Andre Bossert believes he is growing into life on the European Senior Tour after achieving his best finish to date in the Travis Perkins Masters.
The Swiss carded final round of 71, which included an eagle two on the par four 15th hole, to share second place with American Tim Thelen (71) and Austrian Gordon Manson (67), ten shots behind winner Colin Montgomerie.
Bossert, who won once on The European Tour and twice on the Challenge Tour, is playing in his first Senior Tour season after turning 50 last November, and he is hoping to build on the performance at Woburn Golf Club as he targets a victory before the end of 2014.
“I feel like I’ve underperformed a little bit this year and the putter has been really cold,” he said. “This was the first day the putter felt good. I got up and down a couple of times too, so the main difference was the short game.
“I always said if that comes back, I will be competitive. Monty played another golf course this week, but it does give me hope going forward.
“I’m getting into the rhythm and I’m looking forward to the events ahead. My goal has been a victory and Rookie of the Year. I’ll probably have to win one to get that.
Bossert’s second top ten finish of the season was helped by that eagle, which earned him a huge cheer from the large crowds at the Duke’s Course.
“My caddie convinced me to have an aggressive seven iron as every time I had an aggressive shot in the tournament it seemed to come off,” he said. “It came out perfect and that’s the dream, to see it go in and people go mad around the hole. That was obviously the highlight but I wanted to put in a good finish today and I’m pleased I’ve done that.”
Thelen is also targeting a rousing finish to the season after recording his first top ten of the year. The American won three times in 2012 en route to finishing third on the Order of Merit, and followed that up with three top ten finishes last year.
“I hit the ball well last week and played really well for two rounds,” he said. “And this week I’ve played consistently and if a few more putts go in I could contend and maybe win again.
“It is a straight hitter’s course here and I’ve hit it pretty straight. It’s a great golf course and we love coming here.”
Thelen was a college teammate of Montgomerie at Houston Baptist, and he is delighted to see the Scot playing so well on the Senior Tour.
“He’s been playing well ever since he got out of college. To come here as defending champion, and win again proves he is the best out here. He’s playing well in America and over here and it is great to see.”
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