Nicklaus and Watson ready to turn back clock for re-run of epic duel

JACK NICKLAUS and Tom Watson will relive 1977’s famous “Duel in the Sun” when they tee up in the Mastercard Senior British Open at Turnberry today.

The two American golfers will go out at 8.20am, paired alongside England's Carl Mason, some 26 years after producing one of the finest finales ever seen at an Open Championship.

On that occasion, Nicklaus closed with successive 66s and lost by a stroke to Watson, who carded 66, 65. Watson rallied from two shots behind with nine holes left to go, the drama continuing right to the 72nd hole when Watson hit a glorious seven iron to 30 inches and then holed the resultant birdie putt to win.

"I hit it dead flush," Watson recalled. "It was one of the best shots I ever hit. It's something I will never forget."

Watson comes into his second Senior British Open in fine form, having finished second at the recent Ford US Players Championship and tied 18th at the subsequent Open Championship at Royal St George's. However, the man in form is undoubtedly 50-year-old Craig Stadler who created history last weekend when he became the first Seniors Tour golfer to win on the regular US PGA Tour.

Stadler, a former Masters champion, turned 50 on June 2 and went on to win on his fourth start as a senior at the Ford US Players Championship. That victory netted him $375,000 and he added a further $540,000 to his bank balance seven days later when he closed with a 63 to claim his 13th US PGA Tour title at the BC Open in New York.

"I was kinda waiting for my 50th birthday to see what would happen and then, all of a sudden, I started playing well again," said Stadler, who would take his earnings to over one million US dollars in three weeks if he won this week's £157,800 first prize.

"It's the magical number. Get a bottle of wine, turn 50 and you start playing well," Stadler added.

Nicklaus, Stadler and Watson are three of the big names in the finest field ever assembled for the Senior British Open.

Altogether, eight former Major champions will take part, the others being Bob Charles, Tom Kite, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller.

The Irish challenge is headed by Des Smyth, 50, who goes into the championship sitting in 23rd place on the US Champions Tour money list, having won over $550,000 in his first 14 starts

Also teeing up will be Neil Coles, Eamonn Darcy, Bill Longmuir, Carl Mason, Christy O'Connor Jnr and Manuel Pinero.