By John Huggan
In the absence of many star names plying their trade primarily on the PGA Tour Champions in the United States, what was the European Senior Tour, then the Staysure Tour, has always struggled for attention. Nostalgia was its biggest selling point, the circuit reliant on pro-am income to survive.

Although specifics in terms of scheduling and the number of future events are still to be determined, things are going to be different in 2021. For one thing, the Staysure name will be replaced by the rather grand Legends Tour. And for another, Staysure Group CEO Ryan Howsam has assumed a majority equity share in what is, in golf, a unique ownership structure. Working alongside the head of the Legends Tour, Mark Aspland, Howsam, who founded the travel insurance company in 2004, will oversee the tour’s commercial strategy.

In that regard, the so-far lack of many recognisable names to build events around has been acknowledged and rectified. Going forward, former Ryder Cup captains Darren Clarke, Mark James, Tom Lehman, Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam, along with 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell and 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie, will act as the tour’s “official ambassadors.” They will, according to the press release announcing the changes to the 50-and-older circuit, “play a key role in outlining the tour’s vision in the months to come.”

“Our major champions, our past Ryder Cup players and captains and our European Tour winners have considerable pulling power,” Aspland said. “The accessibility to them offered by our new structure will form the basis of our growth plan moving forward.”

Indeed, perhaps the biggest difference will be in what Howsam calls the “alliance format” of the as-of-now undetermined number of 2021 events, in which amateurs will get the chance to play alongside the pros in tournament conditions. An additional focus on the amateur experience, will include a selection of celebrity pro-ams aimed at bringing together the “legends of golf” with others from sports, music and entertainment.

“I see the re-launch of this tour as something which could change the landscape of over-50s golf forever,” said James, a seven-time Ryder Cup player. “The alliance format brings a different dimension to competitive golf and will give the players the opportunity to meet a plethora of people and form new relationships, while amateurs will continue to hear the many stories from our lives on tour.”

Entry to that sociable atmosphere will come at a premium price. Membership into the “Legends Club” will cost £60,000, a source told Golf Digest. There will also be a dedicated Order of Merit where the amateurs will compete for a place in the end-of-season Tour Final by playing in three-day alliance events at some of the “best golf courses in the world.”

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Rewind 12 months to the eve of the inaugural Sharjah Senior Golf Masters and Chris Williams seriously doubted if he had the mental fortitude to win again. He’d recorded 39 top-10s in eight seasons on the Staysure Tour (formerly European Senior Tour) – nine of them podium finishes – and yet had only once converted for the silverware, at the 2011 Brunei Senior Masters. It got to the point where the only final round surprise was when, not if, he would stumble down the stretch.

But on Saturday at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club last March, Williams held his nerve to bury the demons as he edged Gary Marks in sudden death.

Related: Williams beats his inner demons to win inaugural Sharjah Seniors title

“Words fail me,” the now 58-year-old South African said at the time. Fast-forward 12 months and the disbelief has given way to understandable pride.

“It was a good feeling and something [extra] special to create history, winning the first European Tour-sanctioned event ever held on a nine hole golf course. It was a unique event and a completely new experience to play a Tour event on a nine-hole course, but I guess in playing nine holes twice I got to know the course a little better than an 18-hole layout. It’s always good to win a play-off too. You never know what might happen when you’re playing extra holes.”

South African Chris Williams celebrates at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club

The victory spurred Williams on to his most successful seniors circuit season since 2010 as he finished runner-up to American Clark Dennis in the Order of Merit race. He’s looking forward to refreshing old friendships in Sharjah but there is more fighting talk than a year ago.

Related: Dennis a happily marked man in Sharjah

“As Senior Tour players we get to know each other over the years, unlike the main Tours. We see each other just about every week during the season and we make friends over many years. We enjoy the atmosphere and the interaction between players and spectators but there is always a competitive edge to the tournaments.

“We are certainly out here to enjoy ourselves but we are here to win a golf tournament. That’s our focus and that’s our target. It’s an enjoyment to play well and be in contention and it’s most enjoyable to win. When I won in Sharjah last year, in a play-off with Gary Marks, it took a lot of pressure off me and gave me the impetus to have a really good season.

“I’ve been having a good time at home in South Africa over the last few months and I’ve kept fit by practicing almost every day and playing in a few Pro-Ams. I won a Pro-Am just recently so maybe that’s a good omen for me to hold on to my title and retain the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters trophy.”

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The former Ryder Cupper is leading the call to action for volunteers ahead of the Staysure Tour (formerly European Senior Tour) event at the nine-hole Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club on March 8-10.

Jobs are available as caddies, marshals and scorers and Rafferty, 54, promises a unique “fun-filled” experience for those willing to give up their time.

“It’s not like when you’re at the Dubai Desert Classic or the DP World Tour Championship where the players aren’t really approachable. The merry band of over 50s are just the opposite, the atmosphere is completely different,” said the seven-time European Tour winner who is searching for his maiden Staysure Tour title.

“That might not have been evident in Sharjah last year because the golfing public in Dubai are used to things like ‘keep quiet, there are some golfers over there’. It won’t be like that at Sharjah. So get involved – name your group, call yourself the ‘merry bandits’, get a name tag on everyone so we can build up a relationship and get on first-name terms and we’ll interact for the week.”

The Northern Irishman, who played the 1989 Ryder Cup at the Belfry after topping the European Tour moneylist that season, says the Staysure Tour players are ready for a bit of banter.

“At events like the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, certain ‘teams’ of volunteers will work on each hole, and players then get to know those people day by day and year after year. They walk up onto the tee and they see a familiar face in a marshal’s uniform, and they recognise you and greet you.

Volunteers at last year’s Sharjah Senior Masters with winner Chris Williams.

“It would be great to get a bunch of people down from the local golf clubs or involve a group of people from a social club. Because every club has its groups of friends who play in a regular four-ball on a certain day. It’s more appealing to do things in a group, rather than on your own as an individual, so if you’re interested in volunteering – bring a friend or two.

You can register as a volunteer for the Sharjah Senior Masters here.

The deadline is February 16. Those who apply for roles will be contacted on February 23.

South African Chris Williams, who pipped Englishman Gary Marks in a playoff last March, is poised to defend his title. Rafferty, for the record, finished in a share of 43rd place at the inaugural 54-hole event featuring a field of 57 and no halfway cut.

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TROON, SCOTLAND – JULY 27: Laura Davies of England plays her tee shot to the 12th hole during the first day of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open at Dundonald Links Golf Course on July 27, 2017 in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

By Joel Beall
Laura Davies has over 80 professional victories in her distinguished career, including four major championships. Though she hasn’t found the winner’s circle in quite some time, the 53-year-old is about to add another accomplishment to her mantle.

Davis is set to become the first woman to compete in a men’s senior tour event, accepting an invitation to next year’s Shipco Masters.

“My golfing career has been played in parallel with a number of players who are currently on the Senior Tour,” said Davies in a statement. “I’m really looking forward to testing my wits against them.”

The competition, part of the European Senior Tour, is set for June in Denmark at Denmark’s Simon’s Golf Club.

“Dame Laura’s participation in this event is an honor for the European Senior Tour,” said David MacLaren, head of the circuit. “She has been one of my golfing heroes since 1996 and this is another example of the European Tour and European Senior Tour being prepared to innovate and look to attract a wider audience to the game of golf.”

The post Laura Davies to become first woman to compete in senior tour event appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

 Tell us about your plans for 2017. Any European Tour/European Senior Tour events on the horizon?
My main focus is The Champions Tour [in the U.S.]. The year is shaping up very well, the tour gets stronger every year with new players joining all the time. In Europe I plan on playing the Senior Open presented by Rolex at Royal Porthcawl, and the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius in December.

