Two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington will officially unveil a new bunker on Prince’s famous Himalayas course at Sandwich on 1st June named in memory of another Wilson Staff player, the legendary Gene Sarazen, who won the 1932 Open Championship on the course with the help of a club he invented especially for the event – the modern sand wedge.
The original hickory-shafted club used by Sarazen to win his only British Open title will be held by Harrington in the bunker in front of Prince’s club members, owner Michael McGuirk, and staff who built the sand trap under the direction of Head Green Keeper Nick Chidwick and project manager Sean McLean.
The new ‘Sarazen bunker’ is located on the left edge of the 9th green and covers a bunker played by Sarazen on his way to a 5-shot victory over fellow American Macdonald Smith nearly 80 years ago. From that day, the Gene Sarazen Sand Iron was born and, as the R-90, became one of Wilson’s best-selling golf clubs.
Sarazen captured six more Majors with his Wilson Staff irons – one of only five players to have won all four Majors – and enjoyed the longest running endorsement in professional sport with Wilson Golf covering 75 years.
Harrington, one of the world’s best bunker players and a leading contributor to the R&D behind the latest Wilson Staff clubs including his FG Tour wedges, will be declaring the bunker open at 11am on Wednesday, 1 June 2011.
Prince’s Golf Club www.princesgolfclub.co.uk
Wilson Staff www.wilson.com