Horgan hoping to bring top event to Bermuda - Royal Gazette

Colin Thompson

Published Dec 4, 2018 at 8:00 am (Updated Dec 3, 2018 at 9:48 pm)

P.H. Horgan celebrates winning the Gosling'sl International Invitationa in 2014 (File photograph by Akil Simmons)

PGA Tour Champions organisers are still exploring the possibility of staging one of their events in Bermuda, according to tour player P.H. Horgan.

The American, a multiple Bermuda Open and Gosling’s International Invitational winner, has met with tour officials and local businesses and believes the island is ideally suited to host the senior event.

“This island should be recognised as one of the great golf destinations in the world,” said Horgan, who is also a former PGA Tour player. “It’s similar to Pebble Beach [in California] where people come because it’s beautiful and has great courses.

“There are great courses on the island, like in Monterey Peninsula, and they have a Champions Tour and a regular tour event. They get that recognition on television. I’ve been working with the Champions Tour and I’m actually doing some reconnaissance over here right now.”

“Bermuda would be a great fit for a Champions Tour event at Port Royal Golf Club. You can have it as a Pro-Am format, too, like the Pebble Beach tournament, which is still a championship event on the Champions Tour.

The Champions Tour boasts top players such as John Daly, Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Vijay Singh. It was formed in 1980 and is reserved for players older than 50.

Horgan, who made the cut at the US Open on three occasions, met with Zane DeSilva, the former Minister of Social Development and Sport, last year about the possibility of bringing the PGA Tour Champions to the island.

“[The Royal Gazette] wrote an article about it last year, but it kind of got off track going forward,” Horgan added. “I will be meeting business people on Front Street and also people in government. I’d like to be an ambassador for this island. Even though I’m not a Bermudian, I’ve won the Bermuda Open three times and I’d love to bring a Champions event to this island. I know how special this place is.

“It’s a great way to promote tourism and golf on the island. I’d like to do it for next year; if not, definitely the following year.”

The Bermuda Goodwill Golf Tournament started at Mid Ocean Club, Tucker’s Point Club and Port Royal yesterday.

The Bermuda Goodwill Golf Tournament started at Mid Ocean Club, Tuckers Point Club and Port Royal yesterday.

David Lawrence, the Gosling’s International Invitational champion, representing the Marbella Golf Club in Spain, leads the professional division with 23 points.

There is an added incentive this year for professionals who are competing for a share of the $25,000 purse.

A total of 59 teams from the United States, Canada, Scotland, Italy and Bermuda are competing in the three-day tournament which is the longest-running and oldest Pro Am in the world.

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