You’ve bagged the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior PGA. You must surely have your sights on the Senior Open being a proud Scot?
Although I am a proud Scot, I am also very proud to be British, and therefore yes the Senior Open is very important to me, having finished runner up in The Open and The Senior Open, I would love to finally break my duck. I played Royal Porthcawl in 2014 when The Senior Open was hosted there.

You qualified for the Open Championship last year and survived the weekend at Royal Troon after recovering from that crazy start. You said at the time that playing at your home course had inspired you to have another crack at qualifying so is Royal Birkdale on your radar this year?
Due to scheduling this year it doesn’t permit me to participate in Open qualifying this year.

 Will we see a 50+ golfer win a major or do the young guns just hit to too far now?
The only major I feel a 50+ golfer can win is The Open Championship, due to the fast fairways and greens being a slower pace.

The BMW Golf World Final has been hosted here in Dubai. Tell us about your involvement and connection with BMW?
I have been an ambassador since 2010, and I am delighted to represent BMW throughout the world.

If you had to take a golf road trip, tell us what model BMW you’d chose to drive, who’d share the journey with you and where you’d go golfing?
I would love to take a 7 series along the Monterey Peninsula, ending up playing Cypress Point, Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach. I’d take my brother and dad.

You won the European Tour OOM eight times and seven times on the trot. Do you think we’ll ever see that sort of dominance again?
I have heard it said it will never be repeated, but if it is I will be the first to shake his hand.

It seems there are so many young guys who can win nowadays. Is that good for the game or would it be better if there was the consistent Jack v Watson type rivalry, or a dominant force like Tiger in his pomp?
It’s much better for the game that there are so many potential winners now. The youngsters don’t seem to have the fear factor that there was in my day.

Have we seen the last of Tiger after his premature exit from the Desert Classic in February?
I do hope not, Tiger was, and still is, an inspiration for golfers all over the world and I hope he comes back as quick as possible.

What’s your take on the changes to the Rules of Golf proposed by the R&A and the USGA? Will it make the game more attractive and/or speed up play?
Most of the new rules that will come into effect are to do with speed of play and it’s the one thing that has been hurting the game over the last 25 years. We all must get together and banish forever the five hour round of golf.

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What David MacLaren, the new Head of the European Senior Tour, can guarantee is his loyalty to the circuit’s newest stop and his commitment to grow the tour, whether that is in the UAE, the wider Arabian Gulf or beyond.

Several high-profile players, Italian Ryder Cup star Costantino Rocca the most vocal among them, called for increased playing opportunities on the over 50s circuit during the $425,000 season-opener at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club.

SEE ALSO
Rocca: European Senior Tour must ‘cultivate’ sponsors and not get greedy

A Middle East swing, something to mirror the European Tour’s ‘Desert Swing’ in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai, was mooted given that the Senior Tour, following Chris Williams’ playoff win Saturday, essentially now goes into hibernation until late June and another new event, the European Tour Properties Senior Classic in Finland.

Outside of the co-sanctioned U.S. PGA Championship in Washington (May 25-28) and the U.S. Senior Open in Massachusetts (June 29-July 2), majors that few of the European members are guaranteed to start, there are in fact only two events in the first four months of the season.

MacLaren has revealed he is in talks to add new stops in Sri Lanka and Madagascar from 2018 which would pad out the scantily clad early-season schedule.

“I think they [Sri Lanka and Madagascar] would both be obtainable, or reachable, from here [Sharjah] and that would give us a nice three tournament swing,” MacLaren said.

South African Chris Williams celebrates at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club

Whether further Middle East events can be added remains to be seen however. MacLaren understands the enthusiasm for a Senior Desert Swing but is mindful of the four European Tour events and the two European Ladies Tour tournaments already hosted in the Middle East. He also wants to ensure Shurooq (the Sharjah Investment & Development Authority) are fully repaid for their three-year bankrolling of the Sharjah Masters.

“I think there is. I’m in the capable hands of Nick Tarratt who runs our regional office out of Dubai, and I think there is,” MacLaren said if there was room for further Middle East events.

