Sharjah: Sharjah will host its first European Senior Tour event, the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters, at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club from March 16-18.
Ireland’s Des Smyth, an eight-time winner on the European Tour and a five-time winner on the Senior Tour, played in the Sharjah Senior Invitational Pro-Am last March to promote this year’s inaugural staging.
“It was great fun to play in the curtain-raiser for the main event last year and it was good to support a Senior Tour event in the UAE again,” said Smyth, who held the record for being the oldest winner on the European Tour at the age of 48 years and 34 days — when he won the Madeira Open in 2001 — until Miguel Angel Jimenez broke that record in Hong Kong in 2012.
“This is a huge step forward for Sharjah and it would be a wonderful scenario if it were to lead to two or three consecutive Senior Tour events in the Middle East. I think it could revitalise the European Senior Tour. I can’t wait to tee off in Sharjah and get the ball rolling,” added Smyth, who played in both the 1979 and 1981 Ryder Cups, and was vice captain to Paul McGinley in 2014.
Qualifiers for the event’s Pro-Am will be held at Sharjah Golf and Shooting on February 12. For more information visit: www.st.golf/Sharjah or to volunteer go to: surveymonkey.com/r/SharjahSGMvolunteers.
