The 2012 European Senior Tour schedule is unveiled today with the announcement of one new tournament, the Pon Senior Open in Germany, and a minimum of 15 Order of Merit events…
Taking place from September 7-9 on the Open Course at Winston Golf, in Vorbeck, the Pon Senior Open will be one of two to be played in Germany in the new season, along with the Berenberg Bank Masters, won in 2011 by Ian Woosnam, which will be held at a new venue, Golfclub Wörthsee, in Munich, from June 29-July1.
Returning to the Senior Tour schedule after an absence of one year is the Wales Senior Open, which revisits 2007 and 2008 host venue Conwy Golf Club, in Caernarvonshire, from August 24-26.
Long-running tournaments the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open, at Golf Club Bad Ragaz in Switzerland (July 6-8), the Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont St Andrews, Scotland (August 17-19), and the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters at Woburn Golf Club, England (August 31-September 2) are once again part of the schedule, along with the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship, which will be played at De Vere Slaley Hall, in England, for a fifth consecutive year (June 7-10).
The Van Lanschot Senior Open, in The Netherlands (June 22-24), and the French Riviera Masters, in France (September 21-23), will both be played for a third successive season, while the Casa Serena Open, in the Czech Republic (September 14-16), celebrates its fifth anniversary. Meanwhile the Benahavis Senior Masters, at La Quinta Golf and Country Club in Spain, moves to new date of June 1-3 for its fourth edition.
Turnberry’s iconic Ailsa Course, on the west coast of Scotland, will host The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex for a record seventh time from July 26-29, with the US Senior Open, at Indianwood Golf and Country Club in Lake Orion, Michigan, moving to an earlier slot of July 12-15. The US Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid remains the opening Senior Major Championship of the season and visits Harbor Shores, in Benton Harbor, Michigan for the first time from May 24-27.
The Fubon Senior Open in Taiwan, from November 9-11, highlights the Senior Tour’s global reach before the 21st Senior Tour campaign reaches a climax with the MCB Tour Championship at Constance Belle Mare Plage, in Mauritius, from December 7-9, where the successor to Australian Peter Fowler in the Order of Merit will lift the John Jacobs Trophy.
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “We are delighted to announce the 2012 European Senior Tour schedule today which once again reflects the global appeal of the Senior Tour and its members.
“As well as the continuation of a number of long-running tournaments, we welcome the addition of the Pon Senior Open with the support the Pon Company, which has now introduced its own event at the wonderful Winston Golf after many years co-sponsoring our previous event in Jersey.
“In addition to the Pon Company, we are grateful to all of our promoters and sponsors for their valued support in these challenging economic times and we have a number of discussions nearing conclusion before adding further tournaments to the start and end of the 2012 schedule.”
