MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles champion Roger Chapman defends his title

2018 MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles winner Roger Chapman will defend his title at Constance Lemuria
Roger Chapman will defend his MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles title when he returns to Constance Lemuria for the second leg of the Indian Ocean Swing on the Staysure Tour. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

ROGER Chapman returns to the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles 12 months after winning the inaugural title at Constance Lemuria.

And the former Kent amateur is relishing the opportunity to reacquaint himself with the stunning Indian Ocean layout.

The two-time Senior Major Champion came from seven shots behind at the start of the final round to lift the trophy in 2018, beating Phillip Price on the first play-off hole after sinking a 30-foot eagle putt.

Chapman, who has four top 10s to his name in 2019, including a share of 10th place at The Senior Open, at St Andrews, is excited to be back on the Indian Ocean island.

“It’s always great to be a defending champion,” said Chapman. “It’s great being in Seychelles and I’m looking forward to defending my title.

“The win meant a lot last year. I was injured at the beginning of the season and had a shoulder operation in the middle of May and did nothing until The Senior Open at St Andrews.”

The Berkshire-based golfer, who was born in Kenya where he lived until he was five, will tee it up in the second staging of the event.

The Seychelles tournament is the second of the three event final series MCB Tour Championship, where the top-performing player will be crowned King of the Swing after the Indian Ocean events.

Chapman, who has five victories worldwide to his name – including the 2012 US Senior Open and US Senior PGA – was crowned both the inaugural King of the Swing and the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles winner.

The 60-year-old who lives in Ascot. will face a tough test, not just from the players battling for the title, but from the picturesque course which hosted the first European Tour-sanctioned event in Seychelles 12 months ago.

“The course is like an examination,” said the three-time Staysure Tour winner, who believes the Constance Lemuria course, which has serious elevation changes, offers one of the most spectacular views in the world of golf according to the defending champion.

“The paper is there in front of you and you’ve got to do your best,” added Chapman.

“You have to plot your way around this course, like a game of chess, and make sure you hit the fairways.

“The first 12 holes are really, really good and then you get to the 13th tee and you go up, and then you get to the 14th tee and you go up again.

“You think you have to come down sooner or later and then you hit 15, which is probably one of the most beautiful holes in the world.

“The hang time on the shot into the green is close to 10 seconds, which is incredible. Then the par five 16th goes back up the hill before you get to 17 which is a little par three.

“You then arrive at the 18th tee and see the fantastic view but the tee shot puts the fear of God into you.

“It’s not an easy tee shot, especially with the wind. Some guys hit driver, but a lot of guys will take an iron off the tee to make sure they hit the fairway – it’s fraught with danger.”

Chapman will tee off at 11.45am local time alongside the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar winner Barry Lane.

Also in the field is Europe’s victorious 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

The first round at the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles gets under way at 9am local time which is four hours ahead of GMT.

For live scoring at the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles click here.

Chapman was part of Kent’s golden era

ROGER Chapman was a member of the last Kent team to win the English County Championship in 1978 before their triumph at Huddersfield in September.

Kent took the title by beating Northumberland 5&4 in the final at Frilford Heath.

Chapman’s team-mates included Walker Cup ace Peter Hedges, Paul Hoad, who went on to play on the European Tour and has taught on the circuit, Toby Shannon, who beat Sandy Lyle 10&8 in The Boys Amateur Championship, in 1974.

Chapman, whose only win in 20 years on the European Tour came in Rio de Janeiro, in 2000, was the first Kent player to win the English Amateur Championship in 1979, at Royal St George’s.

He also claimed the Lytham Trophy in 1981, the year he made his Walker Cup debut, where he beat Hal Sutton, twice on the final day, at Cypress Point, in California.

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