INJURIES have forced Peter Senior to end his seven year stint on the US Champions Tour and the Aussie veteran is coming home to “retire” as a touring professional.
Senior had always planned to make this his final year in the US and the 56 year old told us in Sydney last year that he may not make the full season.
Injuries to both elbows have reportedly sealed the deal after nine starts this year on the lucrative over 50’s circuit with just two finishes in the top 25 – well below his usual best.
Senior will rue the fact that he never managed a win on the tour, but he had a number of very close things. One thing he won’t rue is the US$5.4 million he has made in the process.
Senior had six runner-up finishes in the US and an amazing 40 top tens. At one point the US pundits worked out he had won the most prize money of any tour member never to have actually won an event.
“[Senior] said this was going to be his last year anyway,” said long time coach Gary Edwin. “He can’t practise before he plays. He’s going back home, the kids are happy for him to be coming home. He’ll play golf but I don’t think he’ll do much international travel.”
Senior said last year that when he did quit the US he would play some events in Australia, including on the Australian PGA Legends Tour, but wouldn’t play full time.
He was also planning to take some time completely away from golf and do some non-golfing travel in Europe with his wife.
Senior has won 34 professional tournaments, including his historic post 50 years of age wins at the Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes in 2012 and at the Australian Masters at Huntingdale in 2015.
“I’m just tired of being away from home,” Senior said to us last year in Sydney.
“For nearly 40 years I’ve been travelling. I ‘m really happy I had my wife and my son with me every week, but if that wasn’t the case I wouldn’t be playing.
“I will still play a couple of events here but I won’t play many. I will play a few of the senior events to help the boys out but I won’t be playing full time.”
“I know it’s coming to an end. I’ve had a ball,” he said.
[See our feature story: Peter Senior’s ‘Swan Song’ Season]
