As the decade draws to a close, we take a look at several iconic moments from the previous ten years on the Staysure Tour. We have seen records broken, tears of joy, crowning moments, new countries visited, below, we reflect on those unforgettable moments from 2010 to 2019.
Mason’s magnificent milestone
Carl Mason set the record for the most wins on the Staysure Tour in 2011 with an unprecedented 25 titles as a senior, beating the great Tommy Horton’s record of 23.
The Englishman began the 2011 season tied with Horton’s record after his victory at the 2010 Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open. However, it only took him three starts in 2011 to set a new record, winning the OKI Open de España by Cleveland Golf/Srixon in May, before he raised the bar once again with another triumph in the same season. His 25th and final Staysure Tour title came at the Benahavis Senior Masters in October and nobody has come close to reaching the unfathomable heights of Mason, with some believing no one ever will.
Bill Longmuir, eight-time Staysure Tour winner, said: “It’s a tremendous record. I can’t imagine it could happen again. He has totally dominated this Tour.”
Two Senior Majors in two months
“It's the greatest day of my professional career,” said Roger Chapman after becoming the first Englishman to win the Senior PGA Championship in 2012. Seven weeks later he was lifting another Senior Major.
“It’s a true honour,” he said after raising the U.S. Senior Open trophy aloft having written his name into the history books, becoming the first Englishman to win the Senior Major, adding to his Senior PGA triumph less than eight weeks previous. The victory marked the first time a player had won both events in the same season since Hale Irwin completed the feat in 1998.
It was a breakthrough campaign for Chapman who ended the year as Staysure Tour Number One, winning the John Jacobs Trophy for the first time.
Langer tames Royal Porthcawl in record-breaking victory
When the wind blew and the rain fell, Royal Porthcawl turned into one of the toughest Senior Open tests, but not for Bernhard Langer. The German displayed one of the performances of the decade as he dominated the Senior Major on the Welsh coast.
His 18 under par total is the lowest 72-hole score to par in the history of The Senior Open Presented by Rolex and also the largest winning margin in Staysure Tour history as he won by a staggering 13 strokes ahead of Colin Montgomerie, who saw his chances of a clean sweep of Senior Majors dashed.
The winning score was not the only record the two-time Masters Tournament Champion set, as he established the Senior Open’s largest 36-hole lead with seven shots as well as the largest 54-hole lead in Staysure Tour history with eight strokes.
New era of senior golf
At the end of 2017, Staysure, the UK’s award-winning and leading travel insurance provider and specialist in the over 50s market, became the first ever sponsor of the European Senior Tour, renaming it to the ‘Staysure Tour’.
Ryan Howsam, founder and Chairman of Staysure, and his team have supported the Tour and have helped it go from strength-to-strength in the last two seasons.
Through the partnership with Staysure, events have returned to the International Schedule, including the lucrative Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, while new events have emerged with a host of new sponsors and promoters.
Jordan Mixed Open
The Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla was a milestone moment for the European Tour in April 2019, marking the first time that men and women have competed alongside each other over the same course for the same prize fund.
The first-of-its-kind event featured players from the European Challenge Tour, Staysure Tour and Ladies European Tour, with the 123-player field teeing up from different tees in a single mixed field.
The drama at Ayla Golf Club could not have been scripted, with Ladies’ star Meghan MacLaren, the Challenge Tour’s Daan Huizing and two-time Staysure Tour winner Paul Streeter making up the final group and battling for the inaugural prize.
Dutchman Huizing was ultimately the man who rose to the occasion, clinching the title in an epic final day battle with the Ladies European Tour player, while José Coceres finished as the leading Staysure Tour player in a share for fourth.
Senior Major man
The Senior Open Presented by Rolex is one of the most sought-after titles on the Staysure Tour and there is one player who has dominated the event more than anyone else. Former World Number One Langer has won the Senior Major four times, claiming his latest triumph at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in July 2019.
The German’s victory saw him breakaway from two of golf’s greats Tom Watson and Gary Player, who have both won The Senior Open Presented by Rolex three times, and take the outright lead as the most successful winner of the Senior Major.
The summer success saw him move to an unprecedented 11 Senior Major titles with the victories all coming in the last ten years. There is no doubting that Langer has been the star of the decade on the over 50s circuit.
Job done
With Carl Mason holding the record for most wins on the over 50s circuit, there is one man who has the record for the most appearances on the Tour. At the 2019 MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius, Nick Job teed it up at his 313th Staysure Tour event.
The Englishman surpassed the previous record of 306 set by Denis O’Sullivan at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open in July and featured in a further five events in the latter stages of the year to move out in front.
Age is only a number
At 53 years old, Boonchu Ruangkit was the first winner of decade and 52-year-old Jarmo Sandelin brought it to a close with his win in Mauritius at the beginning of December.
Gary Wolstenholme was the youngest winner in the last ten years when he won the Casa Serena Open in 2010 aged 50 years and 29 days in just his second start on the over 50s circuit.
John Bland, who holds the record for the youngest winner in Staysure Tour history at 50 years and nine days, became the oldest winner in the last decade when he lifted the Ryder Cup Wales Senior Open trophy at the age of 64 years and 271 days in 2010, becoming the second oldest winner on Tour behind Neil Coles.
As Peter Fowler, winner of the 2019 MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles at the age of 60, said: “The golf ball doesn’t know how old you are.”
