TIM THELEN .. bound for Meldrum House tournament next week
 
SWISS SENIORS OPEN WINNER TO PLAY

 IN ABERDEEN SENIOR MASTERS


By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Tim Helen, the 55-year-old Texan who won the Swiss Seniors Open title at the weekend for the second time in four years, has filed an entry for next week's Aberdeen Senior Masters over 54 holes at Meldrum House, Oldmeldrum.
Helen, who finished birdie-birdie for his latest win at Golf Club Bad Raz, has won five times in all on the European Senior Tour for pros aged 50 and over.
The Aberdeen Senior Masters is a tournament on the independent Senior Golf Circuit for professionals - and Category 1 amateurs - aged 48 and over. It is run by a Scot, David James from Dumfries, who played as an amateur for Scotland in the home internationals of 1985 and still competes as a senior pro.
Said Helen after his second Swiss victory:
“It’s fantastic to win again, it had been a couple of years. Looking back, I’ve won every other year. My last victory was in 2014 and I won three times in 2012, so this is my year.”
Thelen finished one shot ahead of Englishman Simon P Brown and the pair will cross swords again in the Aberdeen Senior Masters which has a £50,000 prize fund with a first prize of £10,000.
The tournament, won last year by Spain's Miguel Martin, who is not defending the title, is jointly sponsored by Thistle Windows, the Gym Rental Company  and Meldrum House Hotel.
Former Ryder Cup star Paul Broadhurst, Paul Wesselingh, Senior PGA champion Robert Arnott, Andrew Oldcorn, Peter Baker, Kenny Hutton, Stephen McAllister, Brendon McGovern and Jonathan Lomas  are also among the 110  entries.
There will be no charge for spectators or for car parking and the starting tee times will range from 8am to 2pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. There is no cut.  Monday is the official practice day at Meldrum House.