Mike Harwood gets his 2012 European Senior Tour campaign off to a flying start

LANKY Victorian Mike Harwood got his 2012 European Senior Tour off to a flying start with a second placing at the Mallorca Senior Open in Spain on the weekend.

Harwood shot a final round 1-under 70 to finish on 6-under equal second with South African Chris Williams and England’s Paul Wesselingh.

They were two shots behind the winner, Garry Wolstenholme, who had the distinction of being England’s most capped amateur before turning professional at the ripe old age of 50.

Wolstenholme shot a final round 69 at the Pula Golf Club for an eight-under total to claim what is his second Senior Tour title.

“Everything just clicked into place,” said Wolstenholme. “I came with no expectations so I cannot tell you how delighted I am. This is a genuine bonus.”

Graham Banister hit a sizzling final round 5-under 67 to come in as the next best Aussie on 1-under while Peter Fowler, fresh from his recent success on the PGA Legends Tour in South Australia, opened with a 69 but followed it with a 71 and 74 to finish 1-over in 16th spot.

Fowler won the 2011 European Senior Tour Order of Merit and will be keen to defend the title.

Chook back in the winners' circle

PETER FOWLER made it a good weekend for Fowlers everywhere, taking his second straight South Australian PGA Championship on the E-Z-Go Legends Tour.

Fowler captured the 2012 title with a blistering final round 8-under 66 to take the two round tournament by four shots.

The 54 year old burst through the pack after 10 golfers finished within three shots of overnight leader Rodger Davis.

Fowler’s fellow European Senior Tour regular David Merriman shot a final round 69 to finish on equal second with Russell Swanson (68) on 5-under.

“I played really well today and when I was in a bit of trouble I was able to rescue the situation,” Fowler said. “I made a great up and down on the 8th to save par and consolidate my good start, I then followed that with two straight birdies and that obviously put me into a strong position.”

The E-Z-Go PGA Legends Tour now takes a break until the Surfers Paradise Legends Pro-Am at Surfers Paradise Golf Club on the 23rd July.

Perrenial favourite Rodger Davis

THE E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour is in the middle of its South Australian swing of eight tournaments worth in excess of AUD$80,000.

Some of Australia’s leading golfers the wrong side of 50 are involved including Mike Harwood, Rodger Davis, David Merriman and 2011 European Senior Tour Order of Merit Champion Peter Fowler.

Despite the presence of the old hands, it was tour newcomer Kym Olsen who claimed the first event of the swing, The Good Guys Mt Osmond Legends Pro-Am.

Heading to Whyalla for the Greenwich Maritime Services Whyalla Senior Professional Golf Classic Mike Zilko fired a bogey free eight under par 64 in the first round.

A disappointing second round saw Zilko drop back to seven under the card for the tournament and finish tied for the victory with South Australian local Garry Merrick.

On Tuesday the 24th the tour headed to the magnificent Tanunda Pines layout at the gateway to the Barossa Valley for the Jacobs Creek Classic Senior Pro-Am.

A cool breeze sweeping across the course challenged the senior professionals and certainly their amateur partners with only eight pros in the end managing par or better.

Three of those couldn’t be split with a three way tie between Merrick, the ever popular Rodger Davis and newcomer Tim Elliot, all of whom finished 3-under on 69.

Davis only arrived in Adelaide the day before and his five birdie round had him close to an outright win.

Elliott was chuffed at his first professional win as a senior after only having played three senior events since her turned 50.

The Victorian will be joining, Davis, Michael Harwood and Peter Fowler on the European Seniors Tour in 2012 after gaining his tour card earlier this year.

“To play in the E-Z-GO Legends tour before I head to Europe is very important for me to fine tune my game,” Elliott said.

For Merrick this was two joint wins from two events after tying for the win at the Greenwich Maritime Services Pro-Am.

In the next event on Thursday 26th more tour newbies in Queenslanders John Kirchner and Gary Schofield took out the SA PGA Senior Foursomes Championship by two shots, after shooting a two under par round on at The Vines of Reynella Golf Club.

Kirchner and Schofield also graduated from the Legends tour school earlier in the year and were very happy to be sharing their first win.

“We played very well as a pair today”, Kirchner said afterwards. “With the quality field we knew we had to keep scoring birdies on the course rather than think about holding our score together”.

Two time winner Merrick partnered Queensland Neil Wall to be in a tie for second place with previous winners Olsen and Elliott.

As we went to press on Friday the tour was in the midst of the

Mt Lofty Legends Pro-Am at Mt Lofty Golf Club.

The E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour South Australian series will conclude next week with the AUD$20,000 SA PGA Senior Championship at Adelaide Shores from 3-4 May.

THE Australian PGA Legends Tour has been boosted with news naming sponsor E-Z-GO will continue their involvement at least to the end of 2013.

