Paul Broadhurst has already had a lifetime of experiences in Scotland and can’t wait to return to his favourite place for the Senior Open presented by Rolex this July.
Broadhurst has a great affinity with Scotland, the site of his first senior major title when he won the Senior Open at Carnoustie in 2016, his rookie year on the Champions and Staysure Tour, but he also has four decades of memories of the Old Course at St Andrews, not least being the first professional to shoot a 63 there.
He is going in as one of the favourites for the first visit of the Senior Open to the home of the game, having taken his second Senior Major at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in the USA last month, but he has a love for all of golf in Courier country.
“I’ve been coming here since I was about 13, there was a group of about eight of us who would come up from Birmingham and play St Andrews, Carnoustie and Gleneagles,” he said.
“It’s my favourite place to play golf, not just the well-known courses but also Crail, Ladybank, Lundin and loads of other courses as well.
“I loved it then and still do. I love the atmosphere of the place. I remember going into the golf shops and buying a St Andrews bag tag and towels when I was a kid. I had great memories of the place even before 1990.”
Broadhurst had played the Old Course half a dozen times, including for GB&I in the amateur ranks, before he qualified for the 1990 Open. He made a bit of history that week, but not until he had his adventures in the town.
“I made the cut with a 74 and 69 right on the mark and was third off on the Saturday playing with David Graham,” he recalled. “But I had a huge sticking plaster above my left eye because I had a little accident on Market Street the previous night.
“There were obviously no mobiles or texting in those days so you had to call up the R&A to get your tee time. My digs didn’t have a phone so I went into one of the old red phone boxes with the heavy spring-loaded doors to make the call and see when I was off.
“It was a particularly heavy door and it sprung back and caught me across the eye. I had a cut, a huge lump and a black eye so I didn’t look the greatest for the third round.”
Nonetheless, watched just by a few early enthusiasts, Broadhurst went out in seven-under 29 and then birdied 10 as well.
“I didn’t have any great expectations,” he said. “We had started off with just my wife and friends and sponsors but ended walking up 17th with 3000 people watching.
“Even now, nearly 30 years later, it still rates as the best round I ever played. I birdied the last hole blissfully unaware that that was the record at the time.”
Scotland has been good to Broadhurst since, with two Scottish Senor victories to add to his Carnoustie triumph, but there’s a special feeling for him coming back to St Andrews.
“I’ve played it so many times now, but you still spot something different every time you play,” he said. “You can never learn it enough.
“I loved the Old Course the first time I played it as a youngster and nothing has changed. Everything about the experience is very special – the history, the atmosphere, the town, the sense of tradition.
“There is a huge feeling of nostalgia about this year’s championship. Many great players are coming because it’s the Old Course, that will create a great atmosphere and a tremendous chance for the spectators to see some proper legends.”
Bernhard Langer of Germany will defend his title won at Royal Porthcawl last year in a world class field at St Andrews from July 26 to 29. Tom Watson, Sir Nick Faldo, John Daly, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam, Sam Torrance and Paul McGinley have all confirmed they will play.
Tickets, starting at £13.50 per day, are available now on: www.senioropenchampionship.com. Under-16s and parking are free.
