Scotland’s Sandy Lyle remains the man to catch on the European Senior Tour after his first win in two decades extended his advantage at the top of the Order of Merit following the conclusion of the early-season ‘eastern swing’.
The 53 year old captured his first title since 1992 with victory in the ISPS Handa Senior World Championship presented by Mission Hills China last week, and has set now his sights on winning the John Jacobs Trophy to add to the hat-trick of European Tour Order of Merits he won in 1979, 1980 and 1985.
Only Ian Woosnam has so far achieved the Order of Merit double, adding the Senior Tour crown in 2008 to the two Harry Vardon Trophies he won on The European Tour in 1987 and 1990.
Lyle has opened up a €51,783 cushion at the top of the Order of Merit after amassing €106,886 from his four Senior Tour appearances so far this season, finishing runner up in Australia, tied fifth in Japan, tied 18th in Brunei and winning in China.
That amount already surpasses the €72,223 he won during his first three seasons on the Senior Tour, highlighting the turnaround in his fortunes over the past four months.
The five-time Ryder Cup player is 33 under par for his 13 rounds so far this season, having shot under 70 nine times. He has a stroke average of 69.23, showing an improved consistency, although after 19 years without a victory since picking up the last of his 18 European Tour titles in the 1992 Volvo Masters, Lyle was simply delighted to be able to call himself a champion once more.
“My trophy cabinet has been gathering dust over the years so I felt relieved to get a win again,” said Lyle, who finished three strokes clear of Peter Fowler over the World Cup Course at Mission Hills.
“It answered a lot of questions I had about myself. It’s difficult to compare the win in China to other tournaments but it’s been nearly 20 years since my last victory.
“A win is a win and the achievement of winning in a field like that at 53 years old is a great confidence boost. Life isn’t over after 40 on the golf course. Tom Watson nearly did it at Turnberry a few months short of 60 years old at The Open Championship, so there are still some years in me yet.
“I’m leading the Order of Merit at the moment and the victory was big prize money so I’m in a good position. I don’t know what the future holds, but it would be nice to win the Order of Merit.”
As the focus now turns to the first Senior Major of 2011, the US Senior PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club from May 26-29, two-time Major winner Lyle will be hoping to break another barren run.
It is 23 years since Lyle last won on American soil, capturing the Phoenix Open and the Greater Greensborough in 1988 before winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National, the second of his two Majors after claiming the Claret Jug in 1985 at Royal St Georges, the venue for this year’s Open Championship.
The week after Lyle returns to Royal St George’s he will compete in The Senior Open Championship at Walton Heath, as Bernhard Langer defends his title. Langer and Lyle both played in The 1981 Ryder Cup at the Surrey venue which was the first biennial contest to be played between a continental European Team and the United States on European soil.
Langer, of course, has dominated the US Champions Tour since turning 50, winning the Money List for the past three seasons.
Lyle’s nearest rival in the Senior Tour Order of Merit is 2010 John Jacobs winner Boonchu Ruangkit, who moved into second place courtesy of finishing tied eighth at Mission Hills, a performance which took his season’s earnings to €55,104.
