AYRSHIRE, Scotland -- Tom Watson enters this week’s Senior Open Championship as the defending champion, but he will have to share a little of the spotlight with Greg Norman.
At 53 years old, Norman held the third-round at last week’s regular Open Championship before closing with a 77 in the final round to finish six shots behind winner Padraig Harrington.
Norman, rarely found in any tournament these days, became the story at Royal Birkdale before Harrington claimed his second consecutive claret jug. In his previous start before last week, Norman tied for sixth place at a brutal Senior PGA Championship and wondered publicly if it was worth all the trouble.
But he’s scheduled to be in the field this week at Royal Troon, where Watson enters the second Champions Tour major of the season as not only the defending champion, but also the winner of three of the last five Senior British Opens.
Watson closed with a 73 last year to beat Mark O’Meara and Stewart Ginn by a shot at Muirfield, which was also the sight of his 1980 win at the British Open. His other Senior British Open wins came at Royal Aberdeen in 2005 and Turnberry in 2003.
The 58-year-old Watson, who missed the cut at last week’s Open by just a stroke, has won twice already this season. He owns 13 major championships overall: eight on the PGA TOUR and five on the Champions Tour, including his three Senior Open victories.
At the last Champions Tour major, Jay Haas won the toughest Senior PGA Championship ever by closing with a 4-over 74 at brutal Oak Hill to beat Bernhard Langer by a shot. Haas’ 7-over-par 287 total was the second-highest winning score in any 72-hole Champions Tour event.
This week marks the first of three consecutive Champions Tour majors on the schedule. The Senior Open Championship will be followed by the U.S. Senior Open and the JELD-WEN Tradition. There will be a one-week break before the JELD-WEN.
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