On course to be crowned as the 2016 European Senior Tour Rookie of the Year, Magnus P Atlevi says that life on the over-50s circuit is going to plan after what has been a remarkable season.
The steely-eyed Swede earned his Senior Tour card at Qualifying School in Portugal in February and then finished tied seventh in the first event of the season, the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open.
His breakthrough came in July as successive tied third finishes at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open and Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex propelled him up the Senior Tour Order of Merit. He shared third place with Ryder Cup hero Miguel Angel Jiménez at Carnoustie and finished ahead of legends such as Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson.
He then became the seventh first-time winner on the Senior Tour in September with victory at the inaugural Paris Legends Championship at The 2018 Ryder Cup host venue, Le Golf National.
Ahead of the final event of the season, the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius, Atlevi spoke to europeantour.com about adjusting to life on the Senior Tour.
“Everything is going according to plan, which is great,” said Atlevi. “This project has been my passion for so many years. After I stopped playing on the European Tour eight years ago, I feel as though I’ve really developed my game.
“It’s so satisfying knowing that I can convert it into tournament golf and I feel as though I’m really capable now. I’ve done the ground work and improved the things I wasn’t too good at. Now I want to keep going, and I’m going all out.
“Just getting on the Tour was the biggest thing. I don’t have a career record that could have got me on the Tour, and at Q School there were just five spots for the year that we could play for.
“So for me and the other guys who finished in the top five in Portugal, that’s the biggest win of the year. Of course, winning in Paris was fantastic; but that’s where we came from.
“Gary (Marks) came through and won in England, you really can’t imagine how happy we are. Four of us are inside the top 30 in the Rankings too, so we’ve done really well.”
Atlevi has taken inspiration from one of the Senior Tour’s most recognisable names, former Ryder Cup Captain Bernhard Langer who, at the age of 59, shows no signs of stopping as he continues to dominate on the over-50s circuit.
“It becomes harder and harder for us at each tournament we play because you see new players join the Tour as they turn 50,” Atlevi continued.
“Although it does take time to get better; even a racehorse needs a few races under their belt before they go out and win.
“Langer is the big exception in our sport. It must be tough when he’s playing alongside some guys who are hitting it 30 metres past him on the tee, but he’s still top of the money list in America. It’s not all about the length, even though that’s what everyone talks about. Length is just one part of the game.
“That’s why our sport is so unique. In a sprint, you have to be the fastest and that’s it. In golf, there are a lot of other pieces that you have to put together and nobody does that better than Langer, even at 59 years old.
“At the start of the year, I just wanted to secure my playing rights for 2017 and then focus on the smaller things. One of those small goals was to break par every single round I play. Of all the stats, the one I like the most is the average score. I believe that proves who the best player is overall, and that’s why I am so impressed by Langer.”
After 29 rounds so far this season, Atlevi has managed to break par on 27 occasions, and his stroke average is 69.76, 0.5 behind the soon-to-be-crowned John Jacobs Trophy winner Paul Broadhurst. With a full season now under his belt, Atlevi is sure to be challenging for top honours in 2017.
