Many people dread the day they turn 50, but for Paul Broadhurst – who reached that milestone today (www.europeantour.com) – the moment couldn’t come soon enough.
The six-time European Tour champion and former Ryder Cup player from Atherstone becomes the latest golfer with a high class pedigree to sign up for the European Senior Tour, with an imminent debut in the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open later this month.
Broadhurst, who reverts to rookie status, 27 years after making his main Tour debut, can’t wait to get started, and admits that the last three years have been “totally frustrating” as he has waited with a degree of impatience for that landmark birthday.
He laughed: “I have been wishing my life away from the age of 47! It’s been extremely frustrating waiting for the day I could become a member of the Senior Tour but it’s really exciting to be able to return to competitive golf again.”
Since playing the last of his 588 European Tour events in 2012, Broadhurst has been far from idle. He said: “For the last three years or so I have played an awful lot of golf in order to retain my competitiveness, mainly on the PGA Midlands circuit but also on mini-tours and overseas invitational events.
“I’ve worked hard for the last two years with the professional from Northants County Golf Club, Tim Rouse, and feel my game is in a better place than when I finished playing on the main Tour.”
Broadhurst arrives in Scotland at the end of this month with his appetite for competition undimmed – every bit as sharp as in his heyday, when he captured six Tour titles between 1989 and 2006 and returned from the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island with an unbeaten record.
He recalled: “My fondest memories are of winning by six shots in the European Pro-Celebrity in 1991 and by eight in the Open de France at Le Golf National in 1995.
“I also remember vividly hanging on to win the Benson and Hedges International in 1993 and winning the Portuguese Open back to back in 2005 and 2005 – especially the second victory at Penina where I birdied the last to win. Even my debut win wasn’t without drama – the last day was washed out and I won my first Tour title over 54 holes!”
Although Europe just came up short at Kiawah Island in 1991, Broadhurst emerged from that Ryder Cup with his reputation enhanced after playing twice and collecting two points.
He added: “Being able to partner the World Number One, Ian Woosnam, to a win over Paul Azinger and Hale Irwin in the fourballs was memorable, and I followed that up by beating Mark O’Meara in the singles.”
Looking ahead to his debut at Archerfield Links from August 27-29, the Midlander said: “I am familiar with Archerfield, which I know quite well through the designer, DJ Russell, who is a friend of mine. I’ve seen guys like Woosie and Mark James over the years and I am looking forward to meeting up with them and a few more old pals on the Senior Tour.
“I’m still very competitive and can’t wait to get started in Scotland and then in the Travis Perkins Masters at Woburn the following week. I will be nervous, I’m sure, but raring to go. I only have three or four events to play in 2015 so I’m looking for a fast start.”
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