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.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

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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The 10th hole on the Brabazon Course at The Belfry has seen plenty of drama in both European Tour and Ryder Cups.

THE owners of regular Ryder Cup venue The Belfry have pledged to donate to chairty their entire green fees from the first day it is able to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown ends.

The golf course near Birmingham – which has three different courses including the Brabazon, which staged four Ryder Cups between 1985 and 2001 – was set to host more than 30 charity golf days during 2020.

But due to the coronavirus pandemic, fundraising activities and other planned donations have been cancelled or postponed.

The donations from the resort’s green fees will be given to a variety of good causes.

The charities that will benefit from the generous gesture include cancer research, heart, kidney and Parkinson’s, plus children’s charities, hospitals and hospices.

Trusts that support ex-sportsmen will also benefit along with The Belfry’s own two nominated charities for 2020 – the Matt Hampson Foundation and LoveBrum.

Belfry sales director Katie Niland said: “We want to share some positivity and support during what is an exceptionally challenging time for many charities, who rely on donations to survive and show our support for the amazing work they do.

“At The Belfry, we have the pleasure to host many charity golf days a year, so we want to take this opportunity to give something back so they can continue to help those who need it most.

“We therefore really want the first day we open the courses to count.

“The Brabazon, PGA National and The Derby will all be available to play and there will be some fun opportunities out on the courses to donate further, so whether you are a beginner, amateur or pro golfer, it’s sure to be a great day for some truly fantastic causes.”

The 54-hole complex at Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, could host hundreds of golfers and has packages for 36 holes, including one night’s stay at the on-course hotel priced from £119.

As well the Brabazon, which also hosted the last four B&H International tournaments on the European Tour, the Dave Thomas-designed PGA National, which opened in 1997, has staged the PGA Seniors Championship on the European Seniors Tour twice.

As well as the newer inland links styled PGA National, the other course at The Belfry is the Derby – a more gentle parkland layout, which was designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, and opened in 1977.

A good turn out on the first day of golf after the lockdown ends, could raises thousands for the charities chosen by The Belfry team, who won English Golf Resort of the Year at the World Travel Awards, in 2018.

•To find out more about green fees and golf packages visit the The Belfry website.

Europe’s Ryder Cup-winning team at The Belfry in 2002 with captain Sam Torrance holding the famous trophy after beating the USA. Picture by STUART FLETCHER

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Wales’ Phillip Price is looking for a strong start to the MCB Tour Championship series in Madagascar to cement his place in the battle to win the John Jacobs Trophy on the Staysure Tour’s Order of Merit. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MADAGASCAR will host its first European Tour-sanctioned tournament when the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar takes place from November 29-December 1.

It will be the first Staysure Tour event to take place on the world’s fourth largest island, and the 46th country the over-50s tour will have visited since its inception in 1992.

Phillip Price, who currently leads the Order of Merit, is hoping to claim his first John Jacobs Trophy at the conclusion of the year.

The MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar marks the first event of the MCB Tour Championship final series, which will see the Staysure Tour return to Seychelles for a second successive season from December 5-7, before the regular season-finale takes place in Mauritius, from December 13-15.

The Welshman, who won the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Kent’s London Club, in August, will make his Madagascan debut at International Golf Club Du Rova, hoping to continue his good form which sees him top the Staysure Order of Merit.

With 10 top 10s to his name and a 366-point lead over Lancashire’s David Shacklady, who is Price’s closet Order of Merit challenger in the field this week, the 2002 Ryder Cup hero knows he needs to play well in the lucrative final three events of the Staysure Tour campaign.

“Everybody wants to finish first and I’ve played pretty well all season,” Price said.

“There are a lot of challengers close behind me and there are a lot of points to play for over the next three weeks.

“If one of the top six win a couple of events, then I’m going to have to deliver something very good.

“I have a good feeling from last year’s MCB Tour Championship, where I had a second and fourth place finish.

“Madagascar is a new location for me, but I like this part of the world. I’m very familiar with Seychelles and Mauritius and hopefully this week is going to be equally as good for me.”

There is only one man knows who knows the layout at International Golf Club Du Rova, local professional Jean Baptiste Ramarozatovo, who will be making his debut on the over-50s circuit.

Meanwhile the remaining 47 players in the field will hope their pre-tournament practice pays off when the action starts.

Price added: “Marc Farry and his organisation have done a great job to get us here, making everything work properly from the hotel to transportation and we’re lucky to be having a tournament here.

“The course is in good condition, but it is very challenging off the tee, especially around the greens. There are many banks off the greens and a lot of them lead to deep bunkers.”

The first round of the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar will begin at 8am local time, with Price teeing off at 9:17am. Madagascar is three hours ahead of GMT.

•For live scoring in the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar click here.

