60 players will take on the South Course at the Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa. It is an iconic venue having had legends of the game such as Seve Ballesteros making his Tour debut here, Gary player was the touring professional and director of golf, while Arnold Palmer won the 1975 Spanish Open here.
This is the 6th year of the Farmfoods European Senior Masters and the second time here at La Manga Club. Paul Lawrie OBE was victorious last time, taking the title in a dramatic play-off win over the Swede Michael Jonzon. Previous winners include Markus Brier, Thomas Levet, Santiago Luna and Stephen Dodd.
Peter Baker first played here when he was 14-years-old, meeting Seve during that time too, now he is our tournament host for the week in Spain. Baker has had an incredible season with three wins at the Irish Legends, JCB Championship and the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship – he leads the MCB Road to Mauritius going into the final three events.
“Nice to come back to La Manga, we obviously came here last year and it’s a great place, great resort and the South course is looking well so I am looking forward to a good week.
I came here I think in 1981, there was 12 of us who won a competition and came out here where we were fortunate to meet Seve and he gave us a clinic for an hour which was absolutely fantastic!”
Last week in Italy he was leading through two rounds, but was overtaken on the final day by a Saturday surge from the South African James Kingston. This week, he’s focussed on being back in the winner’s circle.
“I know there’s only three events left this season, but there’s a lot of points to be played for so you’ve got to keep playing well and just try to win really. I think that is my aim, that has been my aim throughout the season really, just to try and win tournaments and I think I need to keep doing that and see where we end up in the MCB Road to Mauritius.
It would be lovely to play well here, obviously a Farm Foods tournament and I haven’t won a Farm Foods tournament so far and it would be lovely to win one of those and I would really enjoy that.”
James Kingston’s win last weekend on the Legends Tour came at San Domenico Golf with a stunning final round 61 to claim the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open title for a second time in three years and with that rose to 5th on the MCB Road to Mauritius rankings.
The South African took the season-long honours last year and is clearly coming into great form for the end of this season.
“Last week was out of the norm, but it’s great to finish like that. Now, suddenly I’ve got the feeling that into the last few weeks, there’s some big events coming – that if you had a decent finish or two that things could still change. Last week really put me into that position. If the putting kicks in and I still keep hitting the ball half decent, who knows what might happen!”
Last time here at La Manga, Michael Jonzon was left empty handed having been beaten by Paul Lawrie one the first hole of a play-off. Now he’s back with some unfinished business on this course and sits just outside the top ten in 11th spot on the MCB Road to Mauritius standings.
He finished 4th in The Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl back in July and is now looking to put in a good performance on a course he knows and likes.
“It’s obviously a bit of mixed emotions looking back on last year here. I was very comfortable on the course here last year, I had a great week which went well for 53 holes! I gave Paul Lawrie a bit of as gift on 18 and let him in the game again – the only thing is, that won’t happen again! I like the course, for some reason it suited my eye last year and I think it will do again. What’s done is done you have to get on with it and I’m going to try to win this week instead.”
The Farmfoods European Senior Masters is the final event in Europe on the Legends Tour this season, with Vietnam and Mauritius the last locations on the 2023 schedule after this.
La Manga Club is home to three 18-hole golf courses and has a reputation as one of the world’s leading sports and leisure destinations. The resort opened in 1972 and hosted the Spanish Open from 1973 to 1977.
