TONY JACKLIN, once a familiar competitor in this country, will be returning to tournament action here in the inaugural AIB Irish Seniors Open at St Margaret's on May 16th to 18th. Details of the event were announced in Dublin yesterday when it was given the imprimatur of the country's foremost senior player, Christy O'Connor.
The event, carrying a first prize of £12,500, has a limited field of 44 players, including four sponsors' invitees. One of those spots has gone to Jacklin and another to O'Connor, while the remaining two won't be decided until entries close on April 25th.
"Unless Jack Nicklaus rings up - which is unlikely - the last two places will be filled by Irishmen," said Andy Stubbs, managing director of the PGA European Seniors' Tour yesterday. Stubbs went on to confirm that Liam Higgins is the only Irishman among the 40 exempted players at this stage.
So, the country's first national professional senior event is likely to have no more than four Irishmen in the field. The organisers were at some pains, however, to emphasise that this should be viewed as a modest start on which considerable expansion might be anticipated next year.
Competitors will be in action over four days, starting with a pro-am on Thursday, May 15th. There will be a separate pro-am on the Friday, marking the start of the championship proper, and the professionals will go on to complete a 54-hole event by playing Saturday and Sunday on their own.
The appearance of Jacklin is important to the tour, not least for the fact that he failed to retain his card on the US Seniors' Tour last November. "If Tony plays four events on our tour this season, he will qualify for inclusion on the Order of Merit," said Stubbs. "Then, as a former (British) Open champion, he would be exempted for events next season.
A number of the contestants at St Margaret's, came here 22 years ago for the relaunch of the "regular" Irish Open at Woodbrook. Among them was Tommy Horton, who went away empty-handed after failing to make the cut.
Horton was back in Dublin yesterday as winner of four events last season, when he amassed record winnings of £133,195 to lead the Seniors Tour rankings. In fact the Channel Islander has earned more in six seasons senior ranks than in 25 years on the regular tour. Which would account for his smile when he said: "I can't wait to get started into a new season."
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