The European Senior Tour will return to Royal Haagsche Golf and Country Club from June 24-26 for the second edition of the Van Lanschot Senior Open.
After the success of the inaugural tournament in 2010 – the Senior Tour’s first visit to The Netherlands in nine years – Englishman George Ryall will defend his title after capturing his maiden Senior Tour victory in The Hague.
Ryall held off the challenge of 2001 PGA Champion Andrew Oldcorn by one stroke, becoming the first non-exempt player to win on the Senior Tour in four years.
This year’s tournament will be held two weeks earlier and will again be promoted by TIG Sport, which already organises the KLM Open on The European Tour and the Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour.
In a Pro-Am format, the professionals will play with an amateur partner for the opening two rounds, with the final round on Sunday, June 26 being contested by professionals only.
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “We were delighted with the success of the inaugural Van Lanschot Senior Open and we look forward to returning to The Netherlands.
“We are extremely grateful for the support from Van Lanschot and for the professional organisation provided by This is Golf.”
Martijn van der Meulen, Managing Partner of TIG Sports, said: “We had great feedback from our sponsor and public on the first edition of the Van Lanschot Senior Open, especially on the tournament format, which in our opinion gives the best hospitality golf experience in the world. Still, we are looking at many different ways to grow the event in years to come.”
The Royal Haagsche Golf and Country Club – more commonly known simply as The Hague - was founded in 1893 and is located six kilometres north of the city of The Hague, the Netherlands’ seat of government. The club moved to its current location in Wassenaar shortly after World War II.
It is the oldest golf club in the Netherlands and hosted the first Dutch Open in 1912 and then on 18 subsequent occasions in the period up to 1981.
The Senior Tour previously visited the Netherlands for the Legends in Golf, with England’s Michael Slater winning at Prise d’Eau in 1999. Crayestein Golf hosted the event in 2000 and 2001 with John Grace of the United States and Australian David Good capturing the title.
Van Lanschot, the oldest independent bank in the Netherlands with a history dating back to 1737, will be the tournament’s title sponsor for a second consecutive year. The bank specifically serves high net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs, offering high-quality services founded on integrated advice, personal service and customised solutions.
