Thursday, September 02, 2010

Gary Wolstenholme makes

debut on Senior Tour

NEWS RELEASE
Gary Wostenholme MBE, England’s most capped amateur, makes his Senior Tour debut tomorrow in the Travis Perkins Senior Masters at Woburn looking to open another chapter in his illustrious career.
The two-time British Amateur champion, who made over 200 appearances for England, joined the paid ranks two years ago after two decades at the top of the amateur game and, having turned 50 on August 21, begins a new life among the seniors.
Famed for his longevity and durability - and for beating Tiger Woods in the 1995 Walker Cup at Royal Porthcawl - Wolstenholme, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, played in six Walker Cups, becoming the record scorer in the history of the biennial contest between the amateurs of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States, and is the most capped player of all time. He won over 70 tournament across all five continents.
And this week he will look to make an impression alongside the likes of Sam Torrance, Ian Woosnam and the defending champion, Tony Johnstone, over the Duke’s Course at Woburn.
“I’m glad my first opportunity is here as it is such a beautiful course,” said Gary. “I have no expectations about what I will achieve or how I will do. You can talk about trying to win, or top ten but I have no idea how I am going to do. It will be very interesting to see and I will give it as good a shot as possible.”
Wolstenholme arrives on the back of some fine form in recent weeks, having won a Europro Tour event at Stoke-by-Nayland and achieved a fourth place in the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship at Nailcote Hall, but after playing for England for 20 years and setting records that are unlikely ever to be beaten, he finds himself back at the beginning.
“Now all of a sudden I am the youngest player out there,” he explained. “I have been telling stories of how I played with Oliver Fisher in the Home Internationals a few years ago and that was my 18th consecutive Home International. Ollie turned to me and told me he wasn’t even born when I started.
"When I won at Stoke by Nayland a few weeks ago I was old enough to be the father of every player in the field. I have got used to that and now being the youngest is a bit weird. Life changes and now I am competing against older players.
“The difficulty for me was that as an amateur I was the top of the tree and now, as a professional I am starting again. Everything I have done as an amateur is in the past so I have to reassert my credibility again. I have to prove myself again. I will give it my very best shot and hopefully this week will go well.”
Wolstenholme, whose late father Guy was a leading tour pro in his day, was always one of the shortest golfers off the tee among front-rank amateurs but his unerring accuracy with mid irons and his course management helped him rise to the top of the amateur game, a journey he has documented in his autobiography which is due out later in the year.
“I have managed to survive for a long time,” he added. “Peter McEvoy once said ‘The great thing about Gary’s durability is his ability to adapt and reinvent himself every two years’. Hopefully that will put me in good stead now as I need to reinvent myself again.”
As he embarks on a new adventure, Wolstenholme can look back on a sterling amateur career, citing his victory in the World Amateur Team Championship in Chile as the highlight.
“People talk about me playing and beating Tiger Woods but that was just one match, albeit an important match as it helped us win the Walker Cup that year. I am fortunate in that I have played in six Walker Cups and won four, more than any other British player.
“But in Chile, we won by two strokes and I shot 67 in the last round in what was probably the greatest round I have ever played under the greatest pressure I have ever played under. You are not playing for yourself but Great Britain and Ireland. Everything worked perfectly. I would have loved to have been an Olympian and represented Great Britain in the Olympics and that was as close as I am ever going to get. People like Sergio Garcia, Peter Hanson and Henrik Stenson were playing in that Chile tournament and to hear the national anthem and see the flags go up with the world’s best amateurs in front of you with a gold medal around my neck was the greatest feeling I can remember.”
The Travis Perkins Senior Masters takes place over the Duke’s Course at Woburn from Friday September 3 to Sunday September 5. Tickets are available on the gate with £20 for a season pass or £10 per day.









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