Andrew Oldcorn tips Paul Lawrie to be prolific senior ranks winner after Craigielaw success

Andrew Oldcorn reckons Paul Lawrie is set to become a prolific winner in the senior ranks after wasting no time experiencing a feeling of being “re-born”.
Paul Lawrie won the Scottish Senior Open at the weekend. Pic: SNSPaul Lawrie won the Scottish Senior Open at the weekend. Pic: SNS
Paul Lawrie won the Scottish Senior Open at the weekend. Pic: SNS

The Aberdonian made a winning debut in the Scottish Senior Open at Craigielaw on Sunday, landing his breakthrough win on the Staysure Tour in just his seventh start in the over-50s game.

Oldcorn fancied his compatriot to land the spoils on the East Lothian coast when he saw it was forecast to be windy and he believes this title will be the first of many for the 1999 Open champion.

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“You know something, when I saw the weather forecast, I said to Colin Binnie, my caddie, ‘this is Chippy’s weather, this is perfect for him’,” said Ratho Park ambassador Oldcorn.

“To be honest, I wasn’t disappointed either because I find that when the weather is like that it focuses your mind a bit better. But you still have to hit shots you’ve not hit for weeks on end and no-one did that better obviously than Paul over the three days.

“I think it will be the first of many. I know what it was like when I turned 50. You get that wee boost and it lasts for two or three seasons.

“When you are playing on the main tour and you are running out of your time, you are making up the numbers and there is nothing worse than that.

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“When guys have that competitive burn inside them, to be going to tournaments to make up the numbers is a terrible feeling.

“When you become the youngest again all of a sudden, that first two or three years is when you feel born and you get the competitive juices flowing again.

“I bet he will say that he concentrated harder in the final two rounds at Craigielaw than he probably has for years.”

Oldcorn, a two-time winner since turning 50, finished joint-eighth behind Lawrie – his best performance in ten appearances in the event.

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“It was still a good week’s work, but it would have been nice to have holed a birdie putt at the last as to get round in level par would have been a hell of an achievement,” added the 59-year-old.

“I’ve played here loads of times and I have never seen it as hard as that. It was just a case of grinding it out for three days and, overall, I am pleased to have a top 10.

“A lot of my golf has been good this year. It’s just been stupid runs where I’ve thrown in doubles and triples which takes you out of top ten into mid-20s when the quality is so good out here.”

Lawrie wore a lime green top on all three days at Craigielaw, but revealed that had nothing do with him being superstitious.

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“It was so funny,” he said with a hearty chuckle. “Andy Oldcorn was walking across the car park this week and shouted, ‘have you only got one top?’ I shouted ‘yes’ because it is the only top I’ve got with me.

“When I travel, I travel with one slipover and one jumper for the week. I don’t care if they match. My kids laugh at me anyway, so what does it matter!”

• Two Scots – Sandy Walker and Euan Walker – have made the ten-man Great Britain & Ireland side for next month’s Walker Cup at Royal Liverpool, where the home team is being captained by one of their compatriots, Craig Watson.