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.

Live Leaderboard

ENTRIES for two of Australia’s top senior amateur golf tournaments are now open - the 2010 Australian Women’s Senior Championship and the 2010 Australian Men’s Senior Match Championships.

The two tournaments will take place at separate venues from 25-29 October.
The Australian Women’s Senior Amateur will be played at the Commonwealth Golf Club on Melbourne’s sand-belt, the venue of the 2010 and 2011 Handa Women’s Australian Open.

The Championship will be played over 36-holes qualifying, followed by elimination match play.

The leading 16 players qualify for the major championship, in addition to four age match play divisions – a new Division for those players aged 70 years and over has been included in 2010.

To keep things interesting, there will also be a Handicap Competition held in conjunction with the first two rounds of qualifying.

The Interstate Stroke Teams Event will again be played in conjunction, with three players representing their state or territory in the aggregate scratch competition.

Defending champion and six time winner Sylvia Donohoe will be a hot favourite again but can expect but can expect a tough battle from a number of others including 2009 runner up, Lynne Townsend.

The Australian Men’s Senior Match Play Championship is in its fourth year, and will again be held at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula.

The leading 32 entries from the 2010 Australian Men’s Senior Ranking System, plus the top eight players in the 65 years and over section, will contest match play over five days.

Defending Champion and current Australian Senior Amateur Champion, Stefan Albinski will again be hard to beat but has shown there are some chinks in is armour in recent times.

See the Golf Australia website for more competitor information. Women’s. Men’s.

RODGER DAVIS has played one of the shots of the year to birdie the final hole of the day and claim his third Queensland Senior Open title at Nudgee Golf Club.

With his drive bunkered on the left hand side of the fairway and his approach to the elevated 18th green obscured by an overhanging Moreton Bay Fig, Davis crisply struck his second to within six inches of the flag.

Earlier, in blustery conditions overnight leader New Zealander Craig Owen dropped three shots in his opening holes.

However, with the winds also affected his playing partners, the Kiwi still had a one shot lead over Davis and defending champion Garry Merrick after nine holes.

Ahead, New South Welshman David Saunders gathered a couple of quick birdies to move into the picture at one-under par, while Lyndsay Stephen from West Australian marked his time at even par.

Nudgee’s 12th hole proved to be the tournament turning point as Owen found trouble to the right of the long par five, settling for a double bogey seven.

At the same time Davis wedged to within two feet, holing for a birdie and claiming a one shot lead at one-under par. But again the chasers kept pace, Merrick making birdie on 15.

As the final groups trekked to the 18th Davis held a slender one stroke lead from Merrick and two over Saunders.

An errant tee shot into the fairway trap placed Saunders in a precarious position and his title chances slipped away with his missed seven foot par putt. Saunders efforts saw him settle for a tied 3rd position with Stephens.

Merrick similarly strayed to the left of the demanding 18th leaving his second with a restricted backswing and in the ominous shadow of the giant Moreton Bay Fig.

With his own heroics Merrick hoisted the approach high into the westerly setting sun, nestling 15 feet away from flag. As the ensuing putt dropped Merrick had posted the clubhouse lead at two-under par for the tournament.

This then paved the way for Davis to play what every amateur dreams of - the championship winning shot.

The amateur section was highlighted by the battle between Nugdee Club Champion, Shane Ryan and Twin Creek’s Greg Corben.

Three days of competition saw the two separated by a single shot, Corben’s final day two-under 69, failing by the narrowest margin.

Ryan’s total of 218 (five-over) displayed the quality of the amateur competitors tying him for 11th overall in a field that boasted numerous internationally credentialed professionals.

The PGA Legends Tour now moves onto a Gold Coast swing before moving onto the traditional week in the Darling Downs.

GERMANY’S Bernhard Langer has held off a determined challenge by Corey Pavin to win the 2010 British Senior Open Championship with Australia’s Peter Senior third.

Senior began his day strongly with three birdies on first four holes to put himself right in contention but the ever challenging Carnoustie course caught up with him when he bogeyed the 10th.

Senior finished equal third on 68 alongside American trio Fred Funk, Jay Don Blake and Russ Cochran and is now almost certain to gain full status on the US Champions Tour next year.

It was the first Major in the senior ranks for Langer after many successes since turning 50 three years ago. The German won his second Green Jacket at Augusta National in 1993.

Langer began the day three clear of Pavin but his playing partner held on doggedly.

When Pavin birdied the 11th there was just one shot in it but by the 18th Langer had the luxury of a two stroke lead.

Langer finished with a one-over 72 to end at five-under, one better than the American, who finished his first Senior Major with a round of 70.

