Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club set to host senior invitational Pro-Am with former Ryder Cup stars

Joy Chakravarty 23:24 15/03/2016
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  • International limelight: Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club will host four of European Senior Tour’s biggest stars.

    The spotlight will firmly be on the Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club today as the Sharjah Senior Invitational Pro-Am presented by Shurooq gets underway in the emirate.

    The 18-hole Pro-Am, featuring former European Ryder Cup stars Des Smyth, Ronan Rafferty and Paul Broadhurst, as well as European Tour winner Malcolm Mackenzie, tees off with a shotgun start at 1.00pm.

    Irishman Smyth, an eight-time winner on the European Tour and five-time winner on the European Senior Tour, who played in the Ryder Cup in 1979 and 1981, said:

    “I’m really looking forward to the Pro-Am and meeting the amateurs at the club. I’m sure it’ll be a wonderful
    event for everyone involved.”

    Englishman Broadhurst, a member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team in 1991, who won six times in Europe and claimed his first Senior Tour title at last year’s Scottish Senior Open, said: “I just love playing in the Middle East and I’m looking forward to playing in the Pro-Am in Sharjah and making new friends.”

    The hotly anticipated event marks the first European Senior Tour initiative in the Middle East since the 2006 Arcapita Seniors Tour was held in Bahrain.

    The proceedings will begin at 10.00am with a Press Conference, in which a new event is expected to be announced in the UAE. This will be followed by a tour by the players of Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club’s new state-of-the-art Golf Academy.

    The players will then be on hand on the practice range to give the amateur players some useful tips before the Pro-Am action gets underway at 1pm.

    Ronan Rafferty

    • A former European Tour stalwart with over 450 appearances and seven wins to his name, he was European No1 in 1989. The Ulsterman played the Ryder Cup that year and earned a crucial point with a 1-up win over Mark Calcavecchia to help Europe to a draw and retain the Cup.

    Martin Duff, Director of Golf, Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club, says he is looking forward to welcoming old friends and making new acquaintances to the golf club for this fun-yet-competitive event.

    “We’ve all been pleasantly surprised by the huge interest the event has created, it’s going to be a fun day for all concerned. We’ve had a fantastic response from members, sponsors, visitors, invitees and many golfers who have never played our Sharjah course before,” said Duff.

    “The course has greened up beautifully and the work that has been done on the bunkers and the shrubbery has helped put the whole layout in exceptional condition.

    Paul Broadhurst

    • The Englishman has played close to 600 tournaments on the European Tour, winning six titles. He played the famous 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah and was unbeaten with a fourball victory alongside Ian Woosnam against Paul Azinger and Hale Irwin and a singles win over Mark O’Meara.

    “We had our final qualifier on Saturday, which was oversubscribed, and I only wish we could have produced more spots but we couldn’t be more pleased with the overall support.

    “Everyone at the Club and our sponsors, Shurooq, are getting really excited at having the opportunity to showcase our course and our facilities on an international, regional and local stage.”

    Des Smyth & Malcolm Mackenzie

    • Smyth: Ireland’s Smyth won eight times on the European Tour in four different decades, and his last win in 2001 made him the Tour’s then oldest winner at the age of 48. He played the Ryder Cup in 1979 and 1981 and was assistant captain for the second time two years ago at Gleneagles.
    • Mackenzie: The Yorkshireman his career on the European Tour in 1981 and in his 20th season and in his 509th tournament, he won his maiden title at the Open de France. The Sheffieldborn golfer also finished in a share of fifth place in the 1992 Open at Muirfiled, won by Nick Faldo.

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