Carnoustie’s local economy has been told to expect a bumper pay day when the town hosts the Senior Open in July.
The Senior Open is returning to Carnoustie for the first time since 2010 when the championship debuted on the Angus links.
Over 30 Major champions will tee up including Bernhard Langer, Tom Watson, Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jiménez and John Daly.
Jean Van de Velde, who memorably lost out to Paul Lawrie in The Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1999, is one of a number of newcomers who will be making their debuts.
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club at the Bridgend links in Wales hosted the Senior Open in 2014 and it will return again in 2017 after boosting the local economy by £2.16m.
Councillor Mel Nott OBE, Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, said Carnoustie’s economy should expect to enjoy similar success during the visit of a world-class field of legends.
Speaking to The Courier, he said: “Hosting the Senior Open in 2014 was a fantastic opportunity that showcased Bridgend County Borough to an international audience.
“More than 43,000 people travelled to the area for the event and we estimate that it contributed £2.16m to the local economy, much of which was spent in local shops or on accommodation.
“This is an event that the whole community should get behind as it can be used as a major hook to attract visitors and investment, and help put the area on the map.”
Langer returns to Carnoustie in July with his sights trained on becoming only the third player in history to win the Senior Open Championship three times.
The Senior Open continues Carnoustie’s hosting of leading events with the Women’s British Open staged at the Championship course in 2011 and the British Ladies Amateur Championship in 2012.
The Open is due to return in 2018 and the course is also an annual co-host of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour.
Andy Stubbs, managing director of the European Senior Tour, said: “In 2010, we saw Bernhard Langer become the first continental European to win this prestigious tournament.
“After his second Senior Open victory in 2014, and runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2015, he will certainly be one to watch when we return to Angus.
“We will also see the Senior Open debut of Jean Van de Velde, who turned 50 earlier this year and now has the opportunity of setting the record straight after the events of The Open in 1999.
“We enjoyed superb hospitality six years ago, and I’m sure the welcome will be equally warm when the Senior Open tees off at the historic links of Carnoustie in July.”
