Stapleford Park to host Handa Senior Masters
08 Mar 2010 - 11:25:29
Stapleford Park, the English sporting country estate, will host the European Senior Tour for the first time when the inaugural Handa Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum takes place at the Leicestershire venue from May 12-14, 2010.
With a prize fund of £400,000, it will be one of the largest on the 2010 Senior Tour schedule and as a result is likely to have a significant impact on the outcome of the Senior Tour Order of Merit, won last year by Sam Torrance.
Torrance, the 2002 Ryder Cup winning Captain is also a former Captain at Stapleford Park, and has described the venue near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire as ‘one of England’s greatest jewels’.
Designed by Donald Steel, the Stapleford Park course is set in an estate of 500-acres of classic English parkland, featuring a 14th century manor house and extensive sporting grounds.
Shuif Hussain, Managing Director of Stapleford Park, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming the Senior Tour to Stapleford Park and hope that the players will enjoy not only our challenging course but also the hospitality across the estate which our members relish.”
The course wraps around the heart of the estate in two extended loops, never being more than two holes wide, a configuration that is reminiscent of the great links courses such as The Old Course at St Andrews.
It will be the fourth event on the 2010 Senior Tour schedule to be supported by the International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS) and its philanthropist chairman from Japan, Dr Haruhisa Handa.
Dr Handa said: “This is a new tournament on the European Senior Tour this year and it is wonderful that ISPS are able to provide the support to help establish it as an annual fixture in the Senior Tour’s schedule, especially in our first year of association with the Tour.”
“At ISPS we firmly believe that golf is a game that should be available to everyone. The Handa Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum will provide a valuable opportunity for ISPS to help raise awareness of one of our main charitable recipients, The International Blind Golf Association (IBGA), and show that those who have a partial or complete visual impairment are also able to enjoy the game.”
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “We are delighted to announce this new event on the 2010 Senior Tour schedule which has been made possible through our strong relations with ISPS, as well as WSM Sponsorship. The Handa Senior Masters will be our first visit to the marvellous venue of Stapleford Park and the Leicestershire region and we expect to attract a high profile field.”
Andrew White, CEO of WSM Sponsorship said: “WSM are extremely pleased to have secured ISPS as the title sponsor of this major new tournament at Stapleford Park. With this major prize fund commitment from our sponsors, we are expecting an excellent first year event with a strong field. WSM remains the leading independent promoter on the European Senior Tour and this event further reinforces our position as a major partner of this Tour and its players.”
