Wales Open

The Wales Open was a professional golf tournament on the European Tour played at the Celtic Manor Resort. It was played annually from 2000 to 2014, as part of a 15-year deal between the tour and the Celtic Manor Resort, that included staging the 2010 Ryder Cup. The event was not held from 2015 to 2019 but returned in 2020, following a revamp of the European Tour because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

History The 2001 event was reduced to 36 holes because of heavy rain. The third round was cancelled but organisers had hoped to play a third round on the Sunday. However, that was not possible and the result was decided over the first two rounds. Paul McGinley, Paul Lawrie and Daren Lee were tied at 6-under-par and a playoff was arranged on 12th hole, a par 3, which would be played repeatedly until a winner emerged. Lawrie dropped out of the playoff when he bogeyed the hole at the second attempt, McGinley eventually winning when Lee bogeyed the hole at the fifth try.

There was another playoff in 2004 when Paul Casey and Simon Khan tied on 267, 21-under-par. Casey had a bogey six at the second playoff hole after which Khan holed a 3-foot putt for birdie.

In 2006, Robert Karlsson broke the European Tour's 36-hole and 54-hole scoring records by scoring 124 for the first two rounds and 189 for the first three. However, as the Roman Road course was a par-69, rare at the professional level, his scores relative to par were a slightly less remarkable 14-under after two rounds and 18-under after three. Karlsson shot two-over-par for the final round, but still won. In the same year, Phillip Archer scored 60 in the first round, missing a birdie putt on the 18th green.

Sponsorship The event started in 2000 as part of a 15-year deal between the European Tour and the Celtic Manor Resort, that included staging the 2010 Ryder Cup. It was originally known as the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open, becoming the Celtic Manor Wales Open in 2004.

The 2011 event was called the Saab Wales Open under a one-year deal with Saab. From 2012 to 2014, the event became the ISPS Handa Wales Open, with ISPS Handa as the title sponsor, and an initial prize fund in 2012 of £1.8 million. The event was dropped after 2014.

The tournament returned in 2020 as part of a revamp of the European Tour's schedule in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was the fifth event of a 6-week "UK Swing" and was again hosted at Celtic Manor and sponsored by ISPS Handa, although with reduced prize money of €1,000,000.

The 2021 event was sponsored by Cazoo as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal which also included the English Open. The event was also backed by international footballer Gareth Bale and called the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale.

Course The event has always been played at Celtic Manor in Newport, Wales. From 2000 to 2004 it was played on the Wentwood Hills course. While that course was being redeveloped for the 2010 Ryder Cup, the Wales Open was played from 2005 to 2007 on the par-69 Roman Road course. From 2008, the event has been played on the Ryder Cup Twenty-Ten course.

The 2021 course layout, at the Twenty-Ten Course

Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotalYards4656101894624334522134395803,8432105624581894133774772115753,4727,315Metres4255581734223964131954015303,5131925144191733783454361935263,1766,689Par453444345363543444353571

Winners YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upPurseWinner'sshareCazoo Open 2022 Callum Shinkwin 272 −12 4 strokes Connor Syme 1,750,000 297,500 2021 Nacho Elvira 268 −16 Playoff Justin Harding 1,250,000 191,570ISPS Handa Wales Open 2020 Romain Langasque 276 −8 2 strokes Sami Välimäki 1,000,000 156,8252015−2019: No tournament2014 Joost Luiten 270 −14 1 stroke Tommy Fleetwood Shane Lowry 1,800,000 300,0002013 Grégory Bourdy 276 −8 2 strokes Peter Uihlein 1,800,000 300,0002012 Thongchai Jaidee 278 −6 1 stroke Thomas Bjørn Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño Joost Luiten Richard Sterne 1,800,000 300,000Saab Wales Open2011 Alex Norén 275 −9 2 strokes Grégory Bourdy Anders Hansen 1,800,000 300,000Celtic Manor Wales Open2010 Graeme McDowell 269 −15 3 strokes Rhys Davies 1,800,000 300,0002009 Jeppe Huldahl 275 −9 1 stroke Niclas Fasth 1,800,000 300,0002008 Scott Strange 262 −22 4 strokes Robert Karlsson 1,800,000 300,0002007 Richard Sterne 263 −13 1 stroke Bradley Dredge Søren Kjeldsen Mardan Mamat Mads Vibe-Hastrup 1,500,000 250,0002006 Robert Karlsson 260 −16 3 strokes Paul Broadhurst 1,500,000 250,0002005 Miguel Ángel Jiménez 262 −14 4 strokes Martin Erlandsson José Manuel Lara 1,500,000 250,0002004 Simon Khan 267 −21 Playoff Paul Casey 1,500,000 250,000Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open2003 Ian Poulter 270 −18 3 strokes Darren Fichardt Jonathan Lomas Jarrod Moseley 1,500,000 250,0002002 Paul Lawrie 272 −16 5 strokes John Bickerton 1,100,000 183,3332001 Paul McGinley 138 −6 Playoff Paul Lawrie Daren Lee 750,000 125,0002000 Steen Tinning 273 −15 1 stroke David Howell 750,000 125,000 Source:

Wales Open

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