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PHILLIP Price won the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at London Golf Club to claim his second Staysure Tour title in three years.

The 2002 Ryder Cup star recorded rounds of 67, 66 and 71 before a final round of 67, to win the championship by two-shots from 2005 US Open winner Michael Campbell, James Kingston and Peter Lonard.

The Welshman’s first victory on the over-50s circuit came at the 2017 WINSTONgolf Senior Open.

And after five top 10s in 2019, Price became a Staysure Tour winner once again with victory at the European Tour Destinations venue at Ash, in Kent, thanks to that five-under par final round.

Price began the fourth round two strokes behind 54-hole leader David McKenzie, but started his surge up the leaderboard with three birdies in his first six holes, including one at the first hole.

A bogey on the seventh saw him make the turn at two-under to apply the pressure on the leaders before he moved swiftly passed them on the back nine.

Price shot a blemish-free 33, including an eagle on the 11th and a birdie on the 16th to set the target at 17-under.

With South African Kingston and Australian Lonard unable to match the Welshman’s total, Price was crowned champion to become the first player from Wales to win the event since Brain Huggett in 1993.

“This win is a little nicer than the first one,” said Price, who famously beat Phil Mickelson in the Sunday singles at The Belfry before Paul McGinley holed the winning putt..

“I’ve had my wife and two children here with me, and the children haven’t seen me win anything so that made it special.

“It’s nice to have them both here and nice to see me win something. I’ve been playing quite well all year with a lot of top 10 finishes, but without a win – so this was a huge relief for me.

“The birdie on the first got me off to a nice start. I hit a good tee shot and a nice six-iron and then a good chip. I holed a nice putt and that settled me down.

“I had a number in my mind all week. Eighteen-under won last year and I wanted to get to that.

“I got to 17, which is pretty close, and 18-under would’ve seen them off. But 17-under was good enough to get the job done.”

Major champion Campbell recorded a final round of 67, including an eagle finish, to finish two shots behind Price in second place alongside Kingston and Lonard.

Overnight leader and fellow Aussie McKenzie signed for a final round of 72 to take fifth.

With his win, Price moves into third place on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit, up from sixth place.

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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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MICHAEL Campbell will make his first Staysure Tour appearance outside of a Senior Major when he tees it up at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, at London Golf Club, on Thursday.

The 2005 US Open champion – who finished two shots ahead of Tiger Woods at Pinehurst – turned 50 at the beginning of the year and will make his first regular Staysure Tour appearance this week.

Campbell last played a full European Tour season in 2013, with his last start coming at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January 2014.

During his break from the sport, the Kiwi was back home, spending time with his family, and with son Thomas on the bag this week, he is excited to be teeing it up in Kent.

Campbell said: “He’s pretty excited about this week and it’s his first time on the bag.

“Turning 50 and joining the senior ranks came at a perfect time for me. I spent over 20 years on Tour and needed a rest from playing and a chance to reconnect with my boys.

“My two sons were 12 and 15 when I stopped playing for a while, so it was nice to have a normal life.

“I would go to the groceries store and cook dinner and have a normal life,” said the player whose UK base while on Tour was in Brighton.

“I’d been an absent father over the years, spending so much time away from them, so those six years I made sure I was there, especially for things like watching them play sport.”

Now back playing competitive golf, the eight-time European Tour winner is eager to enjoy his time on the over-50s circuit after teeing it up in the Senior Majors earlier in the year.

“I’m excited to play,” said Campbell. “I’ve had a strange schedule this year, playing only three times at the three Senior Majors, so I’ve thrown myself into the deep end after not playing for six years.

“My game is slowly coming back and I just need to play more tournaments and being here at London Golf Club is great.

“The course looks great and having spoken to a few of the guys it will be a great test of golf, especially with the weather conditions this week.

“These guys on the over-50s circuit can play golf, that’s what I really noticed in the tournaments I’ve played this year.

“For me, it’s nice to be out here playing against these guys because when I wasn’t playing for six years, I really missed competing. It’s nice to get the competitive juices flowing again.

“One of the things I noticed about this Tour is that it’s more relaxed and not as intense as the European Tour, which is nice. It’s also nice to see all my friends again.

“I saw Bernhard Langer for the first time in six years, plus Retief, Monty, Vijay, because I grew up playing against these guys in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“It’s nice to be back on the same golf courses as these guys and back competing against them.”

Campbell will face a tough test if he is to succeed at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship with last year’s winner Philip Golding, from Hertfordshire, hoping to defend his title.

And Colin Montgomerie, who set the course-record last year with a nine-under par opening round of 63, will be looking to clinch his 10th Staysure Tour victory.

The first round will begin at 7.45 am, with Campbell teeing off alongside Montgomerie at 9.05am.

Follow live scoring here.

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