Senior highlights at Carnoustie & Fairmont St Andrews

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
The European Senior Tour today announces a ground-breaking schedule for the 2010 season, taking in exciting new destinations in South Africa and The Netherlands and a first visit to Carnoustie’s historic links.
Following the recent success of the season-opening Mauritius Commercial Bank Open at another exotic new venue, the Senior Tour heads into the New Year with a strong initial 2010 schedule and further events set to be announced next month.
Once again, the high point of the season will be The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard, played for the first time over the demanding Scottish links at Carnoustie, where three-time past champion Tom Watson claimed his first regular Major in 1975.
Before Carnoustie makes its debut on the schedule in July, the Senior Tour will have visited a number of far-flung destinations, starting with the second edition of the Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by the Stapleford Forum from March 5-7.
The Senior Tour will then make its maiden voyage to South Africa three weeks later for the inaugural Berenberg Bank Masters over the stunning Gary Player-designed Links at Fancourt.
Later in the season, the inaugural Van Lanschot Senior Open at Royal Haagsche Golf and Country Club from July 9-11 will see the Senior Tour return to The Netherlands for the first time in nine years.
Those events join long standing tournaments, the Jersey Seniors Classic (June 4-6), the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open (July 2-4), the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters (September 3-5) and the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open (June 18-20), which returns to Royal Porthcawl Golf Club just four months before the nearby Celtic Manor Resort hosts The Ryder Cup itself.
The Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open returns to Fairmont St Andrews for the second time from August 20-22, a month after The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard from July 22-25.
That will be the season’s second Senior Major Championship following the US Senior PGA Championship which, in 2010, will be played at Colorado Golf Club in Denver from May 27-30, while Sahalee Country Club in Seattle will host the US Senior Open from July 29 to August 1.
In addition, the Senior Tour’s other four round event, the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship, will once again be played at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland from June 24-27.
If, as in 2009, the Senior Tour Order of Merit remains closely fought until the end of the season, the lucrative Casa Serena Open in the Czech Republic could prove decisive when it returns to Casa Serena Golf for the third time from September 17-19.
The season will then end with the traditional finalé, the OKI Castéllon Senior Tour Championship, which again takes place at the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo, in Spain, from November 5-7.
Sam Torrance finished third in Castéllon last month to edge past Ian Woosnam in the battle of the Ryder Cup Captains to capture the John Jacobs Trophy as Senior Tour Number One and the duo will go head to head again in 2010, which promises to be another exciting season for the Senior Tour.
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “We are extremely grateful to our Promoters and Sponsors for their support of the European Senior Tour and we look forward to another scintillating season with some great golf in spectacular destinations.
“Many of our relationships are forged over many years but it is encouraging to see new sponsors and venues join the Tour family and, with the relaxed ambience of the Senior Tour, we hope they remain with us for some time to come.”
“In addition, we have a number of ongoing conversations relating to further tournaments on the 2010 schedule and these will be added in due course.”