Roger Chapman earns European Tour Life Membership

Two-time senior major champion and 2012 European Senior Tour Order of Merit winner Roger Chapman has been awarded Life Membership of the European Tour

Roger Chapman has been handed a European Tour Honorary Life Membership after a sensational season on the seniors' circuit.

He became the first Englishman to win the Senior PGA Championship in May, and followed his first ever major triumph with another two months later at the U.S. Senior Open.

Those two victories helped him secure the 2012 European Senior Tour Order of Merit, having earned €356,751 in his fourth season on the tour.

And now, in recognition of his achievements in 2012, European Tour Chief Executive George O'Grady has announced he will become the 45th person to receive lifetime membership of the European Tour.

"This season has been an absolute dream for me, winning two Senior Majors and then the European Senior Tour Order of Merit," Chapman told the European Tour.

"I am extremely proud to have now also been given Honorary Life Membership of the European Tour. It is an honour which was totally unexpected and I am very grateful to George and everyone at the Tour for their support and for giving me this recognition.

"I'm very proud of my career on the European Tour, certainly for its longevity, but to win two Senior Majors and the John Jacobs trophy in the same season really is a Cinderella story."

Chapman turned professional in 1981 and has played 619 European Tour events, winning the 2000 Brazil Open and amassing €3,389,855 in the process.

"It was the unanimous wish of the Tournament Committee that Roger be awarded Honorary Life Membership of the European Tour," said O'Grady.

"Roger has been a magnificent ambassador and servant of the European Tour."

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Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x