Augusta Golf Cars, via the E-Z-GO brand, has been the naming rights partner for the tour since 2007 and the new deal will help with the continued development of what is the major professional circuit for over 50’s golfers in Australia.

“The growth of the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour in the last five years has been wonderful,” Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia, said this week.

“It’s been a real testament to not only the strength of senior’s golf in Australia, but also to the support of Augusta Golf Cars through the E-Z-GO brand who have played a pivotal role in this development.”

Rebranded and relaunched as the PGA Legends Tour back in 2008, the Tour has grown from a humble domestic circuit to now traverse both regional and metropolitan Australia and New Zealand.

Last year the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour consisted of over 40 tournaments with close to $1 million in prizemoney on offer.

“Augusta Golf Cars are so pleased to continue our support of Australian senior’s golf through the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour,” said Raymond Georgiou, Managing Director of Augusta Golf Cars.

“Since 2007 the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour has provided us with a meaningful platform to connect with the golf community and we look forward to supporting the PGA’s Senior Tournament Professionals in 2012 and beyond.”

The E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour is a regular tournament destination for some of Australia’s most popular older golfers.

Ian Baker-Finch, Peter Senior, Mike Harwood, Wayne Grady and Peter Fowler are all past E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour title holders.

The Tour is already underway for 2012 with 11 events completed to date and the NZ Senior PGA Championship being contested this week.

For the full 2012 E-Z-GO PGA Legends Tour schedule click the button below.

MICHAEL HARWOOD

The lanky Victorian took the title, his second Australian PGA Legends Tour win in the past fortnight, after the final round at the Kingston Beach Golf Club was washed out by heavy rain.

Harwood shot a blemish free six under 65 in the first round and that was more than enough to claim the title when the second round was abandoned after six holes.

He had started the final round two ahead of fellow Victorian David Good who finished outright second after his 4-under 67.

South Australian Garry Merrick (69) and Mike Zilko (NSW) (70) were the only other players to break par in what were tough conditions in the opening round with 30 plus degree temperatures and a stiffening sea breeze.

The win means Harwood is the only player to ever win the Tasmanian Senior Open three times and comes on top of his win at the NSW Legends Championship at the Oatlands Golf Club early last week.

“It is a great honour to win the event for a third time,” Harwood said after accepting the title. “The course was presented beautifully and whilst it is disappointing to not be able to finish the round today, I am more than happy to take the win,”

“I will be heading to the European Seniors Tour again this year and it gives me great confidence to have now had a couple of wins before the season starts in Europe.”

Other notables in the field were Rodger Davis who finished in a five way tie for fifth on even par while 1990 US PGA Champion Wayne Grady was a further three shots back in a tie for 14th.

Graham Roberts from Royal Hobart Golf Club won the best gross score for the amateurs with Queenslander Eric Oxenford taking out the best nett score.

THE

In blustery conditions Victorian Kym Olsen was the standout with three consecutive sub-par rounds of 71 for a 3-under par total to finish fourteen shots clear of the field.

The others to gain cards were Queensland’s Gary Schofield (227) and John Kirchner (228), and New Zealand’s Davitt Lavery (231).

Lavery had to survive a sudden death play-off against Victoria’s Mick Asami for his place on the tour.

The newcomers are already making their mark on the tour with the three Australians competing in the just completed NSW Legends Championship at the Oatlands Golf Club.

Schofield finished in 13th spot while Olsen was T27 and Kirchner T48.

VICTORIAN

Harwood followed up his first round 3-under 67 with a final round 66 to show a clean pair of heals to second placegetter Gary Merrick.

Heading into the final round Harwood trailed the former Oatlands Head Professional Mike Zilko by one stroke but sealed his second win of the year with a birdie on the 17th hole to move to 7-under.

Merrick was alone in second on 5-under with David Hill third on 4-under, David Saunders fourth on 3-under and defending champion David Merriman sharing fifth on 2-under with Zilko, Peter Fowler, Brett Johnson and Allan Cooper.

The PGA Legends Tour now moves to Tasmania for the 2012 Tasmanian Senior Open Golf Championship to be held at the Kingston Beach Golf Club on January 29 and 30. Peter Fowler is the defending champion.

The Oatlands Golf Club meanwhile will now host the 2012 Bing Lee/Samsung NSW Women’s Open with leading female golfers from Australia and abroad teeing it up in the ALPG Tour sanctioned event.

The Women’s Open is on from January 27 – 29 and will include the likes of Laura Davies, Melissa Reid, teenage golfing sensation Lydia Ko, two time champion Sarah Oh, Katherine Hull, Lindsey Wright, Sarah Kemp, Joanne Mills and Kristie Smith.

Baker-Finch led wire to wire at the rain affected 54-hole event coming home six strokes ahead of his nearest rival.

The Australian golfer’s last professional win was at the 1993 Australian PGA championship at Concord in Sydney.

