Roger Chapman proudly showed off his two Senior Major Championship trophies ahead of this week’s Speedy Services Wales Senior Open, and the Englishman is keen to add to his collection of silverware at Conwy (Caernarvonshire) Golf Club.
Chapman is also sponsored by the tournament’s title sponsor, Speedy Services, and as a thank you for their support across the past 12 months, he took the US Senior PGA Championship and US Senior Open trophies to north Wales, where he will try to win his third title of 2012.
It is the first time Chapman has been reunited with the Alfred S. Bourne trophy since winning the US Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores, in Michigan, in May. He went on to pick up the Francis Ouimet Trophy for winning the US Senior Open at Indianwood Golf Club in the same state last month, becoming only the fourth player after Gary Player (1987), Jack Nicklaus (1991) and Hale Irwin (1998) to achieve the double in the same season.
“I’ve not seen ‘Alfred’ since the Sunday when I won the US Senior PGA Championship so it’s nice to be reunited,” said Chapman. “I’ve got the replica at home, which is smaller obviously, but it’s nice to have Alfred and Francis, as I call them, together.
“It’s incredible to have my name on them. I did the press conference after winning at Harbor Shores and the trophy was next to me, and I looked at it and saw 2011 winner Tom Watson then I thought my name will be under that. It’s fantastic. They are both engraved now and I still can’t quite believe it.
“It’s great for Speedy to have both the trophies here. They have shown a bit of faith in me at the end of last year. With the two wins, they have got quite a bit of publicity and it was pleasing for me that they are title sponsors here this week and that I could introduce them to the Senior Tour.”
Chapman is no stranger to Conwy (Caernarvonshire) Golf Club, having been involved in the European Senior Tour’s last visit to the venue four years ago as a rules official.
The 53 year old is determined to capture another title this week not only for his sponsors, but also to further strengthen his advantage at the top of the European Senior Tour Order of Merit.
“I was a referee here in 2008 so I know the course quite well,” he said. “I’ve also played it a couple of times and it is a great course. It will be great playing in the first round with Ian Woosnam and Anders Forsbrand, who won in Scotland last week.
“The 16thand 17thholes are key here. No doubt about that. They are two very tight holes and if you walk off there with two fours you are up on the field. They will be pivotal.
“We have a great field with Woosie and Mark Mouland, two Welshmen, then you have Sam Torrance and Carl Mason. The last time I was here as a rules official the crowds really came out and supported us, so it would be nice if that happened again.
“It would be great if I could win for Speedy this week. I want to stay Number One on the Order of Merit and I am playing four more events this season to seal the deal.”
Chapman, Forsbrand and Woosnam tee off at 11.20am on Friday, with Woosnam, who finished runner up to Peter Mitchell in 2008, in good form following a share of fourth place in last week’s SSE Scottish Senior Open, where Forsbrand became the first Swede to win on the Senior Tour.
The Speedy Services Wales Senior Open forms part of the Welsh Government’s support for golf which also includes The Senior Open Championship, hosted by Royal Porthcawl in 2014 and on two further occasions before 2024. The government’s support programme is part of the 2010 Ryder Cup legacy, following The Celtic Manor Resort’s staging of golf’s premier team competition two years ago.
