JOY FOR BAKER AND BOTHAM AS LEGENDS TOUR WRAPS UP ANOTHER SEASON OF THRILLING GOLF
Peter Baker completed a stellar Legends Tour season with a last-gasp victory at the MCB Tour Championship Mauritius to top the order of merit, bringing another dramatic year to a thrilling conclusion.
Baker – who also counts the flagship Staysure PGA Seniors Championship among his four wins on the Legends Tour this season – survived a late charge by Brazilian Adilson Da Silva to clinch victory with a birdie at the final hole.
Their showdown brought the curtain down on a record-breaking year for the Legends Tour, with new events and prestigious new venues contributing to better-than-ever numbers across the brand’s social channels. The 2023 season also saw new records set for both spectators and amateur player participation as passionate golfers got the chance to watch their heroes in action and even play alongside them as part of the unique Alliance Series.
Other highlights included the Legends Tour’s first ever foray into Vietnam in the form of the inaugural Vinpearl DIC Legends Vietnam - won by Da Silva at the start of December - and the success of the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, which generated over 7.5 million views digitally.
Meanwhile, former cricketer and rugby player Liam Botham emerged victorious in the Wapp Celebrity Series Grand Final. Botham, son of legendary England cricketer Ian, edged a star-studded field that also included football icons Teddy Sheringham, Gianfranco Zola and Robbie Fowler. Across the season’s quartet of Celebrity Series events, former Westlife singer Brian McFadden topped the order of merit ahead of 1996 Formula One World Champion Damon Hill, with each celebrity playing to raise money for a charity of their choice.
Phil Harrison, CEO of the Legends Tour, said: “Every year we strive to make the Legends Tour better than ever and we feel we have achieved that yet again in 2023, which has been reflected both in digital and physical engagement and in feedback we have received from our players, spectators and venues.
“We are also pleased with the success of our new events at new venues across the campaign and look forward to returning to many of these wonderful courses in the future.”
Excitement is already building ahead of what promises to be an even bigger 2024 for the Legends Tour, with a full schedule announcement just around the corner. Seapoint Golf Links will once again host the Irish Legends following the success of the event in 2023, while the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship will return to Trump International Golf Links for another year. For many hopefuls, the campaign will begin at Gloria Golf Resort in Belek, Turkey, for Qualifying School beginning on January 15.