Former Birmingham and Wales defender Andy Legg held his nerve on the final day to beat defending champion Andy Morrison and claim a first victory in the 21st edition of the Footballers’ Golf Classic at Spain’s famous La Manga Club resort.
Legg was forced to settle for third place behind Morrison in 2016 but made no mistake 12 months later, holding off the Manchester City cult hero’s challenge to take the title under sunny skies at the popular sports and leisure resort in Murcia, south-east Spain.
The winner was never out of the first three in the 54-hole Stableford event, which was played on La Manga Club’s renowned South and North courses, clinching victory with a final total of 105 points, two ahead of Morrison, with former Aston Villa and England midfielder Lee Hendrie three points further back in third.
After playing to handicap and scoring 36 points in the opening round to sit two points behind early leader, ex-Liverpool, Tottenham and England striker Paul Walsh, Legg continued his good form on the second day, carding 34 points to lie one point behind Graham Roberts going into the final round.
Former Chelsea and Tottenham favourite Roberts surged into the lead in the second round with a best-of-the-week score of 43 points but was unable to repeat his heroics on day three, allowing Legg, Morrison and Hendrie to overtake him as his challenge faltered and he dropped out of the top three.
This year’s Footballers’ Golf Classic was as popular as ever and attracted a stellar field from the footballing world including other previous winners, former Aston Villa and Scotland striker turned Sky Sports commentator Alan McInally, Kenny Hibbitt, Pat Jennings and Russell Osman.
Joining them at La Manga Club were the likes of ex-England internationals Darius Vassell, Mark Wright, Ray Clemence, Steve Bull and Dave Beasant; former Manchester United and Wales star Clayton Blackmore and Derby legends Roy McFarland and Roger Davies – both making their debuts in the event.
The golf classic featured four days of competitive golf: the one-day Alan Ball Trophy and the three-day main event – which was sponsored by The Four Amigos: Michael Dick, Alan Robinson, Martin Archer and Dave Harris – with competitors playing alongside a different footballer each day.
Entry included five nights in the five-star Hotel La Manga Club Principe Felipe, breakfast, welcome and gala dinners and prize-giving with entertainment, with ‘A Shaw Thing’, whose team consisted of Mark Shaw, Greg Shaw and Tony Parish, finally taking victory in the overall team competition at the 15th time of asking having twice finished as runners-up.
The luxurious setting of La Manga Club is the ideal venue for the competition with its three 18-hole golf courses perfectly complemented by the rest of the resort’s wide-ranging facilities including a recently-rebranded Golf Training Center, a 28-court tennis centre and 2,000sqm spa complex.
The Footballers’ Golf Classic is organised by Mancini Events and the event will head back to the award-winning venue again next year. For further information, please visit www.mancinievents.co.uk, call 07918 644900 or email donna@mancinievents.co.uk.
For more details on La Manga Club and to book, please visit www.lamangaclub.com.
ENDS
About La Manga Club
Located in a magnificent natural environment next to Calblanque National Park and the Mediterranean Sea, with a mild year-round climate and enjoying exceptional security and privacy, the exclusive resort of La Manga Club (Los Belones, Cartagena, Murcia) offers luxury, leisure and sport in the same place, and is set just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour away from Alicante.
Founded in 1972, the resort now covers an area of 566 hectares containing accommodation, professional sports facilities, relaxation zones, first-class redevelopment and a private community of 2,300 residents, in a region which boasts more than 350 days’ of sun and is surrounded by natural parks and untouched beaches.
La Manga Club’s extensive facilities include:
- A five-star hotel: Hotel Príncipe Felipe 5*
- Tourist apartments: Las Lomas Village 4*
- Luxury villas
- Three 18-hole golf courses
- A 28-court tennis centre
- Eight Fifa-sized football pitches
- 2,000 m2 Spa and fitness centre
- The resort’s famous La Cala beach and restaurant, overlooking the Mediterranean
- More than 15 bars and restaurants
Additionally, there is the opportunity to rent a property, purchase a plot of land or buy any of the villas already available that have been built on the complex, and benefit from the services and commodities that a five-star hotel has to offer, such as the sports facilities on the resort.
With the variety of activities and facilities available, La Manga Club has firmly established itself as one of the best sports and leisure destination resorts in Europe, and has been the proud recipient of a host of prestigious international awards and accolades over the last four decades.
High-resolution images of La Manga Club may be downloaded for editorial purposes from https://goo.gl/oi837y