Smyth's Woburn Feeling

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Des Smyth is hoping to feed off the good vibes he has at Woburn Golf Club as he looks to kick-start his 2014 European Senior Tour season at the Travis Perkins Masters. 

The Irishman, who will be one of Paul McGinley’s Vice-Captains at next month’s Ryder Cup, is a two-time winner of the tournament, and he will be aiming to continue his sequence of triumphing in Ryder Cup years, after claiming the title in 2010 and 2012. 

It has been a slow start to the current campaign for Smyth, whose only top ten finish came a fortnight ago at the SSE Scottish Senior Open. 

But he believes a return to the picturesque Duke’s Course at Woburn could be just the catalyst he needs to get his game back on track. 

“I’ve had two wins here and it is a place I’ve always liked coming to,” said the 61 year old. “I played poorly last year, but my form had gone off by that stage. I’m searching for a bit of form again this year. I’ve had no performances worth talking about so far. I’ve had one top ten in Scotland when I had a chance to do better but messed up at the end, so I’m hoping I can get going this week and get some good vibes from this place.

“I’ve been working on a few things recently. I’m always experimenting when things aren’t working and I need tournaments to find my form. The back nine last week (at the English Senior Open) I was trying something which felt really good. Now, I’ve no idea if it is going to work this week, but I have a clear picture of what I’m going to try and hopefully this is a good week for me. 

“Coming back to a course where you have done well before always helps. This is a good driver’s course too, and that is my strength. I’m a straight driver, but on some courses you don’t get the reward for it. On this course you do. If my driving holds up, which it normally does, and if I get something going with my irons, which I think I have, then it might be a good week.”

The Travis Perkins Masters always attracts one of the biggest crowds of the Senior Tour season, and Smyth hopes that can also help inspire him to a good performance this week as he tries to regain the title, after watching Colin Montgomerie succeed him as champion 12 months ago. 

“This is our best tournament outside the Senior Open,” he said. “We get over 20,000 people here and you get all the best players. It’s great having Monty back defending his title and it is great to see Eduardo Romero playing here as well. There is a good atmosphere and it is a great tournament, so I hope it has the right effect on me.”

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Walton Sixth as Monty Leads Travis

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Philip Walton slipped from fourth place on Saturday after two double bogeys undid the good work on Friday at the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters. Having reached the turn on 34, -despite a double on the 5th on the Duke's Course - the Malahide man then dropped two more at the sixteenth to end the day on 73 - six strokes behind the outright leader Colin Montgoerie.

A stunning run of six consecutive birdies helped Colin Montgomerie surge into a commanding lead as the Scot searches for his maiden European Senior Tour win..

After trailing by one overnight, Montgomerie looked in imperious form in signing for a second superb 68 in a row to move three clear of two-time Senior Masters champion Carl Mason on eight under par, while Scotland’s Ross Drummond is a shot further back with 18 holes to play at Woburn Golf Club.

There were deceptive conditions for the second day’s play, with blanket blue skies and glorious sunshine belying a swirling Woburn wind and a fast and firm Duke’s Course that saw scoring conditions difficult and only ten men finish under par by close of play on Saturday.

But Montgomerie, this week making just his third appearance on the Senior Tour and chasing his first professional victory since the 2007 European Open, seemingly revelled in the challenge, bouncing back from an opening bogey at the par five first with six straight pars.

It was at the par four eighth, though, that his round caught fire, holing a 30-foot birdie putt to kick-start a run of six birdies in succession in what was a true masterclass in iron-play.

Montgomerie two-putted for a birdie at the long 11th but besides that the eight-time European Number One’s gains at the ninth, tenth, 12th and 13th holes all came after hitting his approaches to three feet or closer.

“I didn’t really have to make one putt in that run after holing that long one at the eighth,” said Montgomerie, who made a second bogey of the day at the 14th before parring his way in.

“So my irons are good, it’s just a question of getting into the right positions and then trying to take advantage. The fairways have firmed up a lot in the last few days and when that happens this course becomes difficult so it’s a question of managing your way around.

“It would mean an awful lot to win tomorrow,” he continued. “I haven’t won for a long time, six years, so it would be very special if I can go on and complete the job.”

