We speak to former Ryder Cup player Barry Lane for the latest edition of the Staysure Tour Player Blog. Lane won his second title in the space of nine months at the Willow Senior Golf Classic in 2017, setting the record for the lowest ever Staysure Tour round in the process…
I had a putt on the 17th, and thought to myself ‘if I hole this, I could have a 59…’. I had a good start to the Willow Senior Golf Classic after shooting five under par, but there was no inclination that I would go and shoot 60 for my second round. I was seven under on the front nine, I had good shots on ten, then a great save on 11 but nothing happened for the next few holes. Then I birdied the last four to shoot 60. Sadly, that putt on 17 wasn’t to be, but to shoot 60 is incredible. Someone will have to shoot 59 to beat me, but if they do that on a par 70, my total of 12 under par will still be the lowest.
It’s not easy to win on any Tour. The win in Mauritius in 2016 was very important, I was playing nicely towards the end of that year, but you don’t expect to win – you never know when it’s going to go your way. I played the last round with Broady (Paul Broadhurst), and we played together in the last round of the British Masters in 2004 when I managed to sneak by him. We’ve known each other for a very long time, and he’s one of those guys who is always chomping at your heels. It was nice to have won on the Tour four times early on, I played well in the meantime but winning is what it’s all about. That’s what we all do it for. Everyone here is still very, very competitive, and that’s why we carry on playing.
Staysure becoming title sponsors of the Tour is fantastic for us. We’re one of the few Tours to have a dedicated sponsor, and it’s great that they have considered us to represent their company – it’s going to be fantastic for both parties. I think we really stand out with the new name and new colours. We have some great people behind us, and we must thank David MacLaren and Jeff Hall in helping arrange the deal. We have the PGA Seniors Championship back on our schedule and it’s fantastic to have a title sponsor for the door. Hopefully we can do it justice.
If you believe in yourself and stay in reasonable condition, there isn’t much difference in abilities on this Tour.The new guys are coming in all the time, but you look at people like Bernhard Langer, and he’s still firing on all cylinders. We had Jarmo (Sandelin), Gary (Orr) and Peter (Baker) come through this year, but I’ve spent most of my career playing with them. I don’t feel any different now compared with ten years ago – I may be a older and a little more grey-haired, but I’m still hitting the ball well. It’s about keeping momentum, staying fit and still enjoying it. I enjoy playing in the Pro-Ams and Alliance tournaments, but I think our partners are shocked by the standard. They might know a club pro who is a scratch golfer, but seeing us is completely different – it’s almost a different game.
Langer is the benchmark, he is a phenomenon. Hale Irwin holds the record for victories in America, but Langer is a machine. He has always been an incredible player, but he has always played. If you do have a break in your career, you can lose the game and it does take a while to get it back to a high standard. I think when someone turns 50 and joins us on this Tour, they are surprised with how good the guys are. It’s tough for the amateurs who turn professional, and then the club pros who wait until they turn 50. The experience is great for them, but it’s week-in, week-out, year after year and it’s tough if you’re not used to it. It’s your job at the end of the day, and it’s one of the few jobs where you have to pay to go to your own office. If you don’t play well, you won’t get paid. If you play okay, you might get paid a little. There are some weeks where you can go to a tournament and not earn a penny, even if you’ve played well.
We’re all looking forward to The Ryder Cup this year, it will be phenomenal. There are some great players on both sides, and I think the venue will be the best ever. The last few holes are really difficult. It’s a golf course which can be made very, very tough, but it is also very playable. You want to see good golf but, when you get to the 18th, as a player I know how you feel when you stand on the tee. When I played at The Belfry, they had water down the left and it’s the same at Le Golf National.
Playing in The Ryder Cup is the proudest moment of my career.There aren’t many who have the opportunity to play in it. There are fond memories. It’s the hardest week of golf you ever have to play – after that you feel as though you’ll never be nervous again, but that isn’t the case. To have those memories, and to have ‘former Ryder Cup player’ next to your name, it means a lot.
