Wales Open

Last updated

Cazoo Open
Wales Open photo 1.png
Tournament information
Location Newport, Wales
Established2000
Course(s) Celtic Manor Resort
(Twenty-Ten Course)
Par71
Length7,393 yards (6,760 m)
Tour(s) European Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund 1,750,000
Month playedAugust
Final year2022
Tournament record score
Aggregate260 Robert Karlsson (2006)
To par−22 Scott Strange (2008)
Final champion
Flag of England.svg Callum Shinkwin
Location map
Wales relief location map.jpg
Icona golf.svg
Celtic Manor Resort
Location in Wales
Newport UK relief location map.jpg
Icona golf.svg
Celtic Manor Resort
Location in Newport

The Wales Open was a professional golf tournament on the European Tour played at the Celtic Manor Resort. It was played annually from 2000 to 2014, as part of a 15-year deal between the tour and the Celtic Manor Resort, that included staging the 2010 Ryder Cup. The event was not held from 2015 to 2019 but returned in 2020, following a revamp of the European Tour because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contents

History

The 2001 event was reduced to 36 holes because of heavy rain. The third round was cancelled but organisers had hoped to play a third round on the Sunday. However, that was not possible and the result was decided over the first two rounds. Paul McGinley, Paul Lawrie and Daren Lee were tied at 6-under-par and a playoff was arranged on 12th hole, a par 3, which would be played repeatedly until a winner emerged. Lawrie dropped out of the playoff when he bogeyed the hole at the second attempt, McGinley eventually winning when Lee bogeyed the hole at the fifth try. [1]

There was another playoff in 2004 when Paul Casey and Simon Khan tied on 267, 21-under-par. Casey had a bogey six at the second playoff hole after which Khan holed a 3-foot putt for birdie. [2]

In 2006, Robert Karlsson broke the European Tour's 36-hole and 54-hole scoring records by scoring 124 for the first two rounds and 189 for the first three. However, as the Roman Road course was a par-69, rare at the professional level, his scores relative to par were a slightly less remarkable 14-under after two rounds and 18-under after three. Karlsson shot two-over-par for the final round, but still won. In the same year, Phillip Archer scored 60 in the first round, missing a birdie putt on the 18th green.

Sponsorship

The event started in 2000 as part of a 15-year deal between the European Tour and the Celtic Manor Resort, that included staging the 2010 Ryder Cup. It was originally known as the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open, becoming the Celtic Manor Wales Open in 2004.

The 2011 event was called the Saab Wales Open under a one-year deal with Saab. [3] From 2012 to 2014, the event became the ISPS Handa Wales Open, with ISPS Handa as the title sponsor, and an initial prize fund in 2012 of £1.8 million. [4] The event was dropped after 2014. [5]

The tournament returned in 2020 as part of a revamp of the European Tour's schedule in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was the fifth event of a 6-week "UK Swing" and was again hosted at Celtic Manor and sponsored by ISPS Handa, although with reduced prize money of €1,000,000. [6] [7]

The 2021 event was sponsored by Cazoo as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal which also included the English Open. [8] The event was also backed by international footballer Gareth Bale and called the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale. [9]

Course

The event has always been played at Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales. From 2000 to 2004 it was played on the Wentwood Hills course. While that course was being redeveloped for the 2010 Ryder Cup, the Wales Open was played from 2005 to 2007 on the par-69 Roman Road course. From 2008, the event has been played on the Ryder Cup Twenty-Ten course.

The 2021 course layout, at the Twenty-Ten Course [10]

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Yards4656101894624334522134395803,8432105624581894133774772115753,4727,315
Metres4255581734223964131954015303,5131925144191733783454361935263,1766,689
Par453444345363543444353571

