The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Masterful Peter Senior remains evergreen

Australian golfer Peter Senior has retired after a long successful career. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Expert
22nd November, 2015
18

At 5.25pm AEST yesterday, Peter Senior sunk a pressure-laden eight-foot putt to be the clubhouse leader of the Australian Masters at Huntingdale.

Fifteen minutes later, journeyman Andrew Evans had a 24-footer to force a play-off.

It was a career-defining moment.

But for some unaccountable reason, Evans was four-foot short, and three-putted to fall into a three-way tie for second with John Senden and US amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau.

Evans was devastated, Senior was his usual humble self.

He had just completed a stunning trifecta that no other golfer in the world had achieved, winning his country’s three major tournaments in his 50s.

Senior won his third Australian PGA at 51, his second Australian Open at 53, and yesterday his third Australian Masters at 56.

And it couldn’t have happened to a better bloke.

Advertisement

He started the day two shots adrift of 54-hole leader Matthew Millar, and one behind Evans.

Senior had a stunning start with birdies at the first two holes, but gave them both back at the fourth and fifth, then birdied six and seven.

The tap in birdie at 10 gave the veteran the outright lead, and another birdie at 15 was a bonus, only to give one back at 17.

But Senior is made of stern stuff, honed over four decades. His approach to the last hole was bunkered, and he exploded out to eight feet.

The rest is history as he donned his third gold jacket, rating his son and caddy Mitchell as indispensable.

Senior will tee off at the Australian this week at the Open, and Royal Pines next week for the PGA, but he doesn’t feel as confident on the two longer courses.

“They will probably destroy me,” Senior predicted, but nobody believes him.

Advertisement

The successful father and son combination head back to the US Champions Tour in February, before he hangs up his clubs at the elite level.

“It’s time I stayed at home,” Senior said, and nobody believes that either, he’s still an elite golfer with a deep competitive streak.

Adam Scott can take a leaf out of the Peter Senior book, who is 21 years older.

After being 11-under at the 27th hole, Scott was nine-over for the next 27, and yesterday needed a 63 or 64 to have any chance of winning his third gold jacket. Scott birdied four and five, and gave them both back with a double at seven.

Scott finished with a 69, four shots off the Senior pace.

Scott will no doubt be drawn with defending champion Jordan Spieth at the Australian Open, but he’ll need to be a lot more focused if he’s to be on the same page as the world number one.

The final leaderboard
8-under – Peter Senior 70 70 68 68
6-under – Bryson DeChambeau (a) 69 70 72 67
John Senden 69 68 71 70
Andrew Evans 68 69 70 71
4-under – Adam Scott 64 70 77 69
3-under – Richard Green 72 70 71 68
Brett Runford 72 64 74 71
Alistair Presnell 68 71 71 71
Matthew Guyatt 69 66 73 73
Michael Sim 71 69 68 73
Matthew Millar 71 67 68 75

Advertisement

***

In Dubai, Rory McIlroy saved his best for the weekend to win the Race to Dubai for the third time in four years, and Europe’s World Tour Championship.

In-form Englishman Andy Sullivan held a shot lead going into the final round, and both started with a birdie blitz – Sullivan four in the first six, and McIlroy four and a bogey in the first seven.

But McIlroy came home in 33 to Sullivan’s 35, and the one-shot victory – 21-under to 20-under.

Overall, McIlroy fired in 26 birdies with five bogeys, Sullivan an eagle with 21 birdies and just three bogeys – great golf on a tough course.

But what stood out in the elite 60-strong field was the dominance of 20-somethings – seven in the top nine,

McIlroy’s 26, Sullivan 29, third-placed Brandon Grace 27, Byeong Hun An 24, rookie Matthew Fitzpatrick 21, Emiliano Grillo 23, Francesco Molinari 33, Charl Schwartzel 31, and Danny Willett 28.

Advertisement

It sets up a fascinating majors season next year with Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth at 22, and PGA champion Jason Day at 27.

The final Dubai leaderboard
21-under – Rory McIlroy 68 68 65 66
20-under – Andy Sullivan 66 66 68 68
15-under – Brandon Grace 68 69 69 67
13-under – Byeong Hun An 70 68 66 71
Matthew Fitzpatrick 68 69 68 70
Emiliano Grillo 69 64 71 71
Francesco Molinari 67 71 69 68
Charl Schwartzel 71 65 70 69
Danny Willett 68 70 67 70

close