PETER SENIOR has arrived at the scene of the 2010 US Senior Open Championship brimming with confidence following his third placing at the Senior British Open.
The veteran Aussie golfer believes the tight, tree lined Sahalee Country Club course in Seattle, Washington, will suit his game.
The tournament gets underway Friday AEST with Fox Sports coverage beginning from 7am to 11am.
‘It’s not often you get to play in three consecutive Major Championships so putting the fatigue aside I’m excited to be here after flying in from the UK last night,” Senior said in his player blog this week.
“My game has been pretty consistent all year and I am finally starting to believe I can compete with these guys.”
“Tee to green has been solid but my putting has let me down at various times. Although on Sunday I putted super at Carnoustie and hope this might be the start to some good scoring.”
“The course this week is heavily tree lined and very narrow. The shorter hitters will have a big advantage. I think the course will suit me as I’m driving the ball well, but as we all know this game is full of surprises.”
Senior will be facing stiff competition in his bid for his first US senior tour win – beginning with British Senior Open Champion Bernhard Langer.
Langer, winner on ten occasions on the Champions Tour since turning 50, will be out to become the first player to win consecutive senior majors since Tom Watson in 2003.
“It won’t be easy to win back-to-back senior majors but I will give it my best shot,” the 52 year-old German, who has finished T6 and T22 in his last attempts at the title, said.
“Obviously I will take some good confidence and form over there but it’s going to be a tough golf course so we’ll have to see.”
Defending champion is American Fred Funk who was the runaway winner 12 months ago at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana. Funk fired a closing round 65 to win the US Senior Open by six shots from Joey Sindelar.
Another clear threat is the US Champions Tour rookie standout Fred Couples.
Couples has had three victories on the tour this year and last week chose to rest up his golfing loafers – and his back – and sat out the Senior British Open.
“It’s a tough course,” Couples said this week. “For four days to play a course like this and do well is going to take a lot from the best players, and that will be the guy who wins, for sure.”
Other contenders include the likes of Tom Lehman, Corey Pavin, Mark Calcavecchia, Loren Roberts, Larry Mize, Tom Kite, Mark O’Meara, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw and David Frost.
The only one other Australian in the field is 1997 champion Graham Marsh.
Australian Fox Sports Coverage is from 7am to 11am (AEST) for the first two rounds Friday and Saturday, 6am to 9am for the final rounds Sunday Monday.
Related posts:
- Langer takes 2010 senior Major double
- Langer wins 2010 British Senior Open, with Peter Senior third
- Langer on top of world senior golf
- Senior wins 2010 Open
- 2011 US Senior Open: Leaderboard
- Couples wins second Champions Tour title
- Peter Senior blows Champions Tour lead
- Chook cracks the European Senior Masters
- Senior in contention at Charles Schwab championship
- Browne realises a dream with first major win
