mount juliet & royal portrush top our 2012 polls - Backspin Golf ...

Above: Last July, at the age of42, Darren Clarke became theoldest winner of The OpenChampionship since 1967. He isseen above with the Claret Jugon a visit to Portmarnock GolfClub for his annual DarrenClarke Foundation championsweekend for leading Irish juniorgolfers.Photo taken by Pat Cashman -www.cashmanphotography.ie6 | BACKSPINcontinued...Tom Watson is further proof that age isno barrier to success at the highest level ingolf. He was beaten in a play-off for TheOpen Championship at Turnberry in 2009just prior to his 60th birthday and heproduced another fine Open display to tie22nd at Royal St. Georges last July.Just ask rising star Tom Lewis aboutTom Watson. They were paired together forthe first two rounds at last year’s Open. Itwas an incredible experience for the20-year-old English amateur, who grabbedthe headlines with an opening 65. Howeverby Sunday evening he found himselftrailing three shots behind the 61-year-oldfive-times Open champion!Indeed, a study of last year’s majorsmakes interesting reading if you feel thatgolf is a young man’s sport.Fred Couples (51) was tied 15th atAugusta...Davis Love (47) was tied 11th atCongressional...the top-25 in The Openincluded eight players in their 40’s, one inhis 50’s and one in his 60’s...and AndersHansen, Robert Karlsson, David Toms andScott Verplank - all in their 40’s - finished inthe frame at the USPGA Championship.In fact, American Steve Stricker, whoturns 45 this February, was one of the mostconsistent performers in last year’s majors.He was tied 11th at Augusta, tied 19th atCongressional and tied 12th in both TheOpen and USPGA Championship.