Australlian Peter Fowler claimed his seventh Staysture Tour win with victory in the MCB Tour Championship at Constance Lemuria. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

PETER Fowler recorded a final round of 67 to win his seventh Staysure Tour title at the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles at Constance Lemuria.

The Australian, who won last year’s Willow Senior Golf Classic at Hertfordshire’s Hanbury Manor, started the final round four shots adrift of leader James Kingston.

But Fowler carded a three-under par final round, including a bogey-free back nine, to beat the South African by a stroke.

The 2011 Staysure Tour No. 1 began his final 18 holes at the European Tour Destinations venue with impetus.

Fowler birdied the opening two holes to apply pressure on Kingston, reaching the turn in two-under after a gain at the sixth followed by a dropped shot at seven.

The calm approach remained key for the 60-year-old as players struggled in the Seychelles sun, including Kingston who dropped three shots in four holes.

Meanwhile Fowler maintained his advantage over a bunched chasing pack as he carded eight consecutive pars from the eighth to the 15th.

With players jostling for position, Fowler gained another stroke at the par five 16th to set the target at four-under.

And with Kingston unable to finish with a flourish the Australian was crowned champion in the Seychelles as he survived the physcially punishing and picturesque back nine which has serious inclines for the players to negotiate.

“It’s been a fantastic three days of golf,” Fowler said. “I made lots of birdies this week. I was fortunate to only have one bogey on my card today and that paid off.

“I played quite conservatively on the par fives towards the end but managed to get the job done.

“I opened with two birdies and then birdied the sixth and that really settled me down.

“I played quite well and had a lot of birdie chances but didn’t make them until I got to the 16th. But I kept a lot of bogeys off the card and that was important.Ÿ”

Fowleer made light of his latest victory marking 10 years on the European Seniors Tour.

“The golf ball doesn’t know how old you are,” Fowler added. “Since I’ve turned 60, I’ve said that I still need to work hard.

“If you look at Bernhard Langer and the other senior guys who are doing well around the world they continue to work hard on their fitness, which is important for us because our fitness is dropping.

“But I’m trying to keep mine up there. I’ve proved over the last 10 years that your fitness is key to success.”

Kingston signed for a final round of 72 to claim his third runner-up finish of the year.

That moved him into second place on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit.

Welshman Phillip Price, who tops the Order of Merit, extended his advantage following his third place finish in the Seychelles after his 69 on Saturday.

Lancashire’s Paul Eales also carded a round of 69 to join Price and Argentinian Mauricio Molina in a share of third – two strokes behind Fowler.

A group of four players, including Peter Baker, from the West Midlands, and Simon Brown, Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin and Sweden’s Joakim Haeggman, finished three shots adrift on one-under

Haeggman, the first Swede to play in the Ryder Cup carded the joint low round of the day, with a 66.

All the attention moves to Mauritius where the third MCB Tour Championship in a row will bring the curtain down on the 2019 Staysure Tour, with the John Jacobs Trophy going to the No. 1 player on the Order of Merit after the final round.

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

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Paul Broadhurst is puzzled why he still leading the Farmfoods European Seniors Masters at the Forest of Arden when his ball-striking has been off the boil. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

TWO-time Senior Major Champion Paul Broadhurst heads a star-studded leaderboard at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters on seven-under par after posting a second round of 68, at Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club.

The Englishman carded five birdies, an eagle and three bogeys in his four -under par 68.

The 2016 Senior Open winner leads by one shot from a group of seven players on six-under, including two Major Champions in Paul Lawrie and Ian Woosnam.

Broadhurst, playing in his first Staysure Tour event of the season, outside of the Senior Majors, was somewhat relieved to see his name at the top of the 36-hole leaderboard after admitting he was not at his best at the Coventry course.

“I don’t know whether it’s jet-lag or something, but I just haven’t swung it very well this week,” said Broadhurst, who is attached to Northamptonshire County Golf Club.

“It’s been okay on the practice area but I just haven’t been hitting shots the way I’ve been hitting it recently.

“I fat-chunked two six-irons – on six and nine – 20 yards short of the green and I’ve fat-chunked a three-rescue into 17 and somehow made birdie from it.

“There have been some poor, poor shots but I’ve obviously made some good shots as well and when I’ve hit a good shot, I’ve made birdie off it.

“It’s been a rollercoaster and I’m still leading so obviously I’m pleased,” added Broadhurst, who grew up in Walsall, and won six times on the European Tour between

“I’m not used to leading a tournament and not hitting it particularly well, said the West Midlands golfer, who played in Europe’s infamous 1991 War on the Shore Ryder Cup defeat by the USA at Kiawah Island, in South Carolina – despite not losing either of his two matches.

“Normally, you’re playing pretty well when you’re leading a tournament so tomorrow could be interesting,” added Broadhurst, whose son Sam was on the bag when he won the Seniors’ Claret Jug at Carnoustie.

Broadhurst Junior had a good summer in 2019 reaching the last 32 in the English Amateur Championship at Hankley Common after winning the North East of England Youth Championship last year and three wins at Tennessee’s Lincoln Memorial College in 2018.

With a one-shot lead heading into what is poised to be a dramatic final day on the Staysure Tour, Broadhurst only has one thing on his mind after jetting in from America for this week’s tournament.

“This is what I came back to England for,” added Nuneaton-based Broadhurst. “I didn’t come here to finish third, fourth or fifth, I want to win the tournament.

