Phil Price has added the Wales Golf Tour Pro of the Year award to the Staysure Order of Merit the 2019 PGA Seniors Championship winner picked up in Mauritius in December.
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WELSH seniors champion Phil Price rates winning the Staysure Seniors Tour Order of Merit in 2019 as being right up there with his Ryder Cup heroics.

Following Ian Woosnam as the only Welsh player to top one of the main golf order of merit tables was also enough to earn 53-year-old Price the Wales Golf Tour Pro of the Year Award.

While Price is best known for beating Phil Mickelson in the singles of the 2002 Ryder Cup helping Europe to victory at The Belfry, topping last year’s European Seniors Tour money list represents reward for consistency.

Price was due to collect the award at the Wales Golf Annual Awards Lunch at 2010 Clubhouse of Ryder Cup venue Celtic Manor earlier this month.

But the event had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The John Jacobs Trophy, awarded to the European Seniors’ order of merit winner, followed an impressive showing in 17 events.

Price won the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Kent’s London Club, in August, and also finished in the top 10 no fewer than 12 times.

His finish at the top of the rankings was confirmed with a tied third at the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius in mid-December.

Former World No. 1 Ian Woosnam – who claimed a Green Jacket at Augusta in the 1991 Masters – won the European Tour Order of Merit twice, as well as the European Seniors Tour once.

So Price became the second Welshman to top one of those rankings since they started in 1970.

“I wanted to win this order of merit and I rank doing it as one of my top three golfing achievements,” said Price.

“The Ryder Cup is what I will be remembered for and it was special to win that singles match and be part of a winning Ryder Cup team.

“Winning the European Open was also big for me. However winning the John Jacobs Trophy is right up there with those two things.

“Everyone wants to be No. 1, so to do it over 17 events is very important to me.

“I won the PGA which is our biggest event outside the Majors, so it was nice to win that as part of a year which I enjoyed.

“I was leading from August on, but it was a long end of the season through to December.

“The pressure built up more and more because people were congratulating me, but there were a few people chasing me down.

“I had a lot to do going into the last event because if James Kingston won it then I would have had to be in the top 10 to stay top of the money list.

“He was leading going into the final round so I knew I was under pressure to come through.

“I think it was my consistency which won it, most weeks I would turn up and do something.

“I was in good shape, prepared well, a strong mentality and a good ‘B’ game if I was not playing my best.”

The Staysure Tour Order of Merit win was made more special for Price as his son Edward was his caddy at the final event, and the rest of his family were in Mauritius to join in the celebrations.

Price added: “The whole family were there and my son was on the bag. He was great, it was a stressful back nine and he was very supportive.

“It was great to get onto the last green and know it was all over, it was nice to do it together.

“Our children were too young to be part of it when I won on the European Tour, so it was enjoyable to be with everyone this time.”

Phil Price celebrates with his son Edward who caddied at the MCB Tour Championship with Wales Golf past-president Jeff Harries (right)

‘If you join Woosnam as only other Welsh winner, it’s pretty special…’

WALES Golf chief executive Richard Dixon paid tribute to Price after his award was announced.

Richard said: “Congratulations to Phil, a deserved winner of this award for a big achievement in Welsh golf history.

“Any time you are joining Ian Woosnam as the only other Welsh player to have gained an achievement, you know you have done something pretty special.

“Only four years ago we were presenting Phil with a Wales Golf Outstanding Achievement Award, but he has shown he can still compete at the top level.

“Apart from working hard for his own success, Phil has always been an excellent role model and happy to give something back to the next generations of Welsh golfers coming through the ranks.

“We look forward to making the formal presentation of this well-deserved award at an event later in the year.”

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Phllip Price claimed the John Jacobs Trophy for the first time having been runner-up on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit in 2018, he finished at the top of the 2019 rankings after the final event in Mauritius. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

PHILLIP Price won the John Jacobs Trophy for the first time after topping the 2019 Staysure Tour Order of Merit.

Price held off his four challengers for the No. 1 spot in the final event of 2019 – the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius.

South African James Kingston was the main danger and was looking set for the win he needed to overhaul Price, at the start of the third and final round, on Sunday.

Price moved up to a share of third place during Sunday’s final round, having slipped briefly at one point on the back nine to just outside the top 10 finish, which would guarantee him the crown.

A burst of three birdies in three holes from the 12th looked to have put the result beyond doubt for Price, as Sandelin surged past the field to go one clear of Kingston.

But the 2002 Ryder Cup hero then dropped shots at the 15th and 16th before a birdie four at the dramatic final hole at Costance Belle Mare Plage lifted him inside the top five and a total of 2,888 points on the Staysure Order of Merit

Price was the most consistent player during the year. Last year the Welshman finished second on the season-long rankings behind two-time John Jacobs Trophy winner Paul Broadhurst.

