wife here is great and my other son is coming to Spain next week.

“It’s great to have them here during the summer in Europe. They get to see some great stuff and experience great places. The Staysure Tour has been a blessing for my family.

“I really enjoy playing on this tour, everything is run so well. We play really nice courses like this and it’s pretty relaxed. There are a lot of good guys out here.”

The Texan carded six birdies and a hole-out eagle during his opening round but his leaderboard-topping 64 was tinged with a hint of frustration after missing short putts which would’ve extended his advantage further.

“I missed a couple of short putts but other than that, it was a flawless round,” Dennis said. “I hit it really well and only missed one green.

“If you’re driving the fairway here, you’re going to get a lot of birdie opportunities and fortunately I was able to convert eight times – well, six times, I holed out from the fairway on eight!

“It was nice not to need the putter. I’ve been struggling a little bit with my putter so it was nice to see a few go in today.

“You always think you could have been better, and I do think today could have been better, but I was pleased with how I played,” Dennis added.

Welshman Mouland and Argentina’s Coceres both carded bogey-free, five under par rounds of 65 at Golf Club Bad Ragaz to sit in tied second, while Peter Baker, Peter O’Malley, Phillip Price and Ian Woosnam are a shot further back on four-under.

A group of six players, including Berkshire’s Senior Italian Open winner Barry Lane, share eighth place on three-under with 36 holes left to play in Switzerland.

The second round will begin at 8am local time on Saturday with Dennis teeing off at 11.40am.

The post John Jacobs Trophy winner Dennis hopes to have it in the bag again at Bad Ragaz appeared first on Golf North.

Gary Evans was one of four players to tie the lead after the first round of the Senior Italian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FOUR players edged ahead of the field and will take a share of the lead into the second round of the Senior Italian Open, including one-time Worthing golfer Gary Evans.

Evans joined former England Amateur legend Gary Wolstenholme and, Scotland’s Surrey-based Gary Orr plus Austrian Markus Brier on four-under par.

The quartet all shot 68 on a difficult Villaverde Resort course, which enjoyed a day off from rains that have been hitting the north-east region of Italy for nearly six weeks.

With greens that were more receptive to approach shots, but fairways which eliminate distance off of the tee, the four leaders were divided on whether or not the course was playing easier or harder as a result.

“I think it made it harder,” said Wolstenholme, a two-time British Amateur Champion. “There’s quite a few holes uphill, decent par fours that are pretty strong, and you had to hit two good shots to find the green.

“Then once you found the green, you had to be in the right area to give yourself a decent chance.

“Putting was quite tough as well because there is a bit of grain and that grain can play on your mind, so you’ve got to be very positive with your putting, which is not always easy to do.

“But at the end of the day, you get the chance to shoot four under on a golf course as difficult as this, I’m very pleased.”

Evans, who was attached to Mill Ride in Berkshire for many of his 14 years on the European Tour, was also quick to identify another layer of difficulty when the course conditions become this wet.

“I had one in the rough on the tenth where I had a little bit of a jumpy lie and I hit just a smooth nine-iron, and I was lucky it came out perfectly,” said Evans, who made his Seniors debut in the Jordan Mixed Open.

“With the rough being this damp, sometimes it can come out a little heavy, but on that occasion it came out well.

“I’m pleased with my round in these conditions although I probably let a few get away from me on my inward nine.”

Taking a different view, were the other two co-leaders, Brier and Orr.

“As it’s my first time around here, I don’t know how it plays when it’s a bit firmer,“ said Brier.

“But length is not my issue, so I would say it’s probably a bit easier because you can shoot at the pins and it’s not going to roll away or anything.”

Orr, who was attached to Burhill in Surrey, for many years, now represnts Helensburgh GC, from where he hails.

“Although it’s playing a bit longer,” said Orr, “it probably is playing a bit easier because the ball stops when it hits the green. Plus the greens are good – they’ve held up really well despite all the rain.”

Sitting one stroke back of the leading quartet is Berkshire’s Barry Lane, who only dropped a single shot in his opening-round, which also featured an eagle and a chip-in birdie.

Clark Dennis, the winner of the last two editions of the Senior Italian Open, battled hard in his opening round to card a one-under par 71, and place himself firmly in the mix, finishing day one in a share of 11^th place.

Should the American go on to win the Senior Italian open for a third time, he would become the first player to win three-successive editions of a Staysure Tour tournament since Colin Montgomerie won the Travis Perkins Masters in 2013, 2014 and 2015 at Woburn GC.

•For live scoring in the Senior Italian Open click here.

The post Senior Italian Open: Gary Evans eyes debut win at second attempt at Villaverde appeared first on Golf North.

