Major Trio set for Senior Open

Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam, three of European golf’s ‘Big Five’ from the 1980s and 1990s, will go head-to-head on the continent for the first time as senior players when they make their debuts in The 2008 Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard at Royal Troon Golf Club, from July 24-27. The illustrious trio will all be looking to become the first European winner of the event since the turn of the millennium, after all three turned 50 in the past 12 months. Japan’s Noboru Sugai was the last non-American winner back in 2002, while Europe’s most recent Champion came courtesy of Ireland’s Christy O'Connor Jnr’s successful defence in 2000. Germany’s Langer, winner of the Masters Tournament in 1985 and 1993 and Ryder Cup winning Captain in 2004, is currently challenging at the top of both the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit and the US Champions Tour Money List. “I like to win any tournament I enter but The Senior Open Championship would be a very nice thing to have alongside my name,” he said. “I will be trying very hard to have one Open title to my name, seeing as The Open Championship itself eluded me. “Royal Troon is a very good golf course, a demanding golf course, and you have to hit the ball well. It just depends on the conditions whether it is bouncy or not. I remember playing with Tiger Woods there in the early stages of his career. It is a good links course where you have to avoid the bunkers and hit proper shots in the wind. “It’s great to come up against defending champion Tom Watson again who I see a lot over in America. On both sides of the Atlantic Seniors golf is getting more and more competitive as a lot of the guys stay in shape and try and keep their games going.” Two-time Major winner Lyle, like Watson, is an Open Champion having famously claimed the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s in 1985 as well as the Green Jacket at Augusta National in 1988, and the Scot has admitted he would dearly love to add a Senior Open Championship to that crown on home soil. “Troon is a good links golf course with strong holes,” he said. “I will have played plenty of links golf by the time I get there following Wales, Ireland and The Open Championship the week before so hopefully my game will be in good shape. “Bernhard is obviously playing really well. He is scoring very well and I think he will be the main man to keep an eye on during the week. There are sure to be some great crowds up there too. Troon is obviously well established and has attracted great crowds for The Open Championship in the past and I’m sure The Senior Open Championship will be no different.” Welshman Woosnam, who won the Masters Tournament in 1991 and captained Europe to Ryder Cup victory in 2006, has made a superb start to his European Seniors Tour career after turning 50 in March and goes to Ayrshire as leader of the Order or Merit. He clinched his maiden title at the Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship and followed that by finishing runner-up on his homecoming at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open before lifting his second trophy at the Russian Seniors Open at the European Seniors Tour’s last tournament. The Welshman is also confident that one of the European players can mount a strong challenge at Royal Troon. “It is the dream of every British professional golfer to win a Major in Britain and as I am not playing The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, then the next biggest win would be The Senior Open Championship at Troon,” he said. “All three of us are certainly going to give it a try. I have already played two tournaments at links courses this year – in Wales and Ireland - and with Bernhard playing fantastic golf in the US we certainly have as good a chance as any this year.” “It would be fantastic to win my maiden Order of Merit in my first season and winning at Troon would certainly give that a serious boost. Winning tournaments, especially Majors, is what it is all about.” David Hill, Director of Championships for the R&A, said on behalf of the Championship: “It will be great to see three players who dominated European golf, and who had such success in the Major Championships, join an already strong field at Royal Troon. The Senior Open Championship has developed into one of the highlights of the golfing calendar and we look forward to another fine championship.” To reserve a Championship hospitality package in the Barcelό Troon Marine Hotel, call today on +44 1292 314444. Alternatively, you can email marine.mande@barcelo-hotels.co.uk Tickets for The 2008 Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard - which is jointly run by the European Seniors Tour and The R&A and co-sanctioned by the US Champions Tour - can be booked now either via the hotline on 0800 023 2557 or visiting http://www.europeantourtickets.com/.