“I want to win in front of my home fans, my family and my friends.

“With that, I do put myself under a bit more pressure. You want to play well in front of all your pals, because I don’t get that chance very often as I’m playing in America so much.

“Maybe I need to take the pressure off myself and just go out and play.”

The 54-year-old will not be the only one with the trophy in his sights on Sunday, with Lawrie and Woosnam leading a chasing pack of players nicely placed for a title assault on the final day.

Lawrie, the 1999 Open Champion and Woosnam, the 1991 Masters Champion, are joined in a five-way tie for second place on six-under.

On the same mark are Sussex’s Gary Evans, Australia’s six-time Staysure Tour winner Peter Fowler, 2004 Ryder Cup winner Thomas Levet, Argentina’s Mauricio Molina and Austrian Markus Brier, who was tied for the lead with Broadhurst before bogeying his final hole in round two.

Just a stroke further back are Welshman Stephen Dodd, Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin and Lancashire’s David Shacklady, who has won twice in his last three Staysure Tour appearances.

The final round gets under way at 9.30am, with Broadhurst playing in the final group alongside Evans and Woosnam at 10.50am. For live scoring click here.

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Paul Lawrie claimed his first victory in seven years by winning the Scottish Seniors Open at Craigielaw GC. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

PAUL Lawrie won the Scottish Senior Open to claim his first Staysure Tour title in front of a home crowd at Craigielaw Golf Club.

The 1999 Open Champion battled gusty conditions throughout the final round to record a level par round of 71 to win his maiden over-50s title by two shots ahead of Peter Baker and Peter Fowler.

The Scotsman, who celebrated the 20th anniversary of his Major success at Carnoustie Golf Links in July, made the turn in 33 strokes, which was two-under par, and battled hard in the blustery conditions on the back nine to card a round of 71.

After battling injury last season and having turned 50 at the beginning of the year, Lawrie was delighted to clinch an inaugural win on the over-50s circuit, especially on home soil.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing in Scotland and that is my fourth win in my home country and I’m very proud of that,” said Lawrie who has always been regarded as one of the better foul-weather players on Tour, especially since coming from 10 shots back to beat Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard in that infamous play-off at Carnoustie.

“I think a lot of the players struggle to play in their own country with expectations on them,” added Lawrie, who hails from Aberdeen.

“But I’ve always felt comfortable playing in front of Scottish people.

“It doesn’t matter what tour it is, winning is difficult – it’s not easy. Peter Baker did a top effort to get in the house at level par.

“So my job was to get in at one-under – that was the only job I was thinking about, and I managed to finish one better than that.

“I’ve not won since 2012 on the European Tour. Obviously, I’m a senior now and I’m playing senior events.

“I want to be one of the top players on the Staysure Tour and I want to be one of the top seniors, so this win is a massive step to doing that.

“My game has been getting betting for a few weeks and I’ve been telling people that I’m getting there and I’m going to win soon.

“The Senior Open was the first week where I felt my foot and my back were where I needed them to be.

“My surgeon, Gordon Mackay, said it would take a year for my foot to be right.

“I thought my career was over with my foot the way that it was, but Gordon McKay did a great job.”

Baker, the winner of Senior Open Hauts de France in June, recorded a 70 to finish two strokes behind Lawrie in a share of second place with Australian Fowler, another wind specialist.

But the overnight leader was unable to follow his impressive five-under par 66 as he signed for a disappointing four over par 75.

Englishman David Shacklady and Austrian Markus Brier completed the top five as they finished at one-over.

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DAVID McKenzie leads at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship after an emotional day at London Golf Club, following the passing of Ryder Cup winner Gordon Brand Jnr.

The Australian recorded a bogey-free round of 65, to lead on seven-under by a stroke from Chris Williams – however, thoughts during the day were with the family of Brand Jnr after his sudden death on the eve of the tournament.

The Ryder Cup winner, who also won twice on the Staysure Tour, passed away during the night, and an emotional minute’s silence was held in his honour on the 10th tee at 12:35pm, when he would have teed off at London Golf Club for the opening round of the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship.

McKenzie, who finished tied fifth at last week’s weather-affected Senior Open, qualified for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship via Monday’s aualifying event.

And while Steve Smith was resucing the Aussies’ first innings at Edgbaston in the first Ashes test, McKenzie carried his form into the opening round, where he made seven birdies without dropping a shot on the International Course.

“I drove down Sunday night and got in at two o’clock Monday morning and then came through Monday qualifying, which was really windy,” said McKenzie.

“So, the fact there was no wind today made the course a lot easier.

“I haven’t been at the top of a leaderboard for a while now. I’ve been playing okay at the last couple of tournaments on the Champions Tour in America and I had a nice week last week, so I’ve brought that form along with me.

“I would say my shot of the day which I’m most pleased about was my tee shot on the eighth – my 17th – across the water and I hit a six-iron into four feet. I played well. I kept it in play and didn’t get in any trouble.”

South African Williams has two runner-up finished already this season but is in prime position to strike, having signed for an opening round of 66, to sit a shot behind McKenzie.

Welsh pair Stephen Dodd and Phillip Price shot five-under par rounds of 67 to occupy third place alongside Sweden’s Magnus P Atlevi and another Australian Peter Fowler.

The second round begins at 7.45am, with McKenzie aiming to continue his assault on the course at 8.55am.

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