Now mostly a television golf commentator, Baker-Finch reached his golfing pinnacle when he won the 1991 British Open but then famously retired after an extended form slump.

It was an emotional win at the season ending PGA Legends Tour event at the Byron Bay Golf Club and one that has given him more confidence to compete again on the world stage.

Baker-Finch finished the tournament at 7-under, with Queensland’s Allan Cooper in second on 1-under and American Mark Sherman alone in third spot on even.

“When the presentation was taking place and I looked up and saw all those people – many of them familiar faces, friends I’d played with for 30 years – I was very emotional,” Baker-Finch said after his win.

He vowed not only to return to defend his title next year but will also play more US Champions Tour events in 2012 when his schedule with the CBS network allows.

“I don’t want to compete just to make up the numbers,” he said. “When I go out to play, I want to feel that I have a chance of winning. I played in one tournament (the Toshiba Classic) on the US Champions Tour early this season and played poorly. ‘

“I think my level of apprehension didn’t allow me to compete. Then I played in a big four-ball event (the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in April). My partner, Joe Ozaki, and I finished tied third – just one stroke from the winners.

“My apprehension level was a bit lower for that event and I played well. I enjoyed the competition and felt I could still compete.”

Baker-Finch is in Melbourne this week commentating on the 2011 JBWere Australian Masters and then will spend the rest of the year at his Mooloolaba home on the Queensland Sunshine Coast with his family before returning to the US.

“Next year I’ll commentate for CBS, play a few Champions Tour tournaments, then come back to commentate on the big Australian tournaments at the end of the year, play a few events and enjoy some rest on the Sunshine Coast,” he said. “It’s a great life. I’m living the dream.”

Baker-Finch headed for Byron Bay

BRITISH Open winner Ian Baker-Finch will join the line-up at the 2011 Australian Legends Tour Championship which gets underway at Byron Bay Golf Club from December 11 to 13.

The championship is the final event on the E-Z-GO PGA Legends Order of Merit for 2011.

Baker-Finch, the 1991 British Open champion, has been getting back into tournament golf in recent times after a long layoff and the establishment of a very successful career as a golf commentator.

He will be joined in Byron Bay by a class field that includes American Mark Sherman, a big clutch of Aussies headed by Rodger Davis, Ossie Moore and Michael Ferguson and New Zealand contenders Ken Tarling and Jim Lapsley.

Further adding to the event, the Hole in One 5th hole will offer the professionals the opportunity to win a Subaru while a total prize purse of $50,000 will also be on offer.

Last year’s PGA Legends Tour Championship was won by Michael Harwood with local Mark Wilson placed second.

Wilson, the Byron Bay Club Captain, is also responsible for an ongoing program of golf course re-design that has been a big positive for the north coast NSW club.

During 2011 a lake has been added to the right side of the first hole and, with additional fairway mounding, the visual from the tee has changed dramatically.

The Annual PGA Legends Award Dinner will also be held at Byron Bay Golf Club following the completion of the final round.

Legends Tour Chairman Kyle Francis will host the evening with ten awards including the highlight, the 2011 Player of the Year.

The 2011 Player of the Year will join past winners John Clifford (2008) Garry Merrick (2009) and Rodger Davis (2010) and take home an E-Z-GO motorised golf cart.

ENGLISHMAN

Wolstenholme, who started the day two shots behind the first and second round leader Rodger Davis, had an impressive final day shooting a 3- under par 69 to beat Price by one shot and Davis by two.

A large gallery watched as Price holed a 20 foot putt for birdie on the last forcing Wolstenholme to hole a 4 foot downhill putt for par for victory.

Wolstenholme, who turned professional at age 48 after a highly success amateur career, said he was thrilled to have claimed a National Open Title at a world class venue. This is Wolstenholme’s second major title since commencing his career as a senior tour professional in 2010.

“I’m really glad I was able to squeeze this tournament into my schedule because Perth is a fantastic city. The golf course here is as good as anywhere in the world because of the test that it presents but also the condition of the course and it is just a great place to play golf and I’m glad that I came,” he said.

Price, who played only two events on the European Senior Tour this year, was pleased with how he performed coming down the stretch. Considering the amount of competitive golf he has played recently, his final 9 holes where he shot 3-under par reinforce the quality player he is.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my week here in Perth. It was pleasing to make birdie on the last and although I fell one shot short, Gary played great golf and deserved the victory.”

Peter Fowler had the round of the day shooting 4-under 68 which puts him in good stead preparing for the US Champions Tour Qualifying School which he will play in 2 weeks time.

Fowler finished fourth on 2-over while Ian Baker-Finch and Graham Banister shared fifth on 2-over. Michael Harwood, David Merriman and Wayne Smith were equal 7th on 3-over.

Lyndsay Stephen, Randall Vines and Michael Clayton were 10th on 4-over.