DID YOU KNOW – TROPHÉE HASSAN II
• Defending champion, Alejandro Cañizares will attempt to become the first player to make a successful defence of the crown since the event became part of The European Tour in 2010.
• Alejandro Cañizares followed Marcel Siem in 2013 and became the second consecutive wire-to-wire winner, with no ties in any of the rounds. The Spanish player was one of five 2014 winners to claim a title in this fashion.
• Alejandro Cañizares won the 2014 event finishing with a double bogey six. He is the last winner to record a double bogey on the last hole of an event and still win. (In 2011 David Horsey won the Trophée Hassan II, also after taking a six at the final hole to leave him in a play-off, which he eventually won).
• On his way to victory in 2011, David Horsey made a hole-in-one on the second hole in day four. He became only the fourth player in European Tour history to make an ace in the final round and go onto win. He followed Thongchai Jaidee (2004 Carlsberg Malaysian Open), Miguel Angel Jiménez (2008 BMW PGA Championship) and Alvaro Quiros (2011 Omega Dubai Desert Classic).
• Since the tournament became part of The European Tour International Schedule in 2010, David Horsey has the best record of any player. Having won in 2011, he was tied second in 2013 and tied eighth in 2014. In 2010 he was tied 29th and tied 14th in 2012. He is a total of 54 under par for 20 rounds in the event since 2010.
• The Trophée Hasan II was first played in 1971 and is Morocco’s longest running sporting event, first won by 1969 US Open Champion, Orville Moody. The tournament is rich in history with no fewer than nine Major Champions prevailing. They are: Moody (1971), Billy Casper (1973, 75), Lee Trevino (1977), Vijay Singh (1991), Payne Stewart (1992, 93), Nick Price (1995), David Toms (1999), Padraig Harrington (2007) and Ernie Els (2008).
• All five previous winners of the tournament are competing since the event became part of The European Tour in 2010. They are: Rhys Davies (2010), David Horsey (2011), Michael Hoey (2012), Marcel Siem (2013) and Alejandro Cañizares (2014).
• The Golf du Palais Royal is no stranger to staging European Tour completion, having been one of two courses to host this event in 2011, (along with the Golf de L’Océan course). Before then the Golf du Palais entertained the Moroccan Open between 1993-96 and again between 1997-99.
