MCB Tour Championship Pressbook December 2022

12/13/22, 8:49 AM

MCB Tour Championship preview: Who's in contention as the Legends Tour season comes to a close?

In October James Corrigan of the Daily Telegraph reported that Trump Aberdeen is set to host the Scottish Senior Open. Given that the R&A has avoided Trump Turnberry and the PGA Tour steered conspicuously away from Trump courses, it is an undeniably newsworthy story.

As things stand there is no ofcial confrmation of the story but new events and new venues are set to be announced next week.

Trump is not the only shadow cast over golf, of course. There is also LIV and one of its stars Lee Westwood told Corrigan that he had been approached by the Legends Tour about his availability when he turns 50 in April.

“The main Tour is trying to ban me,” Westwood said, “their seniors tour is saying they’ll roll out the red carpet. It sums up the mess. I’m not sure they know what their plan is with all of this.”

The ofcial Legends Tour line, confrmed this week, is that as things currently stand Westwood can play on the DP World Tour therefore he is eligible for the seniors too when he comes of age. Should the former change, the latter would too.

Blessed with immaculate, peaceful, tranquil

Open

It was smart politics from Westwood. Wentworth and the Legends Tour are connected but separate, a curious relationship with no precedent and blurred lines (at least from the outside looking in). The gap in the middle of the two organisations has presented the Legends with an opportunity for their purposes and Westwood has run with it too for his.

What remains obvious is that Europe’s senior game struggles for attention. Celebrities haven’t made much impact on that problem; Trump and Westwood might.

The MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius

The background

The tour frst visited Mauritius in 2009 and two years later that tournament became the end-of-season MCB Tour Championship. There have been plenty of quality winners including David Frost, Tom Lehman, Colin Montgomerie, Barry Lane and Jarmo Sandelin. The latter lifted the trophy in 2019 and is the long-standing reigning champion after Covid forced two cancellations and a tropical rainstorm forced a delayed 2021 edition to be abandoned. Asked how he might defend this week the enigmatic Swede said: “I don’t know because I can be very, good at the moment but I can also be very, very bad.”

Blessed with immaculate, peaceful, tranquil

Open

×

×

https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/mcb-tour-championship-preview/

2/6