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upPurse [a] Winner's
share [a]
Cazoo Open
2022 Flag of England.svg Callum Shinkwin 272−124 strokes Flag of Scotland.svg Connor Syme 1,750,000297,500
2021 Flag of Spain.svg Nacho Elvira 268−16Playoff Flag of South Africa.svg Justin Harding 1,250,000191,570
ISPS Handa Wales Open
2020 Flag of France.svg Romain Langasque 276−82 strokes Flag of Finland.svg Sami Välimäki 1,000,000156,825
2015−2019: No tournament
2014 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Joost Luiten 270−141 stroke Flag of England.svg Tommy Fleetwood
Flag of Ireland.svg Shane Lowry
1,800,000300,000
2013 Flag of France.svg Grégory Bourdy 276−82 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Peter Uihlein 1,800,000300,000
2012 Flag of Thailand.svg Thongchai Jaidee 278−61 stroke Flag of Denmark.svg Thomas Bjørn
Flag of Spain.svg Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Joost Luiten
Flag of South Africa.svg Richard Sterne
1,800,000300,000
Saab Wales Open
2011 Flag of Sweden.svg Alex Norén 275−92 strokes Flag of France.svg Grégory Bourdy
Flag of Denmark.svg Anders Hansen
1,800,000300,000
Celtic Manor Wales Open
2010 Ulster Banner.svg Graeme McDowell 269−153 strokes Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Rhys Davies 1,800,000300,000
2009 Flag of Denmark.svg Jeppe Huldahl 275−91 stroke Flag of Sweden.svg Niclas Fasth 1,800,000300,000
2008 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Scott Strange 262−224 strokes Flag of Sweden.svg Robert Karlsson 1,800,000300,000
2007 Flag of South Africa.svg Richard Sterne 263−131 stroke Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Bradley Dredge
Flag of Denmark.svg Søren Kjeldsen
Flag of Singapore.svg Mardan Mamat
Flag of Denmark.svg Mads Vibe-Hastrup
1,500,000250,000
2006 Flag of Sweden.svg Robert Karlsson 260−163 strokes Flag of England.svg Paul Broadhurst 1,500,000250,000
2005 Flag of Spain.svg Miguel Ángel Jiménez 262−144 strokes Flag of Sweden.svg Martin Erlandsson
Flag of Spain.svg José Manuel Lara
1,500,000250,000
2004 Flag of England.svg Simon Khan 267−21Playoff Flag of England.svg Paul Casey 1,500,000250,000
Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open
2003 Flag of England.svg Ian Poulter 270−183 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Darren Fichardt
Flag of England.svg Jonathan Lomas
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jarrod Moseley
1,500,000250,000
2002 Flag of Scotland.svg Paul Lawrie 272−165 strokes Flag of England.svg John Bickerton 1,100,000183,333
2001 Flag of Ireland.svg Paul McGinley 138 [b] −6Playoff Flag of Scotland.svg Paul Lawrie
Flag of England.svg Daren Lee
750,000125,000
2000 Flag of Denmark.svg Steen Tinning 273−151 stroke Flag of England.svg David Howell 750,000125,000

Source: [11]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Before 2020 the prize fund was always stated and paid in Pound sterling (£). Since 2020 the prize fund has been stated and paid in Euro (€).
  2. Shortened to 36 holes due to rain.

References

  1. "McGinley wins wet Welsh shoot-out". BBC Sport. 12 August 2001. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  2. Smyth, Helen (7 June 2004). "Khan drives Casey to capitulation". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  3. "Saab to sponsor Wales Open golf tournament". WalesOnline. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  4. "ISPS Handa to sponsor Wales Open". Today's Golfer. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  5. Corrigan, James (19 September 2014). "Wales Open becomes latest professional tournament to bite the dust after being handed last rites by Celtic Manor" . The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  6. "European Tour: Six-week 'UK Swing' will start season resumption". BBC Sport. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  7. "ISPS Handa on board to support UK's return to golf as title sponsor of Wales Open and UK Championship". European Tour. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  8. "Cazoo partners with European Tour as title sponsor of two UK Swing Tournaments". European Tour. 8 June 2021.
  9. "Football superstar Gareth Bale lends support to 2021 Cazoo Open". European Tour. 2 July 2021.
  10. "Cazoo Open: Course". European Tour. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  11. "History – Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale". PGA European Tour. Retrieved 20 July 2021.

51°36′11″N2°55′59″W / 51.603°N 2.933°W / 51.603; -2.933