The Senior Open Championship preview: Royal Porthcawl

We look ahead to the Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl with defending champion Paul Broadhurst and local favourite Phillip Price…

(Image credit: SPORTINGWALES)

We look ahead to the Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl with defending champion Paul Broadhurst and local favourite Phillip Price…

The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex retains its now favoured ‘week after The Open’ slot, and this year pays its second visit to Wales’ most highly ranked links at Royal Porthcawl from July 27-30, three years after a hugely successful first visit in 2014.

Royal Porthcawl is staging its second Senior Open Championship in 2017 © Steve Pope - Sportingwales

The ever-consistent and eternally competitive Bernhard Langer took a real shine to the venerable old links that year, shooting four rounds in the 60s to romp home by 13 from a distant Colin Montgomerie, and will no doubt be relishing this year’s return to Porthcawl.

No-one could get anywhere near Bernhard Langer at Royal Porthcawl in 2014

Despite his 60th birthday looming large on the horizon in August, the German is showing no signs of letting up and has already recorded three Champions Tour wins and nine top tens this season, including the Regions Tradition and the Senior PGA Championship back to back in May – his eighth and ninth over-50s Majors.

Among the other favourites lining up to deny Langer will be Monty, looking to go one better than in 2014, Jose Maria Olazabal, John Daly, Tom Watson, making just his second ever tournament appearance in Wales, and Sir Nick Faldo, who is making a rare appearance to celebrate his 60th birthday, which fell on July 18 just before the event.

Sir Nick Faldo is celebrating his 60th birthday with a rare competitive outing at Royal Porthcawl

Defending champion Paul Broadhurst, who won on his Senior Open debut at Carnoustie last year to become the first Englishman to triumph for 30 years, has enjoyed a highly successful senior career to date. He won Rookie of the Year honours on both sides off the Atlantic last year, topping the European Tour Senior Order of Merit by nearly €180,000 and going on to win again in America at Pebble Beach.

Defending champion Paul Broadhurst won on his Senior Open debut at Carnoustie last year

He declares a real love for links golf so is clearly one to watch, as is Senior Open Championship first-timer and local 'boy', Phillip Price, who has also been plying his trade on both sides of The Pond this year, finally landing his first over-50s title in the WINSTONGolf Senior Open in Germany the week before Porthcawl thanks to a final round 67.

Welshman Phillip Price will be looking to capitalise on his WINSTONGolf victory on his Senior Open debut on his home patch ©Steve Pope - Sportingwales

"This course is ideal preparation," Price said afterwards of a course with some links-like attributes. "My game is in good order, we're playing at a local course, I'll be staying at home and there will be home support. I can really take some confidence into this week."

Royal Porthcawl is Wales' most highly ranked course
©Steve Pope - Sportingwales

Will it be enough confidence, though, to prevent Langer romping home by a mile again?

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response