You have to admire Barry Lane as he turned down a shot at a £245,000 first prize cheque in the States in the hope of successfully defending his Scottish Seniors title and pick up just a £37,500 winning pay day.
Lane, 51 captured a maiden Seniors title last year at St. Andrews Bay and he set about holding onto his title with an opening five under par 67.
Australia’s Peter Fowler, who currently leads the Order of Merit, heads the field after carding a 65
Fowler capped his round holing a 55-foot birdie at the 17th and then put a 5-wood second shot to 15-feet at the par five, 18th and holed the putt.
Lane has been splitting his time this year playing nine on the main European Tour and 10 on the Senior’s Tour ahead of the likelihood of playing full time next year on the Champion’s Tour.
However after receiving an an invitation to compete in the Senior Players Championship at Westchester, New York Lane turned it down so as not to disappoint sponsors backing the Scottish Senior Open.
“I turned down the invitation and felt being this week’s defending champion I didn’t want to disappoint the sponsors,” he said.
“I’ve played in Europe all my life, and while I want to play on the Champions Tour, if I was a sponsor you would want your defending champion to play.
“You would not want him withdrawing two days before the start of the tournament.
“And I want to support the European Senior’s Tour as there are some great players out here. It’s a great tour and we need sponsors.
“That’s the main reason I am defending even though I am desperate to go and play in the States because I qualify for the Tour there.”
And Lane revealed he has a pair a red tartan trousers to wear throughout Sunday’s final round.
The host Torrance course is celebrating its 10 year anniversary but it did Sam Torrance little favours.
But just because you designed the course doesn’t always equate in knowing the shortest way around the venue.
Torrance was struggling at three over par after just three holes before managing to birdie three of his closing five holes in a level par 72 on his namesake course.
In fact, Torrance has yet to break 70 in seven rounds, and that goal wasn’t looking too healthy after this year’s start to the event.
“This game just does my head in as I prepared perfectly for the event,” he said.
“All I wanted to do was to get off to a good start so I knocked it on the first but then three-putted.
“I then drove it in the water at the third for a double and before you know it, I’m three over after three.
“It’s the national senior Open in Scotland, and it’s also on ‘my’ course.
“But then it’s always nice to birdie the last, and after the start I’m pleased to get it back to level par.”
