Smyth tees up senior debut in fine field
The former Ryder Cup golfer heads an impressive field, which includes Bob Charles, Eamonn Darcy, 2001 champion Denis Durnian, defending champion Seiji Ebihara, Carl Mason, Manuel Pinero, Christy O’Connor Jnr and 2002 Senior British Open champion, Noboru Sugai.
Smyth turned 50 on February 12 and one week later got his senior career off to a wonderful start, finishing second behind Argentina’s Vicente Fernandez at the Ace Group Classic on the Champions Tour. Since then, he has recorded five top-10 finishes in 11 starts in America.
Smyth is not the only competitor to be making his European Seniors Tour debut over the testing par 69 links at Harlech. Joining him is former Scottish Open and Turespana Masters champion, Carl Mason, who turned 50 on June 25 after an illustrious career, winning twice on the European Tour and three times on the Safari circuit in Africa.
The field at the Wales Seniors Open was also boosted by the news that Ireland’s Eamonn Darcy and Japan’s Noboru Sugai will also both tee up for the first time.
Darcy spent most of the season in the US and came close to winning the Farmers Charity Classic.
This year’s event is the third time the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open has been staged at Royal St David’s.
