Wales Open facts for kids
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Newport, Wales, U.K. |
| Established | 2000 |
| Course(s) | Celtic Manor Resort Twenty-Ten Course |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,354 yards (6,724 m) |
| Tour(s) | European Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | €1,000,000 |
| Month played | September |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 260 Robert Karlsson (2006) |
| To par | −22 Scott Strange (2008) |
| Current champion | |
 Romain Langasque |
|
The Wales Open is a big professional golf tournament. It's part of the European Tour, which is a series of golf competitions across Europe. This tournament started in the year 2000. It was held every year until 2014.
The tournament took a break for a few years. Then, it came back in 2020. This was because the European Tour changed its schedule. The COVID-19 pandemic caused many changes. The Wales Open was part of a special "UK Swing" of events. It was held at the same place, the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.
Contents
Where the Wales Open is Played
The Wales Open has been played at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales. This resort has different golf courses.
Early Courses
When the tournament first started, it was played on the Wentwood Hills course. This was from 2000 to 2004. Later, this course was updated for a big event called the 2010 Ryder Cup.
While the Wentwood Hills course was being worked on, the Wales Open moved. For three years (2005–2007), it was played on the Roman Road course. This course has a par of 69.
The Ryder Cup Course
Since 2008, the tournament has been played on the Ryder Cup Twenty-Ten course. This is the course that was specially built for the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Who Sponsors the Tournament?
The tournament has had different sponsors over the years. A sponsor is a company that helps pay for the event.
Past Sponsors
The resort itself, Celtic Manor, used to be the main sponsor. So, the tournament was called the Celtic Manor Wales Open. In 2011, a car company called Saab sponsored it for one year. It was then known as the Saab Wales Open.
ISPS Handa's Role
In 2012, a group called ISPS Handa became the main sponsor. ISPS Handa stands for International Sports Promotion Society. They helped increase the prize money for the golfers. The tournament was called the ISPS Handa Wales Open until 2014.
Amazing Records at the Wales Open
Golfers have made some impressive records at the Wales Open.
Robert Karlsson's Big Score
In 2006, a golfer from Sweden named Robert Karlsson set new records. He shot a score of 124 in his first two rounds. He then scored 189 in his first three rounds. These were new records for the European Tour at the time.
However, the Roman Road course he played on was a par-69 course. This is a bit unusual for professional golf. So, his scores compared to "par" were still very good. He was 14-under after two rounds and 18-under after three. Even though he shot two-over-par in the final round, he still won the tournament!
Phillip Archer's Near Perfect Round
In the same year (2006), another golfer named Phillip Archer almost made history. He shot a score of 60 in his first round. He nearly got a 59, which is very rare in golf. He just missed a birdie putt on the last hole.
Winners of the Wales Open
Here is a list of the golfers who have won the Wales Open.
| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Purse (€) | Winner's share (€) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISPS Handa Wales Open | ||||||||
| 2020 | Romain Langasque |
276 | −8 | 2 strokes |  Sami Välimäki |
1,000,000 | 156,825 | |
| 2015−19: No tournament | ||||||||
| 2014 |  Joost Luiten |
270 | −14 | 1 stroke |  Tommy Fleetwood Shane Lowry |
2,254,680 | 375,780 | |
| 2013 | Grégory Bourdy |
276 | −8 | 2 strokes |  Peter Uihlein |
2,101,373 | 348,660 | |
| 2012 |  Thongchai Jaidee |
278 | −6 | 1 stroke |  Thomas Bjørn Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño Joost Luiten Richard Sterne |
2,229,228 | 372,720 | |
| Saab Wales Open | ||||||||
| 2011 |  Alex Norén |
275 | −9 | 2 strokes | Grégory Bourdy Anders Hansen |
2,040,689 | 344,358 | |
| Celtic Manor Wales Open | ||||||||
| 2010 |  Graeme McDowell |
269 | −15 | 3 strokes |  Rhys Davies |
2,118,254 | 350,940 | |
| 2009 | Jeppe Huldahl |
275 | −9 | 1 stroke | Niclas Fasth |
2,073,926 | 343,086 | |
| 2008 |  Scott Strange |
262 | −22 | 4 strokes | Robert Karlsson |
2,270,187 | 376,671 | |
| 2007 | Richard Sterne |
263 | −13 | 1 stroke | Bradley Dredge Søren Kjeldsen Mardan Mamat Mads Vibe-Hastrup |
2,216,194 | 368,812 | |
| 2006 | Robert Karlsson |
260 | −16 | 3 strokes | Paul Broadhurst |
2,177,968 | 364,352 | |
| 2005 | Miguel Ángel Jiménez |
262 | −14 | 4 strokes | Martin Erlandsson José Manuel Lara |
2,207,900 | 362,568 | |
| 2004 | Simon Khan |
267 | −21 | Playoff | Paul Casey |
2,274,124 | 375,092 | |
| Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open | ||||||||
| 2003 | Ian Poulter |
270 | −18 | 3 strokes | Darren Fichardt Jonathan Lomas Jarrod Moseley |
2,112,186 | 347,360 | |
| 2002 |  Paul Lawrie |
272 | −16 | 5 strokes | John Bickerton |
1,753,869 | 291,432 | |
| 2001 | Paul McGinley |
138 | −6 | Playoff | Paul Lawrie Daren Lee |
1,228,125 | 201,685 | |
| 2000 | Steen Tinning |
273 | −15 | 1 stroke | David Howell |
1,213,353 | 199,839 | |
