Sport

Watson looks for more improvement

Tom Watson hopes to rediscover his early-season form when he returns to Turnberry in search of his third Senior British Open …

Thu Jul 27 2006 - 01:00

Tom Watson hopes to rediscover his early-season form when he returns to Turnberry in search of his third Senior British Open title tomorrow.

The American arrives in Ayrshire as the defending champion, having beaten Des Smyth in a sudden-death play-off at Royal Aberdeen last year.

But despite making the cut and eventually finishing tied for 48th at the British Open at Hoylake last week, Watson remains unhappy with his game and admits he will need to improve significantly if he is to triumph on the picturesque Ailsa Course.

"I've had a good golfing year and I've really been on my game," he said. "Earlier in the year I had my game under control a lot better than I have now. It's one of those stretches of golf I'm in.

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"My game is not very good right now even though I made the cut (at the Open).

" I negotiated my way around the golf course. I got lucky and it could have been a lot worse. It wasn't the quality of tee-to-green play that I'm going to have to have at Turnberry."

Turnberry is one of Watson's happier hunting grounds. In the infamous "Duel in the Sun" in 1977 the 57-year-old beat Jack Nicklaus in a sensational play-off climax to claim the second of his five British Open titles.

And in 2003, Watson repeated the dose when he prevailed over England's Carl Mason in another play-off to claim his first Senior Open title. Not all of his visits to Scotland have been so memorable, however.

"I am looking forward to Turnberry - the only thing I'm not looking forward to is deciphering the language!" he quipped.

"I'm getting better at it. Of the 30 years I've come to Britain, 20 of them have been in Scotland. Over the years, I'e begun to learn a few words so it's getting better."

Watson, who has also won a US Open and two US Masters titles in a glittering career, will tee off alongside Sam Torrance and Eduardo Romero at 9.30am in the first round.

The trio are up against some tough competition this week, with 141 other players taking part.

Hale Irwin, who has won seven senior majors, and Jay Haas, winner of the 2006 US Senior PGA Championship, will arguably be the biggest threats.

Smyth, who came so close last year, leads a strong Irish challenge which also includes Eamon Darcy, Jimmy Heggarty, Denis O'Sullivan, Eddie Polland and amateurs, Arthur Pierse and Adrian Morrow.