Tom Watson admits he has already fallen in love with Royal Porthcawl ahead of this week’s senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.
The American Ryder Cup Captain, a five time winner of The Open and three times victorious in this event, tees up in Wales after an impressive display at Hoylake last week.
The 64 year old, who was a runner-up to Colin Montgomerie in the US Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid earlier in the year, finished tied for 51st at Royal Liverpool after a closing 68.
“I drove down Sunday night through the centre of Wales on the A483 with Neil Oxman, my caddie,” said Watson.
“It was the plan to come down that way because I was told by one of the drivers at The Open that said ‘You must take it down through new town and come down that way and see the countryside’.
“And it's beautiful. I love the country; I live on a farm, and to see the hills and spectacular glens, it was beautiful.
“Arrived Sunday night and came out, played a practise round on Monday. And really not knowing anything about it, from the first hole on, it was just one after another, it was just, this is really a good hole, good hole, great hole, great hole, great green complex. I really fell in love with it immediately. It's a great test of golf.
“It's tougher than Hoylake, I have to tell you. It's running faster.
“If you add some wind to this, which I guess it never blows here too much, right, it will really challenge us. It's a great test of golf.
“It's beautiful countryside, and what a wonderful golf course. It's been a great trip already.
“I don't know the golf course yet, I can tell you that. It will be kind of feeling you out. It's kind of like a first date; you have to feel out, what's it like, and maybe not play quite as aggressive as you might once you get to understand the golf course.”
Asked about his impressive finish last Sunday, Watson revealed that a disappointing 75 on the Saturday had inspired him to do better.
“I played well,” he revealed. “I played a lousy Saturday round - I went back to my room and said: ‘That move away from the golf ball, I have to change that move’. I was cupping it back and getting stuck and hitting the ball to the right. I said let me have a little more rotation going back.
“I went to the tee the next morning, and everything was great and went out and played a really good round from tee to green. I think I missed two fairways off the tee, that was it.
“I think I missed four greens, so I played a good round compared to the first three rounds. I played a really good round of golf. Not like Rory [McIlroy], though. Not like Rory.”