“But I’m also very conscious that we must get the balance right between not enough tournaments and too many tournaments. In some ways, I think I’d obviously prefer one very strong tournament than three or four tournaments that aren’t as strong….I’d much prefer to ensure we’re giving the best to Sharjah and the best to Shurooq and the best to Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club.

“If other opportunities arise out of that, that’s absolutely great. But I feel a loyalty to this because of all the investment everybody has made. Even as a self contained tournament this is a symbol of what the Senior Tour is all about and is one of three, possibly four new tournaments this year and that’s good for everybody.”

MacLaren praised SGSC Managing Director and Vice Chairman, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Thani, and the club’s tireless Director of Golf, Martin Duff, for pulling the Sharjah Masters together inside a year. It was the first time the European Tour has played an event on a nine-holer which was beamed around the globe in immaculate condition thanks to widely hailed Kiwi course superintendent Marty Brown.

SEE ALSO
Williams beats his inner demons to win inaugural Sharjah Seniors title

He also commended Shurooq CEO H.E. Marwan Bin Jassim Al Sarkal for his foresight in ensuring the tournament’s television coverage went beyond the European Senior Tour’s usual product with three one-hour highlights programmes available for same day distribution in 65 countries.

Media coverage is vital to grow the tour and part of the chicken and egg argument voiced by Rocca. The 60-year-old urged MacLaren not to be greedy when it comes to sponsorship negotiations or contract renewal talks.

“I was reading with interest Tino’s [Constantino Rocca’s] comments and he’s absolutely right. And the funny thing is that his comments, that’s exactly what our strategy is, which is yes, we’d love to have 20 tournaments at a million dollars each but I’d prefer create for the guys 20 tournaments [full stop],” MacLaren said.

“If that means we’ve got to play for less prize-money to start with and build from the bottom up, then I think that’s the right strategy. Because then you are creating momentum, you’re creating a base.”

MacLaren clearly has support for what is a tough sell; previous Senior Tour events in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi didn’t survive beyond two seasons. He was hand-picked by new European Tour chief Keith Pelley nine months ago to revive the Senior Tour and head up European Tour Properties, the latter including Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates.

South African Williams, who beat Englishman Gary Marks in overtime to become Sharjah’s inaugural champion, is also impressed with MacLaren’s early work.

“We’ve got a new guy, David MacLaren, he’s a really sharp chappie, a really clever guy,” said Williams. “He speaks several languages and he’s obviously negotiating in a native language which is a big thing, speaking to the French in French [for example]…”

Like Williams, MacLaren knows the stars of yesteryear are the European Senior Tour’s greatest commodity with a Pro-Am start alongside the likes of a Rocca, two-time senior major champion Roger Chapman or reigning Senior Open Champion Paul Broadhurst a unique opportunity.

David MacLaren, the European Senior Tour’s new chief, chats with Welshman Mark Mouland during the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq

“The great thing is I think we’ve got a product that works and it’s a product that works because of how well our players can engage,” said MacLaren. “ They can interact with amateur partners and sponsors and corporate guests more than any other tour can do. The guys are more relaxed, they’re more experienced, they’ve got more time and they’re much more willing to share.

“So media is important, social media is important but actually it’s the on the ground experience that our players can give that actually is really what our USP [unique selling point] is and that’s what makes a Senior Tour tournament special.

“The ability to play a round of golf in a Pro-Am with sponsors, members, with [tournament] staff even, that’s the magic, that’s the magic of the Senior Tour and that’s what I want to use as the centrepiece for how we build going forward.”

MacLaren says seniors golf was impacted even more keenly by the “global economic meltdown” than any other level of the game because “tournament sponsorship and sports sponsorship is something that can be sacrificed by larger companies.”

But with Sharjah, Finland, the English Senior Classic at Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club in Coventry (October 20-22) and possibly the Dutch Senior Masters (earmarked for October 6-8) added to this year’s schedule, he’s confident about the future.