The US$90,000 pay cheque for Senior moves him to 13th on the 2010 Champions Tour money list with earnings of US$495,000.

The next best Australian performances in Scotland came from Wayne Grady and David Merriman who finished in a tie for 50th position at 13-over.

THE future of Australia’s premier senior golf tournament, the Handa Australian Senior Open, continues to strengthen with the announcement to co-sanction the event with the European Senior Tour.

The three year co-sanctioning of the Handa Australian Senior Open will see a $100,000 increase in the prize money to AUD$400,000 and the inclusion of the leading 30 players from the European Senior Tour.

It will be the opening tournament on the 2011 European Senior Tour schedule and will be followed by the Handa Cup Senior Masters in Japan the following week.

To be held at Royal Perth Golf Club from 19-21 November 2010, the Handa Australian Senior Open will see the likes of Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance compete for the prestigious title.

The tournament will also be a significant occasion for Australian golf icon Ian Baker-Finch, who will make his debut on home soil as a Senior golfer at the event.

He will be joined in the field by defending Champion Mike Harwood and fellow countrymen Peter Senior, Wayne Grady and David Merriman.

Chairman of the International Sports Promotion Society and long-term golf supporter Dr Haruhisa Handa said he was pleased the European Senior Tour have agreed to co-sanction the event and pledged his continued support to the tournament he resurrected back in 2007.

“I am so proud of the growth of the Handa Australian Senior Open over the past 3 years and to now have the event feature in conjunction with the European Senior Tour is a big step forward for Senior Golf in Australia,” said Dr Handa.

ISPS is a leading sponsor of a number of European Senior Tour events. Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “The European Senior Tour is delighted to be invited for the first time to co-sanction the Handa Australian Senior Open with the PGA of Australia and for this tournament to be the first to count towards the 2011 European Senior Tour Order of Merit.

 “Over the years, we have had numerous legendary Australian players participate on our Tour and this opportunity will allow for them to showcase their talents on home soil and to be joined by our legends such as Sandy Lyle, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam.

Stephen Pitt, CEO of Golf Australia also confirmed their enthusiasm at the continued growth of the event. “The Handa Australian Senior Open is the biggest tournament on the EZ-GO PGA Legends Tour and to see it co-sanctioned with the European Senior Tour is a fantastic achievement”, said Pitt.

Simon Butterly, General Manager of the Tournament Division of the PGA of Australia added, “The Handa Australian Senior Open provides a fantastic opportunity for our members to play an internationally recognised tournament, for an impressive prize pool on their home soil.”

“This move to co-sanction the tournament with the European Senior Tour is indicative of the growth of the EZ-GO PGA Legends Tour in recent years, and I hope that Australian senior golf continues to develop in years to come.”

Household names including Rodger Davis, Bob Shearer, Michael Clayton and Peter Fowler are anticipated to play at the prestigious Royal Perth Golf Club from 19-21 November 2010.

YOUNG Irishman Rory McIlroy set the lowset first round score in the history of the British Open with a nine under 63 to lead the championship at the St Andrews Old Course after day one.

An eagle on the short par four ninth fired the 21 year old into action on the back.

“The round was going OK, one-under through eight holes, nothing special, and then the eagle on nine really got me going,” McIllroy said.

In eight previous rounds over the Old Course, six as an amateur, the Irishman he has never been higher than 69.

It was a tale of two halves over the Old Course on the first day of the 150th Anniversary Open Championship, with the morning starters blessed with flat, calm conditions and those who came later confronted with rising wind and blasts of heavy rain.

Two strokes behind the leader with an impressive round was South African Louis Oosthuizen, whilst a rejuvenated John Daly was third with a 66 along with  Peter Hanson,  Andrew Coltart and Steven Tiley.

Tiger Woods, seeking his third successive win at St Andrews after victories in 2000 and 2005, is lurking four shots behind the leader.

He was in a large group on five under that includes home favourite Lee Westwood, YE Yang and former US Open victor Lucas Glover.

US Masters champion Phil Mickelson, who could end Woods’s five-year reign as world No.1 with victory in Scotland, is in danger of missing the weekend cut after recording a one-over 73.

With the early benign conditions, more than half the field of 156 players finished the day under par and more than 500 birdies were recorded. Tiger Woods said that he had never known a major championship where it took a five under par score to get into the top 10 in the first round. In fact 16 players are on that score or better.

John Senden leads the Aussie contingent

Australia had a disappointing start with only John Senden, Robert Allenby and major newbie Jason Day managed to break par.

With a four under 68 Senden is five strokes behind the leader, while Allenby (69) and Day (71) are still well in contention.

