Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie believes that success in The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex would rank as one of his best career achievements, as he attempts to improve on his third and second-placed finishes in the last two editions of the championship.
Montgomerie has spent the last two weeks playing on home turf in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and The 145th Open Championship, and he will make his third consecutive appearance in his native Scotland at Carnoustie in the 30th edition of the Senior Open.
The three-time Senior Major winner has won the US Senior PGA Championship Presented by KitchenAid on two occasions and lifted the U.S. Senior Open in 2014, so success at Carnoustie this weekend would complete a Senior Major Grand Slam on the European Senior Tour.
He faces competition from Germany’s Bernhard Langer who is attempting to become just the third player in history to lift the senior Claret Jug on three occasions, having won in 2010, at Carnoustie, and in 2014 at Royal Porthcawl.
American Tom Watson, who along with Gary Player has won the Senior Open three times, returns the course where he won the Claret Jug at the first attempt in 1975 and a venue he believes is the biggest test on the Open rota of courses.
Jean Van de Velde will make his Senior Open debut on the course where he finished joint runner-up in the 1999 Open Championship, following his triple-bogey on the 18th during the final round, which led to a three-way play-off which was won by Paul Lawrie.
Colin Montgomerie
“To win in Scotland is huge, of course it is, and the last time I really did that professionally was the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship back in 2005. It’s massive to win in your own country, the support is superb, and it will be again.
“We’re expecting big crowds here. This is the strongest field we’ve had on, what I say is, the best links course in the land.
“This course stands the test, it’s a fantastic test, and I love playing here.”
Tom Watson
“The first description of Carnoustie was it’s the toughest course in the Open rotation and, I think after playing all the courses, with the exception of the new Trump Turnberry course, it is the toughest.
“It makes you play every hole. There is no let-up, anywhere, on the golf course. There are no gimmies. There are no short par fours that you can hit and iron and just be carefree for your next shot to knock into the centre of the green and make an easy par.”
Bernhard Langer
“[2010] was my first Senior Open and Senior Major, it was a wonderful way to do it, duelling Corey Pavin coming down the stretch. Just on this kind of venue, it means a lot, because it is a very tough golf course, very, very tough. There are very few birdie chances and every hole is just threatening to grab you.
“That [performance in 2010] was incredible. It was astonishing. It’s never easy to separate yourself from the field.”
“[This year] has been very good. I’ve won two Majors and one tournament on top of that, so three victories in ten or 11 starts. It’s been exceptionally good.
Jean Van de Velde
“The course is immaculate, really. I’ve never played this golf course without it being perfect. The greens are amazing. The fairways are spotless. Everything is quite spectacular.
“I love being back here. How can you ever design a course like that, playing with wooden equipment and old golf balls, it’s unbelievable. From 15 onwards it’s quite spectacular. If you don’t save a lot of energy for the last four holes, mentally, it will break you into pieces. It’s a phenomenal golf course. There’s no breather out there.”
Did you know?
– Carnoustie’s Championship Course will be playing host to its second Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex.
– Three players in the 144-man field have won over Carnoustie’s Championship Course. They are: Tom Watson (1975 Open Championship), Ian Woosnam (1996 Scottish Open) and Langer (2010 Senior Open Championship).
– Defending champion, Marco Dawson will aim to become the first player to make a successful defence of the title since Christy O’Connor Jnr in 1999-2000. The only other player to achieve this feat was Brian Barnes in 1995-1996.