“We’re in a very good place because we’ve got some upward momentum. For the last few years our Senior Tour players haven’t been used to tournaments at the beginning of the year and I am really hopeful this will prove a catalyst for some more new tournaments in this part of the world.

“But even if that doesn’t happen, to know we can come back here for the next three years to such a special place, and I mean that genuinely, is something that gives us great heart and fills us with great pride.

“To start as spectacularly, genuinely, as we have this week [in Sharjah], that’s something I won’t forget, that’s something our players won’t forget.”

The post THE BIG READ: European Senior Tour chief David MacLaren on Sharjah’s impressive debut and tackling golf’s toughest sales job appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The South African had recorded 39 top-10s in eight seasons on the European Senior Tour – nine of them podium finishes – yet had only once converted the consistency into a shiny trophy for the mantlepice.

On Saturday, six long years after that victory at the 2011 Brunei Senior Masters, when a closing 64 illuminated his undoubted talent, Williams finally remembered how to close again to become the inaugural Sharjah Senior Golf Masters champion.

“Words fail me,” said Williams who started his week at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club with a course record 65 and then overcame his inner deamons with a closing 68 and steely nerves to see off Englishman Gary Marks in a playoff.

“After being eight years on the Tour and finally getting my second win after all these years is just amazing.

“I’ve been playing well and scoring well in South Africa leading up to this event, playing in as many pro-ams as I could to keep my game sharp with a scorecard in my back pocket. So that gave me a lot of confidence before this week.”

WATCH: Highlights from a dramatic final round at the #SharjahSGM as Chris Williams secured his second Senior Tour title pic.twitter.com/dJbBeTfNuW

— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) March 19, 2017

Sick of wasting his obvious talent, Williams recently sought the counsel of a sports psychologist used by Brandon Stone among other “young” main tour South Africans. He’d never doubted his swing but needed to find a way to negotiate a way around the mental brick wall. It seems he may have done just that.

Williams made it look easy Saturday – the dark sunglasses helped project that calm exterior  – but it was anything but. Countryman James Kingston, who eventually finished tied third with Swede Magnus P Altevi,  was his main concern for much of the final round. Then Marks came at Williams with three birdies on the bounce from the 13th.

By the time they reached the 54th hole, Williams (who had led by as many as four shots) needed to make a sand save par from an awkward lie in the bunker guarding the left hand side of SGSC’s 9/18th hole just to make the playoff. He later described it as the very best of his 203 winning strokes, a -13 total matched by Marks.

When Marks inexplicably three-putted the first hole of overtime, Williams seized his chance by stroking home a four-footer. It was an early $64,000 birthday present sure to make his 58th celebrations back in South African on Monday extra special.

Williams caught fire early to negotiate the front nine in just 32 blows, which included a spellbinding run of birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie from the fourth to the seventh. After holing out from the greenside bunker on the sixth for eagle in the first round he repeated the feat Saturday with a holed sand wedge from 90 yards.

 “I got off to a great start today,” said Williams. “I was five under through seven holes and then Gary came back with three birdies on the back nine. But nothing is easy out here, you’ve got to work hard for these wins no matter where they are.”

Marks was disappointed not to grasp his best victory chance when a birdie putt on the last hole of regulation burned the left edge of the cup. But he took plenty of positives from his season-opener performance.

 “I was thrilled to get in the play-off – it was obviously a sad way for it to end for me, – but it was much more than I could have hoped for coming to the tournament as I hadn’t been playing before this week.”

Atlevi, last season’s order of merit runner-up and rookie-of-the-year, has started the new season strongly after finishing -12 alongside Kingston who enjoyed his equal best senior tour finish despite a topsy-turvy final round. Kingston’s closing 70 included a miracle birdie on the par 5 15th where he hooked his drive into the water, snapped his driver over his knee in frustration, took a penalty drop, boomed a three wood just shy of the green and proceeded to hole the chip. In the end a bogey on the previous hole, when he was lucky not to find further water with a pushed drive, proved costly.

