12 Australasians tackle Senior Open Championship
Steve Alker gets his chance for another senior major title – image USGA
Senior golf gets a chance to showcase its merits to the world this week when the Senior Open Championship is played at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club at Bridgend on the south coast of Wales.
Darren Clarke will defend the title he won last year at the King’s Course at Gleneagles in Scotland but instead of the inland layout offered 12 months ago, this week’s venue is a quintessential British links course on the edge of the Bristol Channel.
When Clarke won last year he became just the fourth player to win both The Open Championship and The Senior Open, emulating Bob Charles, Gary Player and Tom Watson.
The form of Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els of late suggest they might well join that list but with Bernhard Langer in the field along with several other of the leading players on the PGA Tour Champions they face a demanding task.
Included in the field are eight Australians and four New Zealanders, headed by a winner on the PGA Tour Champions this year and currently 5th in the Charles Schwab Cup ranking , Steve Alker.
Alker is joined by Richard Green, Rod Pampling, Stuart Appleby, David McKenzie, Peter O’Malley, John Senden, Peter Fowler, Jason Norris and Alker’s fellow New Zealanders, Michael Campbell, Michael Long and Brent Paterson who is in the field courtesy of his Senior Amateur Championship win.
Last year’s champion Darren Clarke – image R&A / Getty Images
