Price leaves happy after his best finish in a Major championship
WELSHMAN Phillip Price declared himself happy with his best ever finish in a Major championship at his first Senior Open Presented by Rolex tournament at Royal Porthcawl yesterday.
The 2002 Ryder Cup hero at The Belfry, who has only been in the Senior ranks for nine months after turning 50 last October and has already earned a card on the Champions Tour in America, fired a final round of 70 to finish on one over par and a tie for sixth spot alongside Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin and Swede Magnus Atlevi.
It’s Price’s best ever finish in a Major beating his previous tied 10th in the 2003 Open Championship, at Royal St George’s in Sandwich.
Despite ending five shots adrift of German Bernhard Langer, who has made it back-to-back Senior Opens at Porthcawl having won the event in south Wales back in 2014, Pontypridd-born Price was satisfied with his four days work.
“I’m pretty pleased. I played solid. It’s tough out there,” said the Newport-based professional, who won his first event on the European Senior Tour this month when lifting the WINSTONgolf Open crown in Germany.
“I thought it was going to be a dodgy day, but it was tidy. Nothing exciting out there but it was also a tough day. It’s difficult to be shooting five or six birdies out there.
“It was solid. I needed a little bit more excitement, a pile of birdies, and it never looked like that really.
“It was a bit of a workmanlike effort. I need to be satisfied with that because it was tough out there.”
Price was comfortably the best placed Welshman among the Senior Open field as Penarth’s Mark Mouland was tied 31st on nine over while former Masters champion and world No.1 Ian Woosnam was back in tied 45th alongside Sandy Lyle and Steen Tinning on 12 over par.
Barry Islander Stephen Dodd was in tied 61st among the likes of Nick Faldo, Barry Lane and Todd Hamilton on 15 over.
For three-time former European Tour winner Price his tied sixth spot is not only his best Major finish but also enhances the prospects of him keeping his Champions Tour card out in the United States as the Senior Open counts on their money list.
“I finished 10th at St George’s. I’ve never done great in the Majors, so let’s hope it’s the Senior Majors I’m going to be good at,” he added.
“I probably lost my regular Tour card maybe three or four years ago. I got a bit lost in the middle and nothing really to play in.
“I think it’s a new lease of life. I’m playing the Champions Tour in America. It doesn’t get much better than that.
“I need to finish in the top 36 to keep my status there.
“At the moment I’m lying maybe 70th, and this counts, which is great.
“I go back to America for maybe eight to 10 weeks depending, if I get in the play-offs.
“I need to play very well to finish in the top 36.”
And his thoughts on playing in a first Senior Open Championship?
“It’s a great event, a great course. It’s a shame we had the really bad weather Thursday, Friday. Yesterday was beautiful. Today it was a good test of golf.”