Golf: Ready to claim the missing title

By WYNNE GRAY

Peter Senior has one notable gap in the swag of titles he has amassed over the past 25 years.

The Australian broomstick putter pioneer has won most golfing honours in his homeland, and is its leader in career prizemoney.

He has also won in Europe and Japan.

But his forays across the Tasman have been unprofitable.

Senior's best finish in a New Zealand Open was equal fourth in 1996.

Last year, at Middlemore, he missed the cut by three shots.

But the 44-year-old is optimistic he can at least overcome that obstacle when the 87th New Zealand Open starts today at The Grange.

After a lengthy winning drought, Senior returned to the victory dais last month at Coolum when he won the Australian PGA.

It was a triumph for someone who never sidestepped practising his game, never stopped enjoying the sport but became a victim of the mental anguish which afflicts most players at some stage in varying amounts.

The worst time, Senior recalled, was about six years ago.

"Towards 97, when I won the Canon Challenge at Terry Hills, I was ready to pack it in because I had fear over just about every shot I hit."

Senior sought help from a variety of sources. The repair work took some time and it was not until late last year that he felt comfortable in tournament play and "went on the course and figured I knew what I was doing."

Part of the remedial work involved changing his swing, getting his club coming down the line rather than from the inside.

Then there was further technical refinement, consistent practice and the other psychological routines which go to complete the golfer's armoury.

Senior is part of a strong Australian challenge for the Holden-sponsored event, which commemorates the 50 years since Sir Bob Charles won the first of his four national crowns.

"The guy who wins will drive the ball the best," Senior predicted after several looks at the tight 5974m Grange layout.

It was a course to reward the patient, thinking golfer, a set-up on which it was paramount to hit the fairways.

Trying to hold some greens from the rough would be near impossible and many in the field would accrue frustrating bogeys chipping from the fringes.

Senior has a reputation as a straight hitter from the tee, as does compatriot Peter O'Malley who won the NZ Open at The Grange in 1995.

Since then, he says, the number of trees on the course has been reduced, and although he knows staff have to keep the greens watered in Auckland's heatwave, he thought The Grange would be top-notch if they were a shade firmer.

The Grange played better with a bit of bounce in it. It was a mix of target golf, with the premium on placement from the tee.

"It does suit my game, there is a huge emphasis on where you put your ball off the tee," O'Malley said.

He would use a driver on the par fives, but not too many other holes.

He has not played a tournament round for about a month, but had recently stayed with Greg Turner and felt he hit the ball well during that stay.

Last year had been an unusually erratic one in his career, he said.

He could normally rely on consistent scores, but last year he either had low or high numbers.

"But I have no doubts about my ability - I am hitting it as good as I have and I am confident."

In a bid to consolidate his putting stroke, O'Malley has installed a putting green in the front yard of his Sydney property, and he says the extra time spent on his putting has been a boost to his game.

O'Malley said history showed the winner at The Grange did not shoot extremely low numbers, and he figured a total of about 12 under would be right in the final count.

New Zealand amateur Brad Shilton is first on the tee today at 7am. Defending champion Mahal Pearce is out at 8am with Michael Campbell, and the celebrated trio of Charles, Dave Stockton, and Jay Sigel tee off 10 minutes later.

The last in the field of 156 golfers hits off at 2pm.