England’s Roger Chapman finished fifth at -10 under and reigning European Senior Tour No.1 and Senior Open Champion Paul Broadhurst a shot further back in sixth.

Photo by Phil Inglis/Getty Images

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The 51-year-old South African has a maiden European Senior Tour title in his crosshairs after firing a six-under 66 in Friday’s second round to summit the leaderboard at -10.

A two-time winner on the European whippersnappers (read main) Tour, Kingston takes a one stroke advantage to his 12.05pm, final round tee time today over countryman and overnight leader Chris Williams and Englishman Gary Marks.

With six players within three strokes of Kingston’s lead, Sharjah’s historic 9-hole debut as a European Tour venue is set for a compelling climax. Kingston is just pleased to be part of the mix.

 “I’m absolutely delighted,” said Kingston who carded seven birdies, including four in succession from the third to the sixth, in his 66.  “Coming here, not knowing what to expect with the golf course. I wasn’t 100 per cent sure how I was playing, but ten under par is great.”

Marks got off to a flying start with three birdies in a row and matched Kingston’s total of seven on the way to a four under 68 which would have been even better but for a double bogey on the seventh and a bogey on 11. 

“It was a great start, you can’t plan things like that, but you have to keep it going and not defend or get complacent,” Marks said. “I had a period around the middle of the round, took a double bogey on seven and I had another bogey soon after, so I was in a bit of trouble. But a couple of decent putts went in, one for par and one for birdie and I finished steadily after regrouping.”

Williams followed up his electrifying course record opening round of 65 with a more sedate two under 70 while Roger Chapman (67), Steen Tinning (71), Magnus Atelvi (71) and reigning European Senior Tour order of merit champion Paul Broadhurst (67) are poised in a share of fourth at -7.

The post Kingston poised as Sharjah Senior Golf Masters set for thrilling finale

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A lousy winter in Bergamo saw the 60-year-old Italian arrive for the European Senior Tour’s $425,000 season-opener a little rusty and it showed as he stumbled to a 75.

The three over-par score left Rocca in a share of 48^th place, flirting with the foot of the 57-player leaderboard and a seemingly insurmountable 10 shots behind overnight leader Chris Williams after the South African rattled off two eagles in a fine 65.

With no cut, Rocca has a further 36 holes to find his game on Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club’s nine-holer and will undoubtedly be a drawcard for the galleries whatever he scores, as he has been ever since draining that improbable 25-footer from the ‘Valley of Sin’ to send the 124^th Open Championship at St. Andrews into overtime in 1995.

After flubbing his second shot into the ‘Valley of Sin’, Rocca holed an improbable 25-footer for birdie on the 72nd green at St. Andrews to take the 1995 Open Championship into overtime. The Italian lost the four-hole playoff to John Daly for four shots

The frustration for Rocca, and he’s not alone, is the lack of playing opportunities. After Sharjah, the next European Senior Tour event actually in Europe isn’t until late June. Indeed, two of the first four events on the 15-tournament schedule include the U.S. Senior PGA and U.S. Senior Open, major championships only the highest ranked Europeans can count on playing.

Rocca believes the European Senior Tour missed a trick when the likes of six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo turned 50 (“Before there is 25-26 tournaments…”) and has been scrambling for the big name media creditability, and thus sponsorship dollars, ever since.

He insists it is not as simple as blaming the challenges on the financial riches available on the Champions Tour in the US.

“We cannot play like now and then [next at] the end of June. I can practice another three months for nothing and that is the difference which means you have to do other things,” said Rocca who was beaten by John Daly in the four-hole playoff at St. Andrews in 1995 by four shots.

“This is a shame because you see Woosie [Ian Woosnam} going there [to the US], Broady [Paul Broadhurst] is going there, everyone is going there. It’s more money yes, but it’s also more tournaments.