But the 53-year-old went one better in 2019 to win the trophy – finishing 361.6 points ahead of Kingston in second place.

“To be No. 1 after 19 tournaments is really important to me,” said Price. “I’ve never won an Order of Merit of any type. I wanted to be number one, not number two or three, so I’m delighted.

“I finished second last year to Paul Broadhurst, which was nice – but it didn’t feel great. But to be No. 1 and have the trophy is extra special.

“Coming into the final three weeks I was leading the Staysure Tour Order of Merit, but I knew there were a lot of points to play for at the events.

“Barry Lane won (Madagascar), then Peter Fowler won (Seychelles), and James Kingston was leading after 36 holes this week and he could’ve passed me if I hadn’t finished inside the top 10.

“It’s a massive relief and I’m delighted to be Staysure Tour No. 1,” added Price.

“I needed to play quite well. I managed to make quite a few birdies early on and kept a buffer between myself and the players outside the top 10 and in the end Jarmo won.

“It was nice to birdie the last and celebrate. It always nice to make a nice putt and punch the air, realising I’m No. 1.”

Price needs top 10 to win John Jacobs Trophy

Price, who famously beat Phil Mickelson in the Sunday singles at The Belfry 17 years ago to help Europea defeat the USA, won the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, at Ken’s London Club, in August – one of 12 top 10s during the year.

Lancashire’s David Shacklady, who won twice in September at The Sinclair Invitational and Paris Legends Championship, finished third on the Staysure Order of Merit.

Frenchman Jean-Francios Remesy and Australian Peter Fowler, winners of the Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship and the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles, respectively, claimed fourth and fifth place on the season-long rankings.

Berkshire’s Barry Lane, who needed a second win in three weeks on the Indian Ocean swing, finished sixth overall, with Peter Baker, from the West Midlands in eighth.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie finished 11th in his rookie year.

•To see the final Staysure Order of Merit click here.

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WINSTONgolf Senior Open winner Clark Dennis after the American fired a superb 63 to come from six shots back to pip Spain’s Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal in Germany.
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CLARK Dennis came from six shots behind to win his fifth Staysure Tour title at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open after a stunning nine-under par 63 in the final round.

The American made five consecutive birdies in his last six holes to set the target at 15 under par, and with overnight leader José María Olazábal bogeying the 16th hole and unable to move back to the summit, Dennis became the first American to triumph at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open.

It was the 53-year-old’s lowest round of the week and lowest round of the season at WINSTONgolf in Vorbeck, as he won for the first time since he equalled the Tour’s low 54-hole score to win the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius last December.

“It’s one of the best final rounds of my career,” Dennis said. “I played fantastic today. Most rounds you look back on them and say I could’ve done this or that, but aside from hitting it in the water on the first and making a par there, the round could not have been any better.

“I figured I was playing for second place. I told my wife that I probably needed to birdie the last six holes to have a chance and I almost did it.

“I had a birdie putt on 18 which went close, but those type of runs are never expected, they just happen.”

Dennis began his final round with three birdies in his opening five holes, making the turn at three-under par.

Olazábal, who was hoping to win his first Staysure Tour title, was six shots ahead of him after nine holes, but the following eight holes saw the American reel in the Spaniard before passing him.

A gain on the par three 11th got the ball rolling on the back nine before he made five successive birdies from the 13th hole to wipe out Olazábal’s lead, narrowly missing out on a birdie at the last, but setting the target in the clubhouse at 15 under par.

With Olazábal dropping a shot on the par four 16th and unable to birdie the final two holes, Dennis was crowned the WINSTONgolf Senior Open Champion.

“Olazábal is a gentleman,” Dennis said. “I’ve played with him before and he’s an absolute gentleman. I kind of felt bad, keeping him from winning his first Staysure Tour, title but I had to do what I did.

“Olazábal and Langer are the best of all time. They’re both two-time Masters Champions. They are incredible players.

“To be able to compete against them is great but to beat them is even better because you know you have to play your best golf to beat those guys because they’re fantastic players.”

The Spaniard finished a stroke behind Dennis for his best finish on the Staysure Tour, with James Kingston of South Africa two further shots back in third place after his final round of 66, six under par.

Home favourite Bernhard Langer finished at 11-under, chipping in for birdie on the last, to join England’s Jamie Spence in a share of fourth place.

Dennis and his fellow competitors will now travel to Royal Lytham & St Annes for the final Senior Major Championship of the season, The Senior Open, from July 25-28.

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