Late starters Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and Michael Sim all posted even-par 72s and will be looking to make up ground when they tee off in hopefully better conditions on day two.
Senden was delighted with his five birdies only offset with a  lone bogey recorded on the intimidating and extended par four 17th.

“This is my first actual tournament day at this course, so you’ve got to be happy,” Senden said.
Jason Day, the youngest Australia player ever to win on the US PGA Tour, was upbeat after making his eagerly-awaited major debut.

“lt was good, probably one of the better experiences just because it’s the home of golf,” the 22-year-old said.

“I hit it well. I just hit a lot of lips out there and unfortunately didn’t hole any putts.

An obviously frustrated Adam Scott again struggled with his putter.

“Same old story, I let myself down on the greens,” Scott said.

“It’s been the story of the year. I just putt poorly every week. I’ve just had a gutful of it.

Peter Senior, who celebrates his 51st birthday in a couple of weeks, mixed four birdies with five bogeys in a very creditable performance in the afternoon conditions.

Marc Leishman also finished one over while Mathew Goggin (74), Kurt Barnes (75) and Cameron Percy (76) have work to do to make the weekend cut.

Ewen Porter had a horror day and never really recovered after a quadruple eight on the short par four second. He finished equal last with a nine-over 81.

LIVE LEADERBOARD

THE PGA of Australia today announced yet another twist for the Surf Coast Knockout that will see golfers from the Surf Coast region, including a 15-year old member of The Sands Torquay, line up for the innovative new event teeing off on January 20, 2011.

The PGA Tour of Australasia event will feature a final round limited format matchplay knockout with the later stages telecast on Sunday prime time television.

The PGA today issued a series of invitations to twelve local golf clubs who will each have the opportunity to qualify one player for the tournament.

As Simon Butterly, General Manager of the PGA’s Tournament Division explains:

“To claim a spot, the most recent Men’s Club Champion must compete against one of their club’s PGA Professionals in an 18 hole match play event at their home course before December 31st 2010. The winner of that match will gain automatic entry into the field for the Surf Coast Knockout to be held at The Sands Torquay from January 20th –23rd, 2011.”

The twelve clubs that have been issued invites are;

The Sands Torquay, Thirteenth Beach Golf Links, Barwon Heads Golf Club, Torquay Golf Club, Anglesea Golf Club, Curlewis Golf Club, Lonsdale Golf Club, Clifton Springs Golf Club, Portarlington Golf Club Queenscliff Golf Club, East Geelong Golf Club and Moonah Links.

“With such a high standard of courses in the Surf Coast region it was difficult for us to select the clubs,” Butterly said, ”however we believe that this is a great start for this, the inaugural year of the Surf Coast Knockout, and we hope with continued community support we can build on this initiative in the years to come.”

In addition to the twelve invitations, the PGA has also issued an invitation to 15-year old amateur Ben Eccles, a member at The Sands Torquay who recently shot a new course record.

“It was only 6 weeks ago that Ben knocked it around The Sands Torquay in a new course record score of 63,” said Dean Newell, General Manager at The Sands Torquay.

“I am sure that it will give Darrell Brown our Teaching Professional at The Sands Torquay great pride to see one of his star pupils out there competing against some of the best Australian professionals.”

In a world first, the first three rounds of the Surf Coast Knockout will be contested under stroke play conditions, while the winner will ultimately be decided on Sunday by a reduced match play format.

The PGA’s broadcast partner Network 10 will broadcast the Surf Coast Classic on Sunday 23rd January live from 12.00pm – 5.00pm on Network 10, and from 12.00pm – 7.00pm on OneHD.  

AUSTRALIA’S three top hopes in the US Open – Adam Scott, Robert Allenby and Geoff Ogilvy - will tee off together in the first two rounds of the Pebble Beach classic this week.

With blanket free to air television coverage beginning early Friday morning, you would hope the Aussie trio will get at least some air time focus.

It will be the first time in modern history that three Australians will play together in a world major.

The US Golf Association – the tournament organisers – have also lined up some other star studded trios and interesting threesomes.

They include tournament favourite Tiger Woods with Ernie Els and St Jude Classic winner Lee Westwood; and Irish young gun Rory Mcllroy with Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa and the evergreen Tom Watson.

In all there are 11 Australians in the event, including Scott, Ogilvy, Allenby, Stuart Appleby Aaron Baddeley, Paul Sheehan, Stephen Allan, Terry Pilkadaris, Marc Leishman, Michael Sim and John Senden.

Sheehan will be in the first group to hit off at 7 am (local US time) with the Scott trio 10 groups back at 7.55 am.

Whilst most betting agencies have Woods as favourite, his form has been uncertain of late and Phil Mickelson is hot on his heels.

