1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam is a former world number one

Ian Woosnam will bid to win successive Senior Order of Merit titles at the Castellon Championship this weekend.

The 1991 Masters champion goes head to head for the seniors' crown in Spain with fellow former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance.

Welshman Woosnam leads the Order of Merit by €19,380 from England's Glenn Ralph with Scotsman Torrance in third.

Woosnam said: "It's been a good battle between myself and Sam and it should be an exciting finish in Spain."

The former world number one last year became the first former European Tour number one to win the Senior Tour title - known as the John Jacobs Trophy.

England's Carl Mason - a three-time winner of the senior title in 2003, 2004 and 2007 - is also in the running to claim his fourth crown.

While fellow Mason's countrymen Peter Mitchell and Bob Cameron, Zimbabwean Tony Johnstone and South African Bertus Smit could also win the crown if results go their way at the €64,433 tournament at Club de Campo del Mediterráneo.

Woosnam has enjoyed another impressive season on the Senior Tour, winning the Irish Seniors Open and recording four other Top 10 finishes - including fourth at the lucrative Casa Serena Open.

"It would be great if I could retain the Order of Merit," said the 51-year-old from Oswestry.

"It's something that I never managed to do on the European Tour, so to do it as a senior would give me a lot of satisfaction.

"I've had two fantastic years on the Senior Tour and to win my second John Jacobs Trophy in a row would round it off nicely."

A rejuvenated Torrance, the victorious 2002 European Ryder Cup skipper, has pushed Woosnam this season after recovering from a wrist injury that has hampered him since winning back-to-back Senior Order of Merit wins in 2005 and 2006.

Castellon Championship holder Torrance said: "My victory last year was very sweet.

"It was a great way to finish the year and it kept my proud record going of winning in each of my seasons on the Senior Tour.

"I said after that win that I wanted to beat Woosie to the number one spot this year and I still have a good chance of doing that. It's all to play for."

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