Simon Griffiths cliches victory at 2024 Farmfoods European Senior Masters
Englishman Simon Griffiths has lifted the trophy for the Farmfoods European Senior Masters 2024.
The 51-year-old secured his first Legends Tour victory at the renowned La Manga Club in Murcia, Spain. Griffiths finished the tournament 17 under par, capturing the coveted winner’s prize of €56,000 from a €375,000 prize pot, the largest in the tournament’s history.
Griffiths set the tone early in Round 1, carding a blistering 64, the best score of the day, showcasing his trademark precision and skill on a challenging course. This exceptional start put him at the top of the leaderboard, building a solid foundation for his campaign.
Despite a slight dip in Round 2, where he scored 70, Griffiths managed to maintain his lead. In the decisive third round, Griffiths faced fierce competition from fellow Englishman Van Phillips and Australian Scott Hend, but held his nerve, closing with a Round 3 score of 68 and overall score of 202.
Speaking after his win, Griffiths told the Legends Tour: “It was a tough day, I played lovely although missed a lot of putts and was getting very anxious at the end there but thankfully managed to come out on top.
“It’s been a tough year, but you’ve got to keep battling. The last few have certainly been tough but, yeah, you’ve got to keep battling. I felt like a stick of dynamite today to be honest but they went in at the end and that’s all that matters.
“I knew I had a one shot lead, I stood on the final tee and I thought ‘I don’t know what to do’. I could hit a five iron wedge but I’m thinking I’ve got 30 feet here and I’m risking a bad wedge so decided to drive it. It was straight and then a steery little hybrid into the middle of the green.
“I’ve just been saying to myself ‘just keep playing well’, ‘keep shooting in the 60s, keep doing it and if you keep doing it good things will happen’. So that’s what I did.”
This final push secured his victory, cementing his place as the Farmfoods European Senior Masters champion. His triumph follows the win by Patrik Sjöland last year in a tournament hosted by golfing legend Peter Baker.
Golf fans can find the final scorecard on the Legends Tour website, and viewers will be able to watch highlights of the competition on Sky Sports Golf following its conclusion.
About La Manga Club
La Manga Club is a sports and leisure resort, located 15 minutes from Cartagena, in the region of Murcia, covering an area of 560 hectares, three times the extension of the Principality of Monaco.
Located in a privileged environment, next to the regional park of Calblanque and the Mediterranean Sea, the resort has a privileged climate and conditions of security and privacy.
Among its facilities, La Manga Club has:
- A five-star Grand Hyatt La Manga Club & Resort
- Three 18-hole golf courses: Real Golf La Manga Club
- A newly renovated The Racquets Club Tennis Centre with 28 tennis courts, 20 of them clay, 7 paddle tennis courts, and a gym with all amenities.
- A Nuevo Well & Fitness Centre
- Eight FIFA size football fields (including the 3 of the sports city of FC Cartagena)
- Diversity of bars and restaurants among which is its famous Cove, open to the Mediterranean Sea
- Residential community of more than 2200 luxury homes