They do like a racket at golf tournaments these days. As Paul Lawrie hovered over a short putt to equal the course record on day two of the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, the warblings of a young singer from the entertainment stage of the nearby tented village drifted over the Trump International Golf Links.
Music to the ears, Paul? “I maybe had a wee word under my breath,” chuckled Lawrie after hitting the high notes himself with a fine six-under 66 which thrust him into the halfway lead on eight-under.
One can only wonder what tournament host, Colin Montgomerie, would’ve made of the din. During a Spanish Open back in ye day, the distraction of the sound of music from a hospitality tent led to him blowing a gasket.
“Is this a f***ing party or a golf tournament?,” he hissed through clenched teeth. The DJ has probably never been seen since.
Here in Aberdeen, it was a Granite City great who was top of the hit parade. Lawrie’s course record-equalling round, which was illuminated by a haul of seven birdies, upped the ante in his bid for a fourth victory on the over-50s circuit as he eventually finished two shots clear of Robert Coles.
As he climbs the brae on the age front, it’s very much a case of less is more when it comes to tournament golf for the 1999 Open champion.
The 55-year-old is playing in just his fifth Legends Tour event of the season, but he still puts in the hard yards with his dedicated practice regime and actually plays the links here at Balmedie on a near daily basis.
This local knowledge certainly paid off yesterday as he put on a display of poise, polish and purpose. A change of putter aided his advance too.
A sumptuous wedge, meanwhile, into just a couple of feet on his final hole saw him finish with a flourish. Forget an acoustic set from the tented village. Lawrie’s finale could’ve been accompanied by the rousing 20th Century Fox fanfare.
“I haven’t played an awful lot of golf but when I have played, I’ve been alright,” said Lawrie, who was third in the Irish Legends event and 12th at last week’s Senior Open.
“I’ll play nine-holes here most days so when I do get to play competitively, I’m not rusty. I always feel good to go.
“I actually enjoy playing now as I’m only playing six to eight events a year.
“When you are doing it week in and week out, it’s hard. Listen, it’s a great job to have and I loved it for a long time. But I enjoy my life more now. I couldn’t go back to playing full time.”
Coles, who was just starting his second round as Lawrie was finishing his, was faced with the tougher conditions of the day but the Englishman put in a spirited performance and posted a battling 69 to stay very much in the hunt on six-under.
Back in May, Coles was certainly a merry old soul when he won the Senior PGA Professional Championship. Now, he has his sights on another senior silver lining. “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
Helensburgh veteran Gary Orr was left cursing a couple of late bogeys at the 15th and 16th in a 73 as finished in a share of third on three-under with the former BMW PGA champion, Simon Khan.
Tournament host Monty also had a 73 and shares ninth on level-par.
During an eventful day, there was a good dollop of controversy as two past major champions, John Daly and Michael Campbell, were involved in a heated rules stooshie.
Daly, the 1995 Open champion, refused to sign Campbell’s card, claiming the New Zealander hadn’t marked his ball correctly on the greens. A startled Campbell denied any wrongdoing amid a great bonfire of the profanities.
After a prolonged, five-hour investigation, the chief referee, Paul Carrigill, finally announced that no further action would be taken.
Daly had missed the cut anyway. Campbell, fearing a disqualification, maintained his place in the top-10.
Both Daly and Campbell were supposed to join Lawrie in the tented village for a jovial Q&A with the general public. Suffice to say, a couple of seats on the stage remained empty and Lawrie had to perform a solo gig.
He’d put in a good shift, both on and off the links.
