STANDARD OF SENIORS WILL STUN LAWRIE
PAUL LAWRIE turns 50 today with a stark birthday message from Colin Montgomerie that he’s in for a shock when he tees off his senior tour career.
The 1999 Open champ has been working hard over the winter to recover from ankle surgery to ensure he’s fit to hit the ground running in his debut season this year.
Lawrie has made no bones about his desire to make a big impact on the senior Majors – and possibly the money-spinning glamour Champions Tour in the USA.
But Monty knows from personal experience that nothing can prepare a main tour player for the shock of discovering just how high the standard is on a tour packed with megastars who still pack a punch.
He said: “Just phone Darren Clarke and ask him how big a fright you get. Bloody hell.
“We’d heard about this, about how high the standard is, but it’s still a shock. If you don’t score 65 or 66 on the first day you’re playing huge catch-up.
“People think the courses are 6600 yards, there’s no rough but hang on – this is PGA Tour set-up stuff. The greens are as quick as the PGA Tour and the pin positions are in places you’d think weren’t possible, on slopes etc.
“To make it even harder because I’m in that winner’s hall of fame category I tend to play in the last three or four games of the 78 who compete. So when I’m starting out I’m already five behind and thinking, ‘Bloody hell’.
“Then you’re thinking this putt on the first hole better go in or else you’re seven behind!
“It’s great because it’s super competition and there’s more and more coming through.
“It’s getting harder every year. As I get older you’re seeing the next influx coming through like Paul, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Angel Cabrera.
“You add that lot and it’s a hell of a tour.
“But Paul won’t be going there to make up the numbers. He’s as competitive as anybody.
“I wish him well. He’s had his operation and is hitting balls again so he’ll be playing on the European Tour thinking about America the following year.
“Now that Sandy (Lyle) doesn’t play that much it will be nice to have another Scottish face out there.”