Life begins at 50. Or is it 40? Some may even say it’s 60? But sod that. For the purposes of this particular golfing triumph it’s definitely 50. A year or so after fearing his playing days may be over, Paul Lawrie is a man reborn after winning the Scottish Senior Open here at Craigielaw.
Having reached his half century on New Year’s Day, the decorated Aberdonian picked up his first clump of silverware among the golden oldies.
On a lively day on the links, which was so windy the event could have been sponsored by the Beaufort Scale, Lawrie put in a controlled, canny display full of craft, graft, nous and experience and closed with a level-par 71 for a two-under 211 and a two shot triumph over Peter Baker and Peter Fowler.
“There was a point where I didn’t know if I would even play again so to win is pretty cool,” said Lawrie of the ravages inflicted by a long-standing foot problem which eventually led to surgery last year.
“When my foot was diagnosed as a torn ligament and a ruptured tendon you think ‘man, that sounds pretty serious’. I didn’t think winning tournaments would happen.”
Having put up with an agonised hirple in his step, Lawrie now has a significant spring in it.
Twenty years and one month since he won The Open at Carnoustie, the 50-year-old is savouring another conquest on Scottish soil. “That’s four tour titles in Scotland now and it’s always nice to win in your own country,” he said of a roll of honour at home which also includes the Dunhill Links Championship and the Johnnie Walker Championship.”
Two shots behind Fowler heading into the final round, Lawrie made an early assault and clambered to the front. As Fowler toiled, Lawrie covered his first seven holes in two-under to assume command.
READ MORE: Shock as another Scottish golf club closes
With the strong, gusting wind doing its best to hurl a variety of spanners into the works, though, the Scot knew fine well that there would be no procession to a coronation.
“You couldn’t relax out there,” he said. “There were double bogeys to be had anywhere. On every shot you were battling.”
Austria’s Markus Brier was also posing a menace but his challenge unravelled with a messy double-bogey on the 15th while Fowler would leak a shot there too to give Lawrie a cushion.
A couple of groups ahead, Baker was making a run at it with a spirited 70 to get into the safety of the clubhouse at level-par.
Despite the kind of relentless buffeting you’d get in a crow’s nest during a tempest, Lawrie stood firm.
He flirted with the bunker on perilous par-3 17th but conjured a delightful dink from a tight lie and saved his par. “That was one of my best shots of the week,” added Lawrie who would play it safe down the last and end up with a title-winning tap-in.
Congratulations @PaulLawriegolf 👏 #ScottishSO champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ysVPdBCgp2
— Staysure Tour (@StaysureTour) August 18, 2019
Lawrie has made his breakthrough on the Staysure Tour in Europe. Breaking the money-spinning Champions Tour in the US is proving more difficult.
“I’ve had knock backs for every event on the Champions Tour for the rest of the year after writing to them all personally looking for an invitation,” he said.
“One invitation for a whole season for a major winner is not cutting it in my opinion. It is just frustrating that you can’t get in. They don’t have to invite me, but I do feel hard done by.”
Yesterday’s win, meanwhile, was hard-earned.
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