The 2006 European Seniors Tour season will enjoy its traditional sunshine start with the DGM Barbados Open at the breathtaking Royal Westmoreland Golf Club from March 1-3, 2006. A minimum field of 40 professionals will head to the Caribbean to contest a prize fund of US$250,000 and the first title of the year. The 2005 event was won by Denis O’Sullivan of Ireland, who carded rounds of 68-68-70 for a winning three round aggregate of 206, ten under par. American John Grace was second on 209.
Scotland’s Sam Torrance finished joint tenth but will be keen to make a bigger impact this time around as he launches the defence of his European Seniors Tour Order of Merit title.
The former Ryder Cup Captain finished above England’s Carl Mason in the final event of 2005, the Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship in the Kingdom of Bahrain, to clinch the Number One spot with earnings of €277,420.76 (£187,379.08). Mason, the Order of Merit winner in 2003 and 2004, ended the year with €257,113.63 (£173,679.66) while Ireland’s Des Smyth, the winner in Bahrain, took third place with €229,514.73 (£155,036.67).
Royal Westmoreland will welcome the players for the seventh edition of the DGM Barbados Open as the course celebrates its 10th anniversary. The 6,814-yard layout, designed by Robert Trent Jones junior and offering stunning views of the Caribbean Sea, opened in 1995 and boasts four par three holes to rank alongside some of the best in the world. Each is a different length, has a different direction, and poses an intriguing individual challenge.
Tommy Horton of England – the most successful player in the history of the European Seniors Tour – captured the inaugural DGM Barbados Open in 2000 and was followed into the winner’s enclosure by Priscillo Dinz of Brazil (2001), England’s Peter Townsend (2002), Terry Gale of Australia (2003), South African Gavan Levenson (2004) and Ireland’s Denis O’Sullivan (2005).
Andrew White, CEO of event promoters, WSM, said: “Since its inauguration in 2000 The DGM Barbados Open has proved an extremely popular event with the European Seniors Tour membership and we look forward to welcoming back defending champion, Denis O’Sullivan, and a strong professional field to Royal Westmoreland in 2006.
“Our thanks to title sponsor, DGM, who have extended their sponsorship into a third year. The company’s commercial backing is central to the success of the tournament and we look forward to working with Chief Executive Rob Reid and his team to deliver another first-class event in 2006,” he added.
Rob Reid, DGM’s CEO, said: “The DGM Barbados Open has proved an important sponsorship for us over the past two years. Not only does it provide a unique stage for us to engage with key clients but, moreover, it is an extremely effective platform through which to raise the profile of DGM bank worldwide.”
John Morphet, Chairman of Royal Westmoreland, said: “Royal Westmoreland is delighted to be hosting the DGM Barbados Open for the seventh consecutive year. The course, which has recently been ranked 31 in Golf Digest’s ‘Top 100 Golf Courses outside the US’, poses a suitably challenging start to the Seniors Tour schedule and, as always, we look forward welcoming back the Tour professionals to Barbados.”
The DGM Barbados Open is a unique tournament because whilst the professionals compete for the 54 hole stroke play event, they accompany amateur partners throughout the competition who maintain a better ball score with their professional for a concurrent amateur 54 hole tournament.
