The European Senior Tour will visit European soil for the first time in 2011 when the OKI Spanish Senior Open by Cleveland Golf / Srixon 2 is played at El Valle Golf Resort in Murcia, Spain, from May 18-20.
OKI Systems Ibérica, the computers and printing solutions, will be the title sponsor of the tournament, having previously supported the Senior Tour’s season-ending OKI Castellón Senior Tour Championship from 2008-2010 and the OKI Castellón Open de España Senior from 2005-2007.
It will be the Senior Tour’s first visit to El Valle Golf Resort, which is one of three courses at Polaris World Nicklaus Golf Trail and which has previously hosted the European Tour’s Qualifying School Second Stage.
The 54-hole event will be promoted by MatchGolf and will be followed by a Pro-Am on Saturday May 21. It will be one of two tournaments on the 2011 Senior Tour schedule to be played in Spain, with the third edition of the Benahavis Senior Masters due to take place from October 14-16.
Javier Toledo, President of OKI Systems Ibérica, said: “We are delighted to continue our support for the game of golf, with particular focus on the Senior Tour and the players that have made us love the game.
“The Senior Tour shares the values of our company, such as quality, effort and emotion. I am sure that, once again, it will be a great tournament and the senior players will keep up the emotion until the very last hole.”
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “We are very grateful to OKI, MatchGolf and the Spanish Golf Federation for continuing our presence in Spain, following six years in Castellón.
“Spain has been a major part of the Senior Tour over the years, providing a number of great champions, and we are delighted to be visiting another part of this fantastic country for the first time with our inaugural visit to El Valle.”
Javier Gervás, General Director of MatchGolf, said: “I would like to thank OKI, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and Cleveland Srixon for their continued support, which has helped the OKI Spanish Senior Open return to the Senior Tour Schedule.
“As a prelude to the US Senior PGA Championship, it is a great chance for the players to measure themselves before the first Major of the season. For our guests and the public, it will be an opportunity to enjoy some of the leading Senior Tour players, including Ryder Cup winners, and Major Champions, at the great course of El Valle.”
Jaime Salaverri, President of the Professionals Committee at the Royal Spanish Golf Federation (RFEG), said: “The OKI Senior Spanish Open completes the circle of support to the Spanish golf created by the RFEG, together with the Spanish Open for both men and women, the Challenge de España, and Peugeot Alps de España, showing our support of professional golf at all levels.
“Getting the OKI Spanish Senior Open back is recognition of all the victories our Spanish professionals have given us throughout their careers and continue to do, the most recent being Domingo Hospital’s at the end of last season. We hope we can enjoy another Spanish victory at the OKI Spanish Senior Open this year.”
