Carl Mason believes his record breaking success on the European Senior Tour can be attributed to learning late in his career how to cope under pressure.
Mason set a new record of 24 Senior Tour victories with a clinical performance in the OKI Open de España Senior by Cleveland Golf/Srixon but he admits he has not always been as confident when in contention.
It took Mason 20 years and 441 appearances before he captured the first of two victories on The European Tour in the 1994 Turespaña Masters.
However success was more instant on the Senior Tour, where he won four times in his rookie season in 2003, also losing a play-off to Tom Watson in The Senior Open Championship at Turnberry, en route to topping the Order of Merit for the first time.
Since then has won at least one title in each of his nine seasons Senior Tour in 2003, including a haul of five victories in the 2004 campaign when he successfully defended the John Jacobs Trophy.
His 24th victory last week, which surpassed Tommy Horton’s benchmark of 23, came in just his 129th Senior Tour appearance and was labelled by the Englishman as the highlight of an increasingly distinguished career.
“When I started out on the Senior Tour I would have been over the moon to win once a season,” said Mason, who turns 58 next month. “I have amazed myself by doing what I have done – I am still asking myself how I did it!
“I think the biggest element to my success has been the build up of confidence over the years that has just grown and grown. I have to admit that, even though I had two wins on The European Tour in my career, I never felt happy or comfortable when I was in contention earlier in my career.
“It sounds silly to say that but some people just don’t like being under the pressure because it can be not a pleasant experience. I would say that earlier in my career I didn’t particularly enjoy being in that position but since I joined the Senior Tour I have learned to handle it.
“It takes time and experience to get used to the feelings that you need to control in order to win golf tournaments. All the clichés are true: you have to take it one shot at a time which is probably the hardest thing today when you are not used to it.
“You have to not think ahead of yourself because as soon as you think you have won something then all of a sudden you are making mistakes and the next thing you know you are on the way home wondering what the hell happened to that tournament that I was supposed to win.
“Although it is the Senior Tour not The European Tour, you still have to do it and to go out there and do it 24 times over nine seasons is a great achievement. It has certainly amazed me.
“A lot of people have no idea of the effects that pressure can put you under. All of a sudden you find yourself experiencing feelings that are not very pleasant and there are a lot of people out there who can’t do it.
“I suppose that is the difference. There are hundreds and thousands of magnificent golfers out there but only a small percentage win a lot of tournaments and it is because they can go that little bit extra and handle the big situations.”
After winning the second of his European Tour titles in the Scottish Open in 1994 and finishing a career best 19th on the Order of Merit that year, Mason spent another four seasons among Europe’s elite before losing his card.
He then had a spell as a Rules Official on the Senior Tour before turning 50 on June 26 2003 and rejoining the playing ranks. He captured his maiden title in the Mobile Cup at Stoke Park and never looked back, last year becoming the first player to break through the €2million barrier, comfortably passing the €1,684,040 he earned in 24 years on The European Tour.
Mason equalled Tommy Horton record of 23 victories when he captured the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open for a third time last year, following a final round triple bogey with a hole-in-one. Inevitably the pressure and the attention was then on to set the new record of 24 but as he has shown time and time again on the Senior Tour, pressure is something Mason has learned to cope with admirably.
“The Senior Tour has been fantastic for me obviously but it is such a great Tour and has a lot going for it,” said Mason. “It has given me the best times of my career and I am very grateful for that. I am a good example of what the Senior Tour can do for a player – I may have been a late developer but the Senior Tour has given me a platform to keep getting better and to find my confidence and play my best golf.”
