Strong Welsh line up for Royal Porthcawl
WALES will have strong representation next year in the Rolex Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl, writes Tony Poole.
The event was successfully staged by the Lock’s Common club in 2014, and its return next summer will see a July 27 tee off
Stephen Dodd and Phil Price have recently joined the European Tour Senior ranks, and will play alongside two established players.
Recent Word Golf Hall of Fame entrant Ian Woosnam and Mark Mouland have flown the Welsh flag for many years on the European Tour Senior circuit. Ryder Cup star Price from Pontypridd, who famously downed Phil Mickelson in the 2002 event at The Belfry, is looking forward to returning to Royal Porthcawl.
During his youth he regularly teed it up in county matches, and 32 years ago in the Boys Amateur Championship.
Barry-based Dodd like Price won three times on the European Tour, and he has already got a Sen- ior win under his belt, following a Italian job back in the summer.
Paul Broadhurst will defend the Senior European tile that he won at Carnoustie this year while Bernhard Langer will be looking for another Royal Porthcawl tournament victory.
The German had 13 shots to spare over Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie when the championship was last staged at Lock’s Common in 2014.
Langer, aged 59, maintains superb form, and he last week lifted the PGA Champions Tour’s Charles Schwab Cup for a third successive year – and a fourth time overall.
That should whet the appetite of local golf lovers, and fans can now purchase tickets for Royal Porthcawl next July at discount prices up until Christmas.
Any one day adult ticket is available until December 25 for £21.50 with season tickets, incorporating practice day on July 26 and all four Championship days, available at £60.
Practice day tickets can be bought separately for £11.50 while hospitality packages for any of the four Championship days are also available.
ROYAL PORTHCAWL
BLEDDYN Taylor took a Royal Porthcawl November Medal last Saturday with a low gross round of 75-5-70.
Birdies on holes eight and 17 enabled the former Swansea and Neath rugby star pull off a six-shot success over Martin Price.
He signed for 81-5-76 off an away handicap with a birdie on hole eight and seven pars.
The unluckiest man on the Lock’s Common scene, Brian Nicholas, was once more the bridesmaid, shooting 87-11-76.
A two on hole 11 proved the highpoint, but three counts of seven delayed the victory rostrum being revisited.
Fourth-place went to D L Jones on the back of 83-5-78 (two on hole 14) ahead of Ian Bevan-Jones 88-9-78 (birdie on hole five).
Earlier, visiting player J Lukaris won a White Box Stableford competition with 37 points.
The round contained birdies on holes one and five together with 13 pars, and he had a winning margin of three points over H J Furness.
He carded a two on hole 14, while another player with an away handicap, G W Jones, signed for 33 points and third spot.
His round displayed birdies on holes five and 10 while the club’s Mr Reliable, Brian Nicholas, also entered the house on the same mark.
The highpoint of his day were eight pars with the downside two no returns that sunk his victory hopes.
Two other players signed for 33 points – Bleddyn Taylor (birdies on holes six and eight) and N D Jones (two on hole seven).
Bleddyn Bowen on 32 points had a two on the seventh while David Thursfield, Steve Bull and Philip Matthews all recorded 31 points.
Meanwhile, Royal Porthcawl has juggled dates around the Senior Open Championship for Open Tournaments in 2016.
The challenge has gone out to visiting golfers to leave the M4 motorway at Pyle, and see how their short game stands up to 122 bunkers out on the Lock’s Common course.
The dates are as follows: February 21: Winter Open. April 20: Spring Open. June 5: Ladies Open. June 29: Mixed Open. August 31: Junior Open. September 5: Summer Charity Day. September 11: Ladies Charity Day. November 7: Winter Open.