Published July 17, 2008 on May 31, 2018

Woosnam Ready to Make More Memories in Denmark

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Ian Woosnam will make his first appearance of the 2018 Staysure Tour season when he tees off at the Shipco Masters promoted by Simon’s Golf Club this week, from June 1-3.

As the Staysure Tour heads to Denmark for Simon’s Golf Club’s 25^th anniversary and the first 2018 tournament on European soil, Woosnam returns to the course which he opened when he struck the first tee shot in 1993.

Woosnam was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame at the end of last year and the 1991 Masters Tournament Champion will join a star-studded field when the third Staysure Tour event of the season gets underway tomorrow.

“It’s brilliant to be back. I’ve had two stints of coming here. The first was in 1993 when it opened and then in 2007 when they opened the next nine holes,” Woosnam said. “It’s great coming back here, they are a friendly bunch and they really make you feel welcome, and it’s unbelievable that they’ve put on a tournament for us.

“Simon has been associated with golf for a long time with the European Tour. He’s most probably grown up with a lot of us and seen us all play. It’s nice for us to come back here and put something back in for him, while he gives something to the Staysure Tour.”

Fellow former Ryder Cup winning captains Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie and José María Olazábal will join the 2008 John Jacobs Trophy champion, as well as England’s greatest female golfer Dame Laura Davies. The seven-time record winner of the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit will make history when she becomes the first female player to play in a professional stroke play event on the over-50s circuit.

It is a field which has Woosnam excited ahead of the three-day contest on a course that will test the 60-person field’s skill and guile.

“Looking at this now the course is bouncing, and she can do really well around here. I hope I beat Dame Laura as I’m a bit worried about that!” he said. “It’s nice to have a field like this and nice to have the guys support it, and someone who wins here is going to deserve to win.

“When the course is bouncing like it is you’ve got to get the ball into the right positions. You think you could take a green on but there might be a bit of rough around it and you end up getting yourself into trouble.

“These greens are quite slopey and you’ve got to know where the banks are, where the slopes are and then you can use them to your advantage. Yes, you can play aggressive on some holes, but other times you’ve got to be careful.”

1993 was part of Woosnam’s golden era and being back at Simon’s Golf Club has brought back the memories of his wonderful years on the European Tour.

“Winning the Masters in ’91 and becoming World Number One was great and it was part of a great time of European golf and being part of The Ryder Cup,” he said. “Special memories come back – I’m getting older all the time with more aches and pains – but I’m coming back to play a bit more in Europe now as I really enjoy playing over here and seeing some of my old buddies.”