Irish Seniors Open: You wouldn't exactly describe Carl Mason as a creature of habit, but he's unquestionably far more comfortable playing in Europe than in the US.
Yesterday, for the umpteenth time, he proved the point. In winning the AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor, the 50-year-old Englishman reaffirmed his position as the dominant player on the European Seniors Tour, winning for the second time this season and returning to the top of an Order of Merit which he needed just half a season to win last year.
A week on from wretchedly missing the cut in the US Seniors PGA at Valhalla, Mason was a transformed player in more comfortable environs.
"I'm delighted, I played properly again," he remarked after shooting a final round 69 for 10-under-par 206, which left him a stroke clear of compatriot Nick Job, who chased him all the way in a championship that developed into a two-horse race after defending champion Noel Ratcliffe slipped off the pace with an early double-bogey.
On a day of beautiful sunshine, which showed up the Robert Trent Jones snr-designed course splendidly, the Irish challenge withered. In the end, amateur Arthur Pierse, in tied-31st place, all of 15 shots adrift, led the way.
For Christy O'Connor jnr especially, it was a day to forget. The former Ryder Cup man included a quadruple bogey eight at the fifth in a closing 79, the result of pushing his drive into heavy rough, failing to extricate the ball in two attempts and eventually settling for a penalty drop.
There were no such disasters for Mason, who claimed his sixth win in just 15 events on the European Seniors Tour since he earned membership just less than a year ago. The €49,500 top prize brought him back to the top of this season's money list and settled his mind that he belongs on this side of the Atlantic.
"I'm not going back there (to the Champions Tour), they can keep it," insisted Mason. "I love Europe. I was brought up here and feel comfortable."
Ironically, one of his goals for the season - apart from the coming British Seniors Open at Royal Portrush - is to make the UBS Cup (sort of a Seniors President's Cup). "I know that's also in America, but that's cash in the pocket before you go," he quipped of a team event that guarantees a minimum $100,000 for each member of the losing team.
Yesterday, Mason had to earn his money, pushed all the way as he was by Job. After a game of nip and tuck over the front nine, after which the pair were still locked together, and after both birdied the 12th, Mason finally broke free on the 13th, where he hit a nine-iron to 18 inches for birdie.
He then sank a 15-footer for his third successive birdie on the 14th to open a two-shot advantage.
However, Job ensured it would go to the death by holing an eight-footer for birdie on the 17th, leaving just a shot between them as they walked to the 18th tee.
"I could have done without that, the 18th gets you going anyway. It's a mean hole, that one," said Mason.
But he played it solidly and in regulation, making sure there was no way he would go over the back with a wedge approach that left him 45 feet short of the pin on a lower level. Job hit a lovely approach 10 feet past the pin, but after Mason used his long putter to roll the ball up to 18 inches, Job's birdie attempt grazed the hole and all that was required was for the new champion to roll in the 206th shot of his championship for a record-low total in an Irish Seniors Open.
