DID YOU KNOW – ISPS HANDA WALES OPEN
• On his way to victory in 2006, Robert Karlsson created two European Tour records, firstly for the lowest opening 36 holes, with a score of 124, and followed that by creating the lowest opening 54 hole score of 189.
• Should Grégory Bourdy make a successful defence of his ISPS Handa Wales Open title, he would become the first player to win multiple titles at Celtic Manor. So far in the 14 years of the tournament there have been 14 different champions.
• Since The European Tour’s first season in 1972, Ian Woosnam (1983 British Masters and 1990 Epson Grand Prix of Europe) is the only Welshman to win a European Tour event on home soil.
• Even though a Welshman has yet to win their national open, they have a fine record in The Celtic Manor Wales Open. Here are the best performances year by year: 2000 – Ian Woosnam, tied third; 2001 – Jamie Donaldson and Mark Pilkington, tied fourth; 2002 – Bradley Dredge, tied ninth; 2003 – Phillip Price, tied seventh; 2004 – Stephen Dodd, tied ninth; 2005 – Ian Woosnam, tied fifth; 2006 – Bradley Dredge, tied seventh; 2007 – Bradley Dredge, tied second; 2008 – Jamie Donaldson, tied 15th, 2009 – Rhys Davies, tied 17th ; 2010 – Rhys Davies, second, 2011 – Jamie Donaldson, tied eighth, 2012 – Phillip Price tied 87th and Liam Bond, tied 43rd in 2013.
• European Tour history was made in this event in 2007 for the most players tied for the lead after the first round. Nine golfers all tied on 65 (-4), beating the old record of eight at the 1995 European Masters.
