Close House chosen as new host of the prestigious ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship

It has been annouced that Close House has been selected as the venue of the 2015 ISPS Handa Seniors PGA Championship meaning that golf fans in the North East can look forward to watching the leading European Senior Tour players in action. Close House is home to the  world’s only Lee Westwood golf courses and will provide a stern test in what is the oldest event on the European Senior Tour calendar.

The Championship is to be played on 11-14 June over the Newcastle club’s 6,813-yard par-71 Lee Westwood Colt course which was designed as a tribute to iconic English golf course architect Harry Colt and was recently included in Golf Monthly’s list of GB&I’s Top-100 Courses for the first time.

Tournament officials indicated it is part of a deal which will see Close House stage the championship for a number of years.

The event was won last year by Spanish former European Tour player, Santiago Luna, who closed with a superb seven under par round of 64 to claim a two shot victory over Denmark’s Steen Tinning at The Stoke By Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa in Essex.

The ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship was inaugurated back in 1957 and has subsequently been played at many of the country’s leading courses including Royal Mid-Surrey, Gleneagles, North Berwick, Royal Dublin, Sunningdale (Old) and The Belfry.

Close House owner, Graham Wylie, said, “We are absolutely delighted to announce that Close House will play host to this year’s ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship.”

“To stage a top-ranking tournament of this magnitude for the first time confirms an exciting period in our development and is testament to everyone connected with Close House and shows how far we have come since opening less than 4 years ago.”

“The decision to stage the Championship here at Close House gives us an excellent opportunity to showcase our facilities and will allow golf fans in the Newcastle area an exclusive opportunity to see top class professional golf at first hand. We are very much looking forward to welcoming all the leading European Senior Tour players to the North East.”

Sandy Jones, Chief Executive of The PGA, commented: “The PGA Seniors Championship has a long history of being contested at prestigious venues and Close House is a worthy addition to that list. It was last staged in the North East as recently as 2012 and I’m sure the spectators will be as knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the tournament as they were then.”

“ISPS Handa have supported golf at various levels for more than 25 years, including several tournaments which they use as a platform to promote opportunities for blind and disabled golfers. This will be the third year they have been involved in the tournament and their support is a huge boost to this historic event.”

Tickets for the event will be made available for the event at www.closehouse.com/pgaseniors on a complimentary basis.