Wellingboro’s Meghan MacLaren, who shot a superb 65 in the first round of the Jordan Mixed Open, at Ayla Golf Club. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

DAAN Huizing will forever hold a small place in history as the first overnight leader of the Jordan Mixed Open on eight-under par – but it was the LET’s Meghan MacLaren who did the most to make the unique format an instant success.

The Dutchman birdied half of the holes at Ayla Golf Club against only one bogey to card an opening round of 64.

The sublime score gave Huizing a one-shot advantage over two golfers from England — fellow Challenge Tour player Jack Senior and Ladies European Tour player Meghan MacLaren.

The first day at the Jordan Mixed saw the first use in the world of a format allowing men, women and senior golfers to compete in the same field.

MacLaren, who has been a vocal advocate for the strength of the women’s professional game, wasted no time in backing up her words.

She carded birdies on her first two holes and rode the momentum to post the early target of seven-under.

When the high winds forecast for the afternoon failed to materialise, several players, including Huizing, Senior and 2018 Staysure Tour Rookie of the Year Paul Streeter took advantage.

MacLaren, who successfully defended her Women’s New South Wales Open title last month, was delighted with her start.

She said: “If I’m going to write about it and talk about it all the time, then I’d better back it up with my golf.

“I’m delighted to do it in this tournament, particularly. Hopefully it will send a bit of a message.

“But any time you shoot seven-under in a tournament, you’re not going to be too far off the lead. Hopefully this means a few more people will be watching.

“Given everything I’ve talked about over the last few months, it is nice to back it up. But I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on myself. I’ve been saying to everybody that the girls’ standard of play will show if the course is set up properly.

“I’m just happy with how I’ve played and if that puts me near the top against the guys, then that’s just a bonus, really.”

Dutchman Daan Huzing tees off at the par five ninth in the first round of the Jordan Mixed Open, at Ayla Golf Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Huizing, who won the Lythan Trophy and St Andrews Links Trophy in 2012 before turning pro after playing in his second Eisenhower Trophy at that year’s World Amateur Team Championship, in Turkey, said: “It was a really nice round. I was hitting it nicely and made some nice putts to keep the round going as well.

“I enjoyed it. It was pretty chilled and it was good fun,” added the two-time winner on the Challenge Tour, whose victories both in his maiden season in 2013.

“It’s a different perspective to play with the seniors and play with the ladies. It was a nice, relaxed day, and I think being relaxed helped me play well.

“It will be interesting to see after three days what the findings are, but it was fun.

“We never see the seniors or the ladies because the tournaments are never together, and to hear what they do and how their Tours are, it’s good for us to hear because we normally just see the same guys every week.”

Streeter’s six-under 66 was the low-round among the over-50s contingent and placed the Lincoln golfer firmly in the mix with two rounds to go.

He said: “It was brilliant out there. I really enjoyed it. I think the tees were fairly good and I think we were very close to each other on most holes.

“A few were different but that also depends on how you strike it and the slopes you land on, but it seemed to work really well. It’s a great format and it’s something new for everybody.”

Senior, from Lancashire was also happy with his day’s work, saying: “I think you’ve got to enjoy this format, but it’s hard to know how it’s all going to pan out at the end of the week.

“I’m sure, though, that it will be a successful event and continue to be.”

The innovative tournament sees 40 players from each of the Challenge Tour, the over-50s Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour compete for the same trophy over 54 holes.

With the golfing community eager to see how the course set-up would play out, the opening round of the Jordan Mixed Open was a great success with players from all three Tours in contention and well-represented inside the projected cut line of even par.

Challenge Tour players played the first round from approximately 7,100 yards, Staysure Tour players from 6,601 yards and Ladies European Tour players from 6,139 yards.

The unofficial battle for low-couple is heating up with LET Order of Merit leader Marianne Skarpnord and her fiancée, Challenge Tour player Richard Green, combining for a two-under total, while married golfers Kyle Henry of the Ladies European Tour and Scott Henry of the Challenge Tour combined for a one-over total.

Mr Henry said: “I’m sure something along these lines would be great for both the guys and the girls.

“It’s been exciting, it’s been a definite atmosphere for all of us. It’s been good fun and its definitely something where a format along these lines is good for everybody.”

And Mrs Henry, who was prepared to wager some household chores on who would come out on top, added: “It’s been a really fun week and it’s just nice to be at a tournament together because usually the Tours are in different countries and sometimes different continents.

“Scott knew the course quite well, and I didn’t manage to get a practice round, so he was really good at giving me a few tips here and there on how to play the course smartly.”

Tournament officials collected data on driving distance, approach shot distance and club selection from every player who competed on day one and will incorporate their findings into the course set-up for Day Two to continue to ensure the fairest possible playing field for all competitors.

The second round of the Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla will begin tomorrow at 7:30 am local time before the 123-player field is reduced to the top 60 players and ties for the final day.

The post MacLaren makes fast start in Jordan Mixed Open appeared first on Golf North.