Golf - Staysure Tour announces season-ending Indian Ocean swing in partnership with MCB |28 May 2018

The 2018 Staysure Tour season will end in the paradise islands of the Seychelles after announcing that the MCB Golf Tour Championship will now be played across two events in consecutive weeks.

Mauritius Commercial Bank, title sponsor of the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius since 2011, has signed a three-year agreement incorporating a new two-stage final series which will draw a close to the Staysure Tour season until 2020.

The first stage of the inaugural Indian Ocean Swing will be played at Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius, and the new second stage tournament will take place at Constance Lemuria on the island of Praslin in Seychelles.

The field of 50, comprising defending champion Thaworn Wiratchant, competing former Major champions, four invitations and the balance of players from the Staysure Tour Order of Merit will play in Mauritius from December 7-9. Then the top 29 from the Order of Merit after the first stage (including the winner from Mauritius if not otherwise exempt), plus three invitations, will then compete in the second stage in Seychelles from December 14-16 as the race for the John Jacobs Trophy goes down to the wire.

Staysure Tour members will play for a combined prize fund of more than US $800,000, with the winner of each tournament receiving a cheque for approximately US $70,000.

David MacLaren, head of the Staysure Tour, said: “This is an exciting new chapter for the Staysure Tour, and I wish to thank Raoul Gufflet and his team at MCB for extending their commitment to our Tour. We must also thank Jean-Jacques Vallet and our partners at Constance Hotels, Resorts and Golf for their continued support.

“We must acknowledge the commitment from the Seychelles Tourism Board, as their desire to host the Staysure Tour has created the opportunity to bring a thrilling climax to the season in one of the most beautiful destinations in the world.

“Last year, we saw the race for the John Jacobs Trophy go down to the final event of the season in Mauritius, and the new Indian Ocean Swing promises added excitement with just 32 places to play for in Seychelles.”

Raoul Gufflet, deputy chief executive of MCB, said: “As we approach the 10th anniversary of the MCB Tour Championship, we would like to reiterate our sincere and passionate attachment to the European Tour by adding another destination to the Staysure Tour schedule.

“The addition of Seychelles as the climax of the season, and the creation of the Indian Ocean Swing, makes us not only proud but really excited to have our clients, those of Staysure and the regular clients of Constance Hotels & Resorts discover the incredible landscapes of the golf courses and resorts of Mauritius and Seychelles.

“We can’t wait to enjoy the fantastic hospitality and openness of those two incredible destinations, while creating a true competitive spirit in such a friendly environment.”

Sherin Francis, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, said: “It is the first time that Seychelles will host a golf tournament of such calibre and we are very excited at the potential visibility and exposure it will bring for the destination.

“We believe as a golf and leisure destination we have a lot to offer and we are looking forward to welcoming all the golfers, delegates and families to our shores.”

 Jean-Jacques Vallet, chief executive of Constance Hotels, Resorts & Golf, said: “Golf is part of Constance Hotels, Resorts & Golf's DNA, and we have been a pioneer of golf tourism in Mauritius and the region. Our international golf tournaments are now a reference and the seventh MCB Tour Championship, which took place last year at Constance Belle Mare Plage, was a great success.

“We are now heading towards a new stage in our development with the Indian Ocean Swing, an event that will allow us to share our expertise and passion for golf with more golfers in Mauritius and the Seychelles. This would certainly not have been made possible without the unwavering support of our main partner, MCB, with whom we share the love of the greens.

“Together, we are taking on a new challenge and we are confident that we will all meet our goals, while remaining true to our rich golf tradition."

The Staysure Tour, formerly known as the European Senior Tour, is the men’s professional golf tour for members aged 50 and older. In 2018, the Staysure Tour schedule will feature a minimum of 16 tournaments across four continents.

Five years after the first Senior Open, won by Neil Coles in 1987, more than 60 professionals called for a formally-structured Tour, which was then created in 1992. Many of the pioneering champions who played on the European Tour during the 1970s, 80s and 90s make up the Staysure Tour’s active membership which, in 2017, included eight Ryder Cup captains, 29 former Ryder Cup players, nine Major champions and 73 European Tour winners.

Former Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam are among the winners of the John Jacobs Trophy, which is awarded to the golfer who finishes first on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit each season. Former Ryder Cup player, the late Tommy Horton is the record winner of the Trophy, winning his first in 1993 and four consecutively from 1996-99.

United Kingdom-based insurance company Staysure became the first ever title sponsor of the European Senior Tour on January 2, 2018 at the start of the Tour’s 27th season. The deal includes the incorporation of a new headline event, the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship.