Saturday, July 07, 2012
Seniors king Charles beats age by 10 shots
(Reuters) - Former British Open champion Bob Charles beat his age by a remarkable 10 shots when he fired a 66 in the first round of a European seniors event on Friday.
The New Zealander, who was the first left-hander to win a major at the 1963 Open, smashed his own previous Senior Tour record of five shots fewer than his age to share third place on four under par at Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.
"That was one of those dream rounds," said the 76-year-old Charles at the PGA Senior Open. "I have had some great days in my career and this is one of them.
"I felt young again. My putting certainly reminded me of the days of my youth. I hit a lot of good shots and never missed any short putts and that was the secret really."
Charles, who is two shots off the lead, played alongside 76-year-old South African great Gary Player who posted his own exceptional round of 72.
The New Zealander said it was a day he would never forget.
"I retired at this tournament two years ago and I have only played one competitive tournament since then - the Legends of Golf with Gary - so I really didn't know what to expect today," said Charles.
"I came back here because I love Bad Ragaz, I love Switzerland... the welcome we receive is overwhelming.
"I retired because I wasn't competitive anymore and I always said I didn't want to hang around if I couldn't compete," added Charles.
"Unfortunately, when you get to my age the golf shots get shorter and the golf courses get longer and that combination is just not compatible."
(Writing by Tony Jimenez; editing by Ken Ferris)
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