Welsh golfers Ian Woosnam, Phil Price, Stephen Dodd and Mark Mouland will be part of an historic occasion when they tee-off at the Shipco Masters in Denmark on the former European Seniors Tour on 1 June.
The three-day event, now part of the Staysure Tour, will see England’s greatest female golfer, Dame Laura Davies, play with the men for the first time after accepting an invitation to join a star-studded field at Simon’s Golf Club.
Woosie is one of four winning Ryder Cup captains in the field, joining Paul McGinley, José María Olazábal and Colin Montgomerie, while Price is one of a further 11 former Ryder Cup players, including Peter Baker, Gordon Brand Jnr, Eamonn Darcy, David Gilford, Barry Lane, Ronan Rafferty, Costantino Rocca, Jarmo Sandelin, Des Smyth, and Philip Walton.
“You only get one chance to become the first, and the time is right to do it. I’m very grateful to the Staysure Tour for being so forward-thinking, to the Tour’s members who have been so supportive of this decision, and the organisers at Simon’s Golf Club who extended the invitation to me,” said Davies.
“I committed to play this event last year, but since then I’ve only grown more excited at the prospect and I am particularly encouraged by the increasing number of opportunities arising for women and men to compete in the same event.
“This is my turn to do so and I hope to see many more opportunities in future in all manner of formats”.
Ian Woosnam of Wales, Willow Senior Golf Classic – Day One. Pic: Getty Images.
Davies certainly won’t be out of place alongside her male colleagues. Among her 86 worldwide tournaments victories are four Majors, she claimed the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit a record seven times and became the first non-American to win the LPGA money list.
David MacLaren, head of the Staysure Tour, said: “Laura has been one of my golfing heroes since 1996 and this is another example of the European Tour being prepared to innovate and look to attract a wider audience to the game of golf. It is an honour for the Staysure Tour to have her playing,” said
Meanwhile, Becky Brewerton, Lydia Hall, Chloe Williams will all be in action in France at the end of the month playing in the Jabra Ladies Open at the Evian Resort Golf Club between 31 May – 2 June. Hall is the highest placed Welsh golfer on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit at present, sitting in 34th place.
That puts her 10 places above Amy Boulden with Becky Morgan back in 90th place.