The leader also took time out to send his best wishes to the hospitalised Bernard Gallacher, who captained Montgomerie in his first three appearances in The Ryder Cup.

He said: “All we can do, as everybody will, is wish him well. Our thoughts go out to him and his family and let’s hope he makes a speedy recovery.”

Mason, who won this event in 2006 and 2007, birdied three of the four par fives en route to a three under par 69 to finish three shots behind Montgomerie heading into the final round.

If the 60 year old were to triumph on Sunday then the Senior Masters would become the fourth Senior Tour event that Mason has won three times after the English Senior Open, the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship and the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open.

“I drove the ball beautifully today so I’m very pleased,” said 25-time Senior Tour winner Mason. “I managed to stay out of trouble and that is very important around here, it’s a real test of golf.

“It’s a deceptive course, it’s not one of those that is going to get eaten up – it never happens.

“If I can play like that again tomorrow then I will give myself a real chance.”

Drummond, meanwhile, briefly led earlier on Saturday after two birdies in his first six holes before his compatriot Montgomerie set off on his remarkable birdie run.

The 56 year old Prestwick man, who is still searching for a first title despite a highly consistent six seasons on the Senior Tour, found a third gain of the day at the long 11th but a three-putt at the last saw Drummond slip out of the tie for second as he signed for a two under par 70.

“It was quite testing today in the wind,” said Drummond, who finished tied fifth at Woburn in 2012. “I probably didn’t play quite as well as yesterday and I had some good bits of scrambling to keep the round together so it’s a case of so-far so-good.”

Overnight leader Luis Carbonetti struggled somewhat in the breezy conditions, posting a two over par 74 to finish the day in a tie for fourth place alongside Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin on three under par.

Defending champion Des Smyth carded a secodn round 80 and kies three strokes behind Denis O'Sullivan, who signe for a round of 73.

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Smyth Chases Woburn Treble

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Des Smyth will attempt to become the first player to win the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters three times when he defends his title at Woburn Golf Club this week against the best field ever amassed for the event.

The Irishman held off the challenge of 2011 Order of Merit winner Peter Fowler and former Ryder Cup Captain Mark James 12 months ago in front of record crowds of more than 23,000 people, triumphing for a second time in three years.

With Englishman Carl Mason (2006-7) the only other player to win the title more than once, Smyth can claim an historic treble this week on a course that will be hosting its 30th tour event.

At the halfway mark of the European Senior Tour season, Smyth currently sits 15th on the Order of Merit, with a share of eighth place in the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship his best finish so far this campaign.

He heads to Woburn on the back of three consecutive tied 14th place finishes, but as he chases his first win beyond the age of 60, Smyth believes the Duke’s Course at Woburn can once again bring out the best in his game.

“I’ve always played well at Woburn over the years and I feel like my game is coming around, so I think I will be in good shape for Woburn,” said Smyth. “I just need to improve my putting, but I always seem to putt well there.

“I know what it takes to win at Woburn because both of the times I won I shot ten under par, so that is my target as it seems to be the winning score.

“It’s a tree lined course, which promotes straight hitting and that it is my strength. It is a great golf course and it has always been one of the Senior Tour’s best tournaments. I’m very lucky to have won it twice and I would love to do it another time.

“I feel like I’m playing better and I’m getting a good feeling. It’s hard to explain, but going back to a place where you’ve done well before always helps.”

Colin Montgomerie, another player with a strong affinity for Woburn Golf Club, this week makes his debut in the £300,000 tournament in is his first appearance in a regular Senior Tour event.

The Scot was runner-up and third on his last two appearances over the Duke’s Course, in the 1999 and 2000 British Masters respectively.

He was also third on the Duke’s Course in the British Masters in 1994 and tenth in 1993, and he will now look to extend that record by attempting to become the second Ryder Cup Captain after James (2005) to win the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters.

Meanwhile, Spaniard Santiago Luna will be chasing back-to-back victories after winning the SSE Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont St Andrews a fortnight ago.

Sam Torrance, who finished joint runner behind Luna in Scotland, will be hoping to build on his first top five finish of the season, and he is one of four former Ryder Cup Captains in the field, alongside James, Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam.

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