Ryder Cup 2016 captain Paul McGinley among names to feature at Staysure Tour's second edition of Sharjah Golf Masters

Sport360 staff 15:09 16/02/2018
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  • Paul McGinley

    The stars of the Staysure Tour are set to make their return for the second edition of the Sharjah Golf Masters presented by Shurooq at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club from March 8-10.

    After the success of last year’s tournament, the first event on the Staysure Tour calendar for 2018 will welcome some of golf’s biggest names from years gone by with 14 Ryder Cup players set to tee it up in the UAE, including 2014 Ryder Cup-winning captain Paul McGinley.

    He will be joined by Clark Dennis, who became the first American to win the John Jacobs Trophy for topping the Order of Merit in 2017, and was also named Rookie of the Year that same season.

    As in 2017, the tournament will be played over the nine-hole golf course at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club.

    Last year’s champion Chris Williams joins the field too, with preparations in full swing to defend the title he won in spectacular fashion after beating Gary Marks in a play-off.

    Among the host of former Ryder Cup players among the star-studded field are Des Smyth, Ronan Rafferty, Costantino Rocca, Gordon Brand Jnr, Barry Lane, Phillip Price, Jarmo Sandelin, Miguel Angel Martin, Peter Baker, José Rivero, Philip Walton, and Steven Richardson.

    Northern Ireland’s Rafferty, winner of the European Tour Order of Merit in 1989 and former European number one, will continue his quest for a maiden Staysure Tour title, adding to the seven he won on the European Tour between 1989 and 1993.

    Also confirmed are two-time senior major champion Roger Chapman, who became the first European to win both the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open in the same season in 2012.

    He’ll be joined by 2016 Senior Tour Rookie of the Year Magnus P Atlevi, who secured his maiden Senior Tour title at Le Golf National, host venue of the 2018 Ryder Cup, at the Paris Legends Championship.

    Phil Golding will also look to add another Staysure Tour title after doubling his number of victories to four in 2017 with wins at the Swiss Seniors Open and Travis Perkins Masters.

    David MacLaren, head of the Tour, said: “As you can see by the quality of the field we are expecting for the first event on the Staysure Tour in 2018 we expect this tournament will provide another enthralling battle between our players and a worthy winner of the title.

    “We wish all of our players the best of luck for the forthcoming season and we look forward to working alongside our new title partner in Staysure to deliver another memorable season of golf.”

    Speaking on the return of the Staysure Tour season to Sharjah, His Excellency Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of tournament sponsors and co-organisers the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), said: “We look forward to the return of some of the biggest and most prominent names in senior golf, who shared memorable experiences during their last participation at the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters 2017.

    “Similarly, we are excited to welcome some of the new names participating, all of which sharing a dedicated commitment to going after the title.

    We see these types of tournaments as key opportunities for us to give tourists, visitors and golf enthusiasts a taste of authenticity, nature and culture when practicing a prestigious sport such as Golf in Sharjah.”

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