“We see a lot of good players coming to 50 and [we] have 10-12 tournaments so they try to go to America. I think we need 20 tournaments even if they’re not big, big prize money.”

Rocca famously tamed Tiger Woods 4&2 in their singles match at the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama in Spain. Two years earlier, the Italian struck just the third ace in Ryder Cup history at Oak Hills

Rocca applauded European Senior Tour chief David MacLaren for securing the Sharjah start which is being bankrolled by the Sharjah Investment & Development Authority (Shurooq). Like Des Smyth, the Italian would love to see another two or three events tagged into a Senior Desert Swing to pad out the start of the season.

In that regard, Rocca has urged the tour’s powerbrokers not to be greedy when it comes to sponsorship talks and particularly contract renegotiations.

“I think we have to cultivate the sponsors, maybe one year you have [a purse worth] $200,00…the next year it cannot be $300,000,” said the three-time Ryder Cupper who has two senior wins to go with his five European Tour titles, the most prestigious of them being the 1996 Volvo PGA Championship.

“It can be $220,000, $230,000 [even] $250,000, then you can maintain [a sponsor and a schedule]…if you are $200, 000 and then $300-350,000…no way, you have lost a sponsor.

“So my opinion, if you have 10-12 good tournaments, about like this one [$425,000 purse] or a little bit more, then maybe eight or nine at about $250,000 or something, yes ok, I can play 10, another guy can play 10, something like that. It’s good.

“If you make them [players] go to Q-school, we have to give them the opportunity to play. What’s the point if I pre qualify from the school and then I don’t play, I play five tournaments?”

“We have to take every sponsor we can get.”

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The 51-year-old Englishman will have a figurative eye on the defence of his senior Claret Jug when he begins the defence of the senior tour’s moneylist title at the inaugural $425,000 Sharjah Senior Golf Masters starting Thursday.

Broadhurst tees it up with 2016 rookie-of-the-year Magnus P Atlevi and former Ryder Cupper Barry Lane in the first European Tour event to be played in the emirate and on a nine hole course anywhere and is hopeful the good “Broady” turns up for the auspicious occasion.

“I want to play well and compete, but I’m not one of those guys who can guarantee it week-in, week-out. I’m not a Langer or a Monty, I’m a Broady,” said Broadhurst who pipped American Scott McCarron by two shots in the Senior Open at Carnoustie and captured €399,285 in winning the John Jacobs Trophy as European Senior Tour player-of-the-year.

“That’s been working quite well these last 18 months, so long may that continue.

“It was a pretty incredible 2016 for me and it’s going to be tough to follow that but I’m up for the challenge and I’m here to try win this week. I want to finish as high as I can on the Order of Merit, but I know I’m going to have to do well here and at the Majors to have a chance of winning it.”

Broadhurst has been campaigning in the UAE since the first Dubai Desert Classic in 1989. He was part of the advance party which played a promotional pro am last year to announce Sharjah’s inclusion on the European Senior Tour schedule and after several loops of the Peter Harradine-designed course this week is convinced the event will be decided on the greens.

Paul Broadhurst is presented with the John Jacobs Trophy by David McLaren, Head of European Senior Tour, after the final round of the MCB Tour Championship last December

“This week will be a bit of a putting contest, we really need to master these greens to get some low scores,” the former Ryder Cupper said.

“There are a lot of good players here and you’ll need to shoot a low score to win. There are a few new additions, and it’s the younger guys you have to watch out for.”

Brendan McGovern, winner of European Senior Tour’s 2017 Q-School will strike the first shot of the championship in a group including fellow graduates Clark Dennis and Peter Wilson.

Roger Chapman, who triumphed at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and U.S. Senior Open in 2012, is grouped with 2011 John Jacobs Trophy winner Peter Fowler and Sweden’s Adam Mednick, who joined the Senior Tour last season.

Two-time European Tour champion James Kingston and two-time Senior Tour winner Gordon Manson join Ronan Rafferty, a former European No.1 and 1989 Ryder Cup starter.

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