Having not played for nearly a month, since the Travis Perkins Masters at Woburn at the beginning of September, The European Senior Tour once again gets into its stride in the run up to the MCB Tour Championships in December. This week’s French Riviera Masters is the penultimate event on the tour schedule this season and so all 72 professionals will be out to finish the season in style and secure their playing rights for the 2016 European Senior Tour.
For the first time in its history, Champions of Golf this week is proud to manage three senior tour players all competing in France. three time European Senior Tour winner Gary Wolstenholme MBE has been part of the golfing stable for a number of years and was joined earlier this season by 6 time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup player Paul Broadhurst, who subsequently went on to win at Archerfield in the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open, his debut appearance.
However the third member of the Senior stable is Ryder Cup winner and seven time tour winner David Gilford. Narrowly missing out on competing at Woburn having turned 50 only a week after Colin Montgomerie lifted the title, David is excited to be making his debut this week in France six years after last playing on tour in the 2009 European Open.
David commented, “I am looking forward to the competition and meeting up with some of my former colleagues on The European Tour,” admitted Gilford. “I don’t think we ever lose that competitive edge and Paul underlined that at Archerfield a few weeks ago.”
In the gallery for the second round in Scotland were four holidaymakers from Shropshire – namely Gilford, wife Donna and their 11 year old twins, Joseph and Benjamin. He explained: “We were on holiday in the Gleneagles area and the weather wasn’t great, so the boys and I went to have a look at the Senior Tour.
“I watched Paul and Barry Lane in the second round and ‘Broady’ was seven under for the day at one stage while Barry seemed to be playing just as well as ever. So I know what to expect when I get started!”
Tee Times
Round One – Friday 2nd October 2015
Paul Broadhurst 08.30 (07.30 UK time) with Peter Fowler
David Gilford 08.50 (07.50 UK time) with Paul Wesselingh
Gary Wolstenholme 09.20 (08.20 UK time) with Andrew Oldcorn, Simon Brown and Jose Rivero.
As always best of luck to all the Champions of Golf professionals taking part in events this week including Paul, Gary and David.