Eamonn Darcy started the build up to the Travis Perkins plc Woburn Masters on Friday by playing the 34th Irish PGA Southern Championship at Powerscourt Golf Club on Monday and Tuesday – carding a 66 in the first round on the East Course and then a 69 in the second round on West Course – to win the event from David Higgins of Waterville by 3 strokes.
Third placed player in the Lexus Race to Mount Juliet, Darren McWilliams, signed for a second round 70 to finish 2 under par overall and take third place outright at the County Wicklow venue.
The former Ryder Cup player now makes his way to the Dukes Course in the Buckinghamshire countryside at Woburn Golf Club to join fellow Irish players, Des Smyth, Christy O’Connor Jnr, Jimmy Heggarty, Eddie Polland and Denis O’Sullivan.
This the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters will be the 50th Professional Golf Tournament to have been staged at Woburn and will see Tony Johnstone defend the title from September 3rd -5th.
Last year, Tony Johnstone of Zimbabwe held off the challenge of Australian Peter Senior by one stroke to capture a second European Senior Tour title since being told he would never play golf again after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Third placed player in the Lexus Race to Mount Juliet, Darren McWilliams, signed for a second round 70 to finish 2 under par overall and take third place outright at the County Wicklow venue.
The former Ryder Cup player now makes his way to the Dukes Course in the Buckinghamshire countryside at Woburn Golf Club to join fellow Irish players, Des Smyth, Christy O’Connor Jnr, Jimmy Heggarty, Eddie Polland and Denis O’Sullivan.
This the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters will be the 50th Professional Golf Tournament to have been staged at Woburn and will see Tony Johnstone defend the title from September 3rd -5th.
Last year, Tony Johnstone of Zimbabwe held off the challenge of Australian Peter Senior by one stroke to capture a second European Senior Tour title since being told he would never play golf again after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Following a revolutionary drug treatment Johnstone returned to the game to win the Jersey Seniors Classic in 2008 before adding the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters title last year. It was his first success over the Duke’s Course after a number of near misses over the years, notably in the 1992 British Masters when he lost a play-off with Christy O’Connor Jnr.
“I am really looking forward to going back to Woburn – it is a place that I really love and have been going there for a long time over the course of my career,” said Johnstone. “The win there last year was really special, I had most of the family there to enjoy it and it was a great event.
The latest Senior Tour champion Barry Lane and five-time European Tour winner captured his maiden title in the Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open and will be looking to add the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters.
Carl Mason, who is tied with Tommy Horton as the leading all time Senior Tour winner with 23 victories will also be chasing a win and remains the only two-time winner of the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters, having previously captured the trophy in 2006 and 2007.
Also in the chase for the £260,000 prize fund will be Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam, who will each attempt to become the second former Ryder Cup Captain to win the title after Mark James did so in 2005.
Making his Senior Tour debut on a sponsor’s invitation is former two-time Amateur Champion Gary Wolstenholme, who turned 50 on August 21st last. England’s most capped amateur golfer is the leading all-time leading points scorer for the Great Britain & Ireland team having also famously defeated Tiger Woods in the 1995 Walker Cup.