The Ten Network will provide extensive free to air television coverage of the US Open beginning on Friday from 3am on One HD Sports and from 8am on Ten.

One HD will be providing nine hours coverage of the first two rounds but the telecast begins later for the weekend rounds. Check your local guides or visit the Ten online tv guide.

2010 US Open Live Leaderboard

IT WAS the battle of the mo’s at the 2010 NSW Veteran Golfers Matchplay Championship final at a fine and sunny Port Kembla today.

In a tussle that went right down to the wire, Mittagong’s Cameron Fraser beat defending champion and local Ron Hall 1 up on the 18th hole.

The pair were even after the front nine but with near perfect ball striking and deadly putting Fraser was inching one and two holes ahead as they came home.

Fraser, a recent NSW Senior Amateur Golfing representative and a tournament winner on the elite senior amateur circuit, hit 16 greens in regulation.

Not bad for a player who had a 30 year layoff due to business commitments and only came back to golf seven years ago.

In fact it was his wife, Ineke Kelson, winner of the Ladies Matchplay final over Wollongong’s Trikki Young on the 19th hole today, who spurred him back into the sport.

When they met over seven years ago in the NSW southern highlands Ineke told Fraser she was a golf nut and if he wanted the relationship to go any further he would have to take it up.

“I said I’ll go and learn,” Fraser told her, not mentioning his considerable early golfing success, beginning as a 12 year old.

“I was just lucky it wasn’t hang gliding or something like that she was into,” he said.

Fraser, who plays off 4 at his home club the Highlands Golf Club, was happy with his performance during the week long event, this year played at four clubs in the Illawarra on the NSW south coast.

“He’s a very good player, I was just very happy to beat him,” he said of his close battle with Hall. “He was hard to beat but I got him.”

Hall has appeared in every final since the event moved from the north coast to the Illawarra three years ago.

He won last year and was runner up the year before – all close, tense matches that went to the 18th hole or beyond.

“It went right down to the wire again,” Hall said. “I was pretty happy with the way I played but on the day he was just one shot too good.”

“He hit 16 greens out of 18. That’s pretty clever.”

Tournament director Dick Farrant was delighted with the successful week of golf, particularly since the tournament had been threatened at the 11th hour with severe weather warnings.

As it was the seeding event on Monday had to be moved to Kiama Golf Club because of wet conditions at Shellharbour Links, with the four matchplay rounds conducted at the Links, The Grange and two at the championship Port Kembla course.

Windy and cold June weather hasn’t been kind to the tournament in the last two years but things should improve dramatically for competitors with the event planned to move to a much warmer late February date next year.

Hall tees of on the 17th - a hole he needed to win to keep the match alive.

YES Virginia, there is a Tiger Woods.

Showing just how close Australian Senior Golfer is with the Tiger Woods camp, our report yesterday suggesting the World No 1 wouldn’t be showing up for the 2010 JBWere Masters in Melbourne turns out to be entirely erroneous.

Media announcements yesterday about tickets going on sale from today seemed to studiously avoid mentioning the man.

We were even worried how the poor scalpers – warned off by the Victorian Government and threatened with big fines – were going to make a buck in the let down over a Tigerless event.

Sergio Garcia and Camilo Villegas were touted just 24 hours ago to be the big international stars joining headline Australian act Geoff Ogilvy.

Surprise, surprise, as tickets go on sale today it is announced Woods will return to Melbourne to defend his title.

I think that is called media management. And we fell for it. (Must be getting old).

But to set the record straight – and to steal a line from a new very annoying television commercial – that’s not good news. It’s GREAT.

As the organisers of the event say in their release today, the Tiger Woods led JBWere Masters event last year set a new benchmark for Australian golf with record crowds and television audiences and delivered in excess of $34 million to the Victorian economy.

Everyone I spoke to who managed to attend the event last year were stoked. No complaints about overcrowding or overstretched facilities.

The only complaints were from Channel Nine viewers who, as Woods hit off on the Thursday morning were greeted with the Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s morning show. Even Kerri-Anne would have rather been watching the golf.

Let’s hope they get that right for the sake of all the television viewers this time. And I know there are lots of messy local broadcasting provisions involved.

On his forthcoming trip to Australia, Tiger Woods commented: “I am pleased to be able to return to Melbourne to defend the JBWere Masters.  The Australian galleries made last year’s event a great experience for all the players and I look forward to playing at The Victoria Golf Club in November.”

The 2010 JBWere Masters will again be broadcast on Channel Nine and FOX SPORTS (at least in part) and will be played at The Victoria Golf Club from 11 – 14 November. Tickets from Ticketek.