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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Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin won his first Staysure Tour title at the MCB Tour Championship at Mauritius’ Constance Belle Mare Plage. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

JARMO Sandelin recorded a final round of 65 to win his first Staysure Tour title at the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius… the final event of the 2019 season.

The Swede came from four strokes behind at the beginning of play to clinch his maiden over 50s title, at Constance Belle Mare Plage, where Kent’s Roger Chapman, Colin Montgomerie and Tom Lehman – all Senior Majors winners – have been crowned winners in the past.

It was Sandelin’s first victory since the 2001 BMW Asian Open, thanks to a brilliant seven-under par final round to overhaul overnight leader James Kingston and claim a three-shot victory.

And it meant Sandelin had become the 12th player to win on the European Tour, the European Challenge Tour and the Staysure Tour.

Sandelin started his final 18 holes of the season with four birdies in his opening six holes, including back-to-back gains at the third and fourth.

He reached the turn at two-under after a double bogey at the par-four ninth but responded in stunning style on the back nine.

The 1999 Ryder Cup player made five consecutive birdies from the 11th to the 15th, racing up the leaderboard and passing 36-hole leader Kingston.

Even when Jarmo dropped a shot at the par-three 17th, he responded with a birdie at the 54th hole to set the clubhouse target at 12-under.

With the South African unable to reach the score, Sandelin was crowned the winner of the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius.

“It’s been a long time since I last won,” said Sandelin. “There has been a lot of practise balls, a lot of tears, and a lot of hard work in the gym.

“It’s nice to final come through and win, especially in Mauritius as it’s the final tournament of the year.

“It was the start I wanted to have. I dropped two shots on the ninth after hitting it into the water, but I bounced back with five straight birdies from 11 to 15, so that was the key.

“I felt after my fifth birdie in a row that I might have a good chance to win,” said the 52-year-old, from Stockholm, who was born in Finland, but grew up in Sweden.

“I then knew that if I made a final birdie at the last then I had a good chance of winning the title.

“All the players on the Staysure Tour are so good and I had a fantastic feeling this week and now I know that my game is good enough to win tournaments.

“I also had my son, Lukas, on the bag, which makes it an even better feeling,” said Sandelin.

Kingston carded a level par round to finish second, but the result was enough to see him crowned King of the Swing as the top-performer in the Indian Ocean – following a share of seventh place in Madagascar and a runner-up finish in the Seychelles.

A stroke behind Kingston in a tie for third was a group of three players, including Frenchman, Jean-François Remesy, who led after the first round, defending champion Clark Dennis and Wales’ Phillip Price.

The latter was crowned Staysure Tour No. 1 and awarded the 2019 John Jacobs Trophy at the conclusion of play after heading the Staysure Tour Order of Merit.

Spaniard Carl Suneson finished in sixth place while fellow countryman Miguel Angel Martin, Lancashire’s David Shacklady, Denmark’s Steen Tinning and Scot Paul Lawrie, were a shot back in a share of seventh.

Former Open Champion Lawrie, who made four birdies in his closing five holes, finished 11th on the Order of Merit, and in doing so, won the 2019 Rookie of the Year award.

•For the final results in the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius click here.

Jarmo Sandelin after his win at the British Par 3 Championship at Nailcote Hall

Sandelin’s Champions Tour Q-School success

SANDELIN also arrived on the Indian Ocean island in good form, having won the PGA Champions Tour Qualifying School First Stage Qualifier, at Tampa Bay Golf Club, in Florida, in November.

At the final stage just over a week ago, he finished in a share of 15th – only the top five, including Sweden’s former European No. 1 Robert Karlsson – earned a card for the 2020 Champions Tour.

But Sandelin can enter open qualifying events automatically on the USA’s over 50s tour by finishing inside the top 30 at TPC Scottsdale, where Surrey’s Andrew Raitt, finished tied 27th alongside former US Open winner Michael Campbell, who failed to earn a card in his rookie season.

Sandelin also won the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship at Warwickshire’s Nailcote Hall, in August – which is played over 36 holes against a field of European Challenge Tour and Staysure players – plus some with recent European Tour experience.

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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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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.

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1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie is seeking his second Staysure win of the season at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters at the Forest of Arden. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

PAUL Lawrie is targeting a continuation of his recent good form when he tees it up at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters at Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club, from October 4-6.

The Scot underwent foot surgery ahead of his rookie Staysure Tour season and after admitting he was not fully fit during the first half of the year, Lawrie has since showcased the kind of form which saw him win eight times on the European Tour, including the 1999 Open Championship.

In addition to top 10 finishes at both the British Par 3 Championship and the Scottish Par 3 Championship, the two-time Ryder Cup player won his maiden over-50s title on home soil at the Scottish Senior Open in August.

He followed it up with a tie for seventh at The Sinclair Invitational and a runner-up spot at last week’s Murhof Legends – Austrian Senior Open.

“I got to my mid-49s and I was struggling with my foot and little bit with my back,” Lawrie said. “I had to get my foot sorted out first and I obviously wasn’t fit for the first six months after turning 50.

“I was playing but I certainly wasn’t 100 per cent fit. It was always going to take a bit of a while to get up to speed but once I did, I’ve been playing some nice golf.

“I was seventh at Hanbury Manor, second last week in Austria, second in the British Par 3 and eighth in the Scottish Par 3, so every week I’ve played, I’ve played some nice stuff and some good golf.”

Lawrie, who turned 50 on New Year’s Day, has settled into life on the Staysure Tour with ease, helped by the friendly faces which he encounters on a weekly basis.

“It’s nice to see some faces I’ve not seen for a long time,” Lawrie added. “Paul Broadhurst, Ian Woosnam, Peter Baker, I’ve not seen these guys – regularly – for 10 or 15 years because other than Peter Baker, they’re a little older than me.

“It’s been nice to see come back and see some of the boys like Ross Drummond and Gary Orr, guys who I’ve not seen for a little while.

“I’m really enjoying it. The quality is very good on the Staysure Tour. Wherever you go nowadays, you’ve got to play well to win.

“The winning score was 19-under last week in Austria – the course offered a lot of chances but you’ve still got to take them. Getting to 19-under after three rounds, that’s pretty impressive. The standard is very good.”

Joining Lawrie in the final European event of the season, which is being hosted by Peter Baker, is last week’s champion José Coceres and the Argentine’s fellow two-time winner David Shacklady.

Order of Merit leader Phillip Price will go in search of his 11th top 10 finish of the season and look to cement his place at the forefront of the race for the John Jacobs Trophy.

And 2018 KitchenAid Senior PGA Champion Paul Broadhurst tees it up outside of the Senior Majors for the first time this year.

Past champions on the Forest of Arden when it hosted the British Masters on the Euorpean Tour include Colin Montgomerie, who is not in the field this week, fellow Staysure Tour members Ian Woosnam, Barry Lane, Darren Clarke and Philip Walton, plus Greg Owen and Thomas Bjorn, the last winner in 2006, emphasising the quality of ball-striking that thrives around the Coventry course.

The action gets under way at 9.30am on Friday, with Lawrie’s round beginning alongside David Gilford at 11am from the 10th tee.

•For live scoring 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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