EVERGREEN kings of swing are poised to re-launch major golf at Fulford Golf Club.

The lucrative European Seniors Tour, which boasts the likes of former Open champion Tony Jacklin and attracts global television coverage, wants to add the renowned York course to its £3million programme for the 2003 calendar.

Andy Stubbs, managing director of the European Seniors Tour, was today meeting with Fulford club officials about the prospect of restoring major competition to York.

"We want to come to Fulford," said Stubbs who, as a professional player for seven years, regularly featured at Fulford.

Eager to get the ball rolling, he appealed to the business community to contact the club about possible sponsorship of an event that would be broadcast across the world as part of the Tour's marketing machine.

It is 12 years since a high-calibre tournament was last staged at Fulford with the Murphy's Open. From 1971 to 1989 the club hosted the Benson and Hedges International tournament that regularly attracted the world's star players.

Once the B&H banner moved south, Murphy's took over. But their reign lasted just two years leaving York - and indeed Yorkshire - bereft of a major European tourney.

Now the increasingly popular seniors' circuit could offer salvation.

Stubbs insisted that Fulford stirred many an emotive link with players of a not so bygone generation. That could propel the drive towards re-establishing major tournament play at the course.

Stubbs today told the Evening Press: "Fulford has a great emotional connection with players in the game.

"Certainly where we (the European Tour) are coming from we have a strong desire to make that happen again.

"The Benson and Hedges tournament still holds so many fantastic memories of Fulford when it was held each August.

"The course was always in wonderful condition, the weather was fantastic. There was a great atmosphere about the place. We would like to see that all happen again."

Today's meeting with club officials was to explore the possibilities of adding the course to the European Seniors Tour's current yearly schedule of 17 tournaments with an annual prize fund which has swelled beyond £3million in the 11 years since it was established.

Fulford could link up with the tour in one of two ways.

Explained Stubbs: "We have existing tournaments which require 'homes' in the way of venues. Or we may be able to try to create a new event.

"There's nothing specific as yet. We need to find out what Fulford would like to do and what is available.

"It will all come down to money, but we are looking to start the ball rolling and all sorts of things are possible. There is a great interest in wanting to make it happen."

Stubbs envisaged a Fulford return for 2003, which would coincide with a new influx of leading players to a tour in which sky-high interest is expected to continue to rise.

Current Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, his predecessor Mark James, plus the likes of Mark McNulty and Des Smyth, will all become available for the tour next year.

To qualify for the tour players have to be aged 50 and above, prompting Stubbs to say that 'waiting around the corner' in the next few years was the potential inclusion of Europe's modern-day greats such as Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Sevvy Ballesteros.

An event at Fulford would also provide a massive boost to tourism in the city, added Stubbs.

"Our tour is resort and tourist-driven," he said.

"We come from places such as Monte Carlo and Barbados and television pictures of our events go to America, the far East and Australia, as well as right throughout Europe.

"The sky's the limit."

Updated: 11:39 Thursday, February 28, 2002