The European Senior Tour returns to Golf Club Bad Ragaz for the 21st time for the 2017 Swiss Seniors Open. We take a look at all you need to know before the longest-running Senior Tour event on the continent tees off…
Rewind
Last year, America’s Tim Thelen secured his second Swiss Seniors Open title as he came from behind to deny Miguel Angel Martin of Spain.
Thelen was three shots off the pace with just three holes to play, but birded the 17th and 18th holes to finish on ten under par. A bogey on the 17th saw Martin drop to nine under par, and he only managed to par the 18th and final hole, handing Thelen his fifth Senior Tour title.
Fellow Spaniard Pedro Linhart was also in the running before a double bogey on the 17th hole saw him settle for a share of second place.
The field
Former European Tour Number One Ronan Rafferty is one of 11 European Ryder Cup players in the 54-man field for the 21st edition of the Swiss Seniors Open.
Phillip Price, star of The 2002 Ryder Cup at the Belfry, where he defeated then World Number Two Phil Mickelson 3&2 in the Sunday singles, will tee it up in just his fourth Senior Tour event since turning 50. Since joining the over-50s circuit he has finished runner-up and tied fourth in two of those events.
Jarmo Sandelin, a member of Mark James’ 1999 Ryder Cup side, will make his third appearance this week and Scotland’s Gary Orr will play in his second event after making his Senior Tour debut in last month’s European Tour Properties Senior Classic.
Home favourite André Bossert, who won his maiden Senior Tour title at last year’s Travis Perkins Masters, is also in the field.
Carl Mason made history on this course in 2010 as he won his third Swiss Seniors Open title, he also equalled Tommy Horton’s record of 23 European Senior Tour titles – a feat which he has since bettered, going on to record 25 victories on this circuit.
Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant is making his regular Senior Tour debut this week, and Victor Garcia, father of Masters Tournament winner Sergio, will also tee it up this week.
The course
Golf Club Bad Ragaz is one of Switzerland’s oldest course and can trace its history as far back as 1868. It wasn’t until 1904 when a nine-hole golf course was constructed, and the club house was opened the following year.
The 18-hole course was finally finished in 1959 and the Don Harradine-designed course is nestled in typically picturesque parkland between two mountain massifs.
This year, readers of Golf Leader magazine voted the PGA Championship Course as Switzerland’s best-maintained course.
