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Mansell Breaks Par in Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open
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Mansell Breaks Par in Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open

Former Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell fired his first sub par round in a professional tournament when he carded a final round three under par 66 in the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open.

The Englishman, competing as an amateur in the European Seniors Tour event, nailed four birdies and dropped one shot at Royal St David’s Golf Club en route to the finest round of his golfing career. The moment was made more special by the fact that his son Leo was caddying for him.

“I am just delighted, it’s just fantastic. What I am happy about is that it shows people I am here for all the right reasons. It was a good round of golf and it was just a privilege to play in this event,” said Mansell, who was Formula One World Champion in 1992 and Indy Car winner in America the following year.

Having opened with rounds of 77 and 76 Mansell finished the tournament on 12 over par, which left him in the middle of the field with half of the players still on the course.

“It is the first round in a pro event that I have shot in red figures. I have been in red figures before but never finished in red figures. I have got it to one or two under before, got excited and then had the wheels fall off. We kept it together, it has been very exciting because the course is still tough,” said Mansell, who was playing with South African Jeff Hawkes.

He made birdies on the second, fifth, eighth and 16th while he bogeyed the fourth.

“I tightened up on 14 and 15 and my son could see my knuckles go white as I gripped the club. We got it home and that was great and my son was great. He is probably the most brilliant caddie I have had. He lines me up on the putts. If we read it right it goes in, he we read it wrong we miss it. We made one mistake and made four birdies,” added the 50 year old.

The performance could not have come at a better time for him as the Seniors Tour heads to his event next week. The Nigel Mansell Sunseeker International Classic tees off at Woodbury Park, which is owned by Mansell, near Exeter next Friday. The event was inaugurated last year and saw the Englishman make his debut on the Seniors Tour.

“It means I will have a bit more of a comfort zone going into my tournament next week although that might work against me now doing what I have done. I am looking forward to everyone coming to Woodbury Park,” added Mansell.

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