Faldo adds spice to Senior British Open
IN: News | European Seniors | Senior British Open (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 26 Jul 2007
The Senior Open Championship marks the debut in the Senior ranks of one of the modern era’s finest players with Nick Faldo looking to add a victory at this level to the three he had at the Open Championship itself.
Faldo turned 50 just a week ago and a second round of 73 at Carnoustie was not all that bad given his lack of recent competitive play.
The six time major winner claimed two of his three Open Championship titles at Muirfield but given that he has not made a cut in more than 18 months in what has been a limited schedule in world golf, it is difficult to imagine him contending this week. The arrival of such a credentialed golfer into the over fifties brigade will, however, provide a much needed boost to this event.
Muirfield, south and east of Edinburgh, is one of Britain’s great golf courses and plays host to this event for the first time but it might be another who has won an Open here that might hold the key to the event. Tom Watson won the Open Championship at Muirfield in 1980 by four shots from Lee Trevino and despite ongoing issues with his putter is expected to be a contender this week. Watson has been in good form in recent starts on the Champions Tour in the US and actually led at various stages of the US Senior Open at Whistling Strait before finishing fourth.
Loren Roberts is the defending champion having won at Turnberry last year and has had 10 top fives this season in the US. It is hard to go past him as a genuine contender for the title. He missed the cut at Carnoustie last week but did not disgrace himself against the younger golfers and is expected to go close to winning for the 7th time in his brief Senior career.
Jay Haas and Eduardo Romero are the other two who stand out as likely contenders with Romero looking to continue a great run in recent weeks for golfers from the Argentine.
Mark O’Meara knows how to handle himself on British links courses and in his first season on the Champions Tour is performing well. He did well to make the cut last week at Carnoustie and has some chance this week.
Amongst the Australasians Wayne Grady makes his Senior career debut taking advantage of his USPGA and Westchester Classic wins to gain automatic exemption to the Champions Tour for at least one year.
Stewart Ginn, David Good, Terry Gale, Graham Marsh, Mike Clayton and New Zealanders, Simon Owen, Bob Charles and Jim Lapsley make up the balance of Australsians in the field.
