‘ Struggling’ Lawrie hopes doctor can prolong career

Paul Lawriei shoping the doctor who helped prolong Jose Maria Olazabal’s career when the Spaniard was hit by rheumatoid arthritis can do the same thing for him after finding it inc rea singl yd if ficult to soldier on with a niggling foot injury.

“It has got to the point where I’m really struggling ,” said the 1999 Open champion after completing his opening 18 holes in the £ 16,000 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Par 3 Championship at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre on the outskirts of Aberdeen.

While still trying his best to be competitive on the Euro - pea nT our,the 48- year-old has one eye on becoming eligible for the Seniors’ circuit in 2019 and hopes a combination of medical advice and cutting back on his schedule can get him back to feeling 100 per cent again when that opportunity comes around.

“I’m fighting away and I’ ll play again in Portugal,” he said of an event t hat gets underway three weeks on Thursday and one he’ll head into hop - ing to repeat the strong performance that secured a fifthplace finish last season .“Surgery won’t do any good. We talked about fusing the bones initially, but that would have left me with no movement and flexibility.

“I’ve taken four weeks off in total and I’m going to go to see a doctor in Munich who Jose Maria Olazabalh as recommended. We’ll have a chat and see what we can do, but if can’t play much then I won’t and, in any case, I’ve had a good run whatever happens.”

Make no mistake, Lawrie is in no mood to quit but, at the same time, he has reached an age when wear and tear from a 25- year European Tour career –he recently clocked up his 500th appearance on the circuit – is starting to take its toll. “Next yearI’ m not going to play an awful lot,” he added. “I’m thinking I’ ll play tenor 11 events and try to rest up so I can play more when I get to 50. The Seniors play three rounds with no cut, so I will play a bit of golf when I get to 50 in two years’ time.”

Lawrie’s opening 56 on the par- 54 Devenick Course left him seven shots behind halfway leader Alastair Forsy th in the par -3 event. The twotime European Tour winner sits one ahead of Paul O’hara after halves of 24 and 25.