Thursday, July 30, 2009

Watching the seniors

I watched with great relish the senior British open. The greats of the past like Greg Norman, Sir Nick Faldo, Mark O’Meara, Ian Woosnam, Sam Torrance, Tom Watson, Larry Mize, Tom Kite, Fred Funk [what a name!] and the ultimate winner Lorraine Roberts were in view. What made the viewing these past masters at such a pleasure? It may be the nostalgia of having watched these players in action many years ago or it may be the easily felt and seen camaraderie amongst them when at play, or the undiluted quality of the game which these have managed to retain for so many years, it is difficult to say.

gain, like in The Open in which Stewart Sink came from no where to snatch the Jug away from the leader of the four days, Tom Watson, in the senior open too, Lorraine Roberts, with a burst of scintillating golf, snatched the trophy from the two contenders who led the leader board for four days, Mark MacNulty and Fred Funk. Unlike the British open loss of Watson which made us all feel sorry for the veteran; the win of Lorraine Roberts was well taken for the manner in which he won and by sheer quality of play and the ability to hold his nerve when it mattered.

Golf is a strange game. Perhaps it is the only game where you can watch the 50 years plus players in action with the same enthusiasm with which you watch the younger players. As a matter of fact there is a classy Newzelander called Bob Charles who is 73 years old who plays the senior circuit with distinction. In no other game you can watch old men at competition play as you can in golf. In many ways like I described above, senior golf is more enjoyable than the open golf.

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