When Sam Torrance and his European Seniors Tour colleagues converge on La Moye Golf Club for the 2007 Jersey Seniors Classic from June 8-10 they will be competing for a share of a tournament record prize fund.
Increased commercial support for the event means that the Seniors Tour professionals will be competing for a purse of £140,000 - 16.6 per cent more than in 2006 – when the 2007 Jersey Seniors Classic is played over 54 holes on the picturesque links at La Moye.
It is the second significant new development following the announcement, made last month, that this year’s tournament would benefit from worldwide TV coverage.
The TV highlights package will showcase the island to golf enthusiasts across the globe and the deal was secured thanks to a powerful partnership between the European Seniors Tour, Geoff Irvine, tournament promoters WSM Sponsorship and The States of Jersey Government, through the Jersey Economic Development Department and Jersey Tourism.
This impressive line-up has now been further strengthened by the addition of European Business Jets, the AIM listed private jets operator, as a Partner Sponsor of this year’s tournament.
Geoff Irvine, Special Advisor to the Managing Director of the European Seniors Tour and long-term backer of the event through his company Irvine Whitlock, said: “The television coverage enabled by Jersey Economic Development Department has made the tournament an enhanced proposition for commercial sponsors and we are delighted to welcome European Business Jets to our tournament family.
“With their support, allied to the continued involvement of Aberdeen Asset Management, Blackrock and the tournament patrons, we have been able to increase the prize fund to £140,000, a record for the Jersey Seniors Classic and a development that will be warmly received by the players.”
Commenting on the sponsorship, Nick Messer, Director of European Business Jets, said: “This is an exciting sponsorship opportunity for European Business Jets.
“The Jersey Seniors Classic is one of the most established events on the European Seniors Tour and its unique pro-am format presents a valuable platform for us to promote the exclusive European Business Jets service to a key demographic audience.”
A regular fixture on the European Seniors Tour Schedule since 1996, the Jersey Seniors Classic is effectively two tournaments rolled into one, with the professionals battling it out over 54 holes for the main strokeplay title and a field of amateurs playing three rounds of betterball competition. The 2006 professional event was won by Guillermo Encina – the Chilean’s maiden European Seniors Tour victory – while Torrance triumphed in 2005 to achieve a unique double at La Moye, following his success in the 1991 Jersey European Airways Open on The European Tour.
For further information, please contact:
European Tour Communications Division
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 840400
Fax: +44 (0) 1344 840444
Email: media@europeantour.com
Nick Addecott
WSM Sponsorship
tel. 020 7590 7518 / nick.addecott@wsmsponsorship.com
Steven Franklin
Press Officer
The European Tour
Tel: + 44 1344 840442
Mob: + 44 7880 601009
e-mail: sfranklin@europeantour.com
