Oldcorn raring to start new career as a senior

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Andrew Oldcorn tees of a new chapter in his career tomorrow and is hoping he can get off to a flying start on the European Seniors Tour.
"I've been looking forward to this for quite a while but now that it is here I feel like I have talked about it too long and I want to get started and see how I do," said the Edinburgh man as he looked ahead to the opening round of the £400,000 Handa Senior Masters at Stapleford Park in Leicestershire.
Oldcorn, who turned 50 in March, has been gearing up for his switch to the Seniors' circuit for some time, having grabbed every playing opportunity he could over the last year or so to try and keep his game as sharp as possible.
"I've been in this twilight zone of mid-forties to late forties where your career is coming to an end on the main Tour and you are waiting for your second career on the Senior Tour," he said.
"I'm looking forward to getting back amongst my peers. The challenge of what is coming ahead for me is exciting. How I cope with it is anyone's guess. I've prepared as well as I can. I'm a little bit circumspect in terms of I need to get a bit of confidence back in my game.
"I've kept an eye on how the Senior Tour guys have been performing for a couple of years now. I know that the likes of Sam Torrance, Ian Woosnam, Roger Chapman and Carl Mason have done really well. I draw a bit of encouragement from the fact that I competed against these guys when I was younger and had some success.
"I'm just hoping I can make the transition so I can go into a golf tournament and feel like I can win it again rather than just make up the numbers as I did towards the end of my career of the main Tour."
The highlight of Oldcorn's career on the main Tour undoubtedly came in 2001, when he won the PGA Championship at Wentworth. The Kings Acre professional also tasted success in the Turespaña Masters Open de Andalucia in 1993 and the Jersey Open in 1995.
"If I were to stop now and not play on the Senior Tour I would have to say I've had a good career," he added. "I would be happy with what I achieved. I'm unfulfilled in some aspects – I never played in The Ryder Cup for one which I really wanted to do and never played in the Masters Tournament – but I won three times and a lot of people don't even win once.
"Other than the time I had my illness in the mid-1990s, I went the best part of 22 years without losing my card. All in all I think I have had a successful career.
"If it all stopped tomorrow I would probably give myself seven out of ten. It would be nice to round off my career though by filling in a few gaps I feel need to be filled in on the Senior Tour.
"We can't escape the fact that we are lucky in being able to have a second career in what we do. That is unique to golf. Once I get my head down and meet the guys again and get into the swing of playing tournament golf again, instinct will take over. It's how I manage my game from there as to how well I do."
+The above article appears in full in today's Edinburgh Evening News.