Peter Evans had to chuckle when he opened his birthday card on the 29th of July last year. The Royal Porthcawl professional had watched with a sense of frustration as one of the most successful Senior Open Championships in recent years was played out at the club he has represented for 32 years.
“My birthday fell on the Tuesday after the event finished, so I was just ineligible to play a Major Championship on my own doorstep,” he explained. “However, I opened one card and it had the message to the effect that if only my mother had had me a week earlier, I would have been in the field. It was signed by Tom Watson! A classy gesture from the great man.”
However, senior golf returns to Wales once more later this month in the form of the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open at The Celtic Manor Resort, and Evans – now officially among the senior ranks – is keen to make up for lost time as one of several local players in the field.
The superb Roman Road course will host the tournament, which returns to the schedule after a year’s absence, from May 29-31 and Evans said: “It’s a lovely venue. I was lucky enough to play in one of the inaugural events there around 20-odd years ago and it’s a great set-up. The guys will really enjoy it.”
Evans joins Welsh players of the quality of Ian Woosnam and Mark Mouland – both outstanding competitors on The European Tour down the years – and he added: “It was tremendous news to see Woosie winning on the US Champions Tour recently. He’s such a great ambassador for the country and the game and he adds a different dimension to the Wales Senior Open.
“I am trying to get as much competitive experience as possible over the next couple of weeks in readiness for the event. It’s difficult with my teaching and other day to day chores at Royal Porthcawl, but I am looking forward to it.
“I last played in the Wales Open on the main Tour in 2008 and was part of a three ball including Miguel Angel Martin and Alvaro Quiros. I terrified the two of them, I can tell you, with my long hitting! Seriously, it was lovely being drawn with two big names.”
Evans, one of only four head professionals in 124 years at Royal Porthcawl, is also looking forward to competing in the British Club Professionals Championship, having qualified for Burnham and Berrow, and will attempt to pre-qualify for the 2015 Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Sunningdale.
“One of our eminent members at Royal Porthcawl, John Jermine, is captain at Suningdale this year and has kindly invited me and my sons to play there a number of times. I would love to be part of that event this time around, having missed out by a matter of days last year!”
Woosnam, the 1991 Masters Champion, returns home having won his first event on the Champions Tour, the Insperity Invitational, after a sudden-death play-off. Mouland will also be among the favourites for the title along with 2013 winner Phil Golding of England while Celtic Manor professional Glyn Davies joins Evans as one of the tournament invitations.
Hospitality opportunities and advance tickets for the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open are now available at a discounted rate by visiting: http://europeantour.seetickets.com/
For further information regarding sponsorship, exhibition and Pro-Am teams, please contact Simon Harris via email on sharris@europeantour.com, or by calling +44 1344 840518.
Parking for event will be free of charge, and Under-16s will be also admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult.
Read more at http://www.europeantour.com/seniortour/season=2015/tournamentid=2015839/news/newsid=255772.html#K3rgc4YZELVVbcV5.99
