At the start of the event, we saw BBC Sports reporter and avid golfer Chris Hollins win the inaugural Celebrity Series Pro Am title finishing with 46 stableford points.
We have a winner! @chrishollinsTV is the inaugural #CelebritySeries Pro-Am Champion 🏆#StaysurePGA
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 28, 2021
The 50-year-old was three points clear of Irish singer-songwriter and former Boyzone band member Keith Duffy in second place, closely followed by former England and Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler who finished with 42 points. It was Fowler who then went onto lift the Alliance Pro Am trophy finishing with a total of 111 points, proving his as adept with a golf club in hand as he was with a ball at his feet.
“I’ve loved it, it’s been brilliant the course,” Fowler said. “It helps when you play well, I’m happy. I played really good golf actually, we had a few bad shots here and there but I’m playing to my handicap so when you can do that, it’s good.”
The #StaysurePGA Alliance Pro-Am Champion is the one and only @Robbie9Fowler 🏆 pic.twitter.com/UnRim3MXQy
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 31, 2021
Paul Broadhurst returned to the winner’s circle after posting a closing three under par round of 69 to reach seven under par and finish one stroke clear of Frenchman Thomas Levet and England’s John Bickerton to lift the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship title, three years after his last victory at The Ally Challenge on PGA TOUR Champions.
“It feels pretty special to win a tournament of this stature on a links course,” Broadhurst said.
“I enjoyed playing the golf course. I remember some of the holes from ’85 in the British Amateur when I played here last, my son played here a few years ago in the English Amateur and he said ‘it’s a tough track, Dad, you’ve got to hit it straight’ but I drove it well all week really. I didn’t hit many poor drives and I got it done in the end.”
WINNER! @pbroadhurstgolf is the #StaysurePGA Champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/muO5PQQNyn
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) August 1, 2021
The success of the event was not only evident on the course but oozed with atmosphere throughout. The spectators were in full voice and gave Formby Golf Club a real buzz from the beginning, with an attendance figure of over 9,000.
Ryan Howsam, Founder and CEO of the Staysure Group is now seeing his vision coming to life from improving the overall quality of a venue, to putting the Legends at the front and centre of the brand. Also from a playing perspective, creating the Alliance Pro-Am series and the Amateur Pro-Am, establishing opportunities of a lifetime for many golfers.
The next stop on the Legends Tour International Schedule is the Irish Legends presented by The McGinley Foundation from August 20-22 and due to the success of the Alliance series thus far the spots have already sold out. However, make sure not to miss out on the spots available at the Scottish Senior Open hosted by Paul Lawrie from September 10-12 as they are selling fast.
