Mike Aitken: Price ready to stand down from Open in order to give youngster a shot

Published on Monday 20 April 2009 23:18

NICK Price, the winner of the last Open held at Turnberry in 1994, has yet to enter the championship which returns to the Ailsa in July. An absentee from the oldest major since 2005, the Zimbabwean has indicated he would rather his spot went to a young golfer capable of embracing a career-altering moment, as he himself did in finishing second behind Tom Watson at Royal Troon in 1982.

As of yesterday, according to the Royal and Ancient, organisers of the Open, Price had not submitted an entry form. At Price's business office in Jupiter, Florida, the golfer's agent was unavailable and no-one else was able to clarify the former champion's intentions.

Price has until the end of next month to make up his mind, but on the basis of comments made at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am it would be a surprise if he travelled to Ayrshire in July.

As an unflinching competitor, who won two PGA titles, the Open, the Players Championship and eight other US Tour events between 1992 and 1994, Price has confessed he can't see the point in making up the numbers at the majors.

"A lot of people have said, why don't I go back to the British Open or the PGA because I won?" he said. "I say, well, I can't win, I would rather give my spot to a guy who can win it. Maybe there's a 25-year-old who sneaks into the championship like I did (at Troon] in 1982, you have a chance to win, and that might change his whole life. I certainly don't want to go to a major championship trying to make the cut. Geez, I would rather go fishing for two weeks, you know."

Price, 52, was twice a runner-up at the Open, in 1988 at Lytham as well as in 1982 at Troon, before pulling off that remarkable success on the links at Turnberry 15 years ago. The Ailsa is renowned for drama and Price delivered his fair share of spectacle when he overwhelmed Jesper Parnevik over the closing stretch by covering the final three holes of the championship in three under par.

On reflection, Price was astonished he carded 12-under-par to lift the Claret Jug. "When I look back on going to Turnberry in 1994 and shooting a 72 hole total of 268 I think to myself – how did I score that low?" he remarked in conversation at Valderrama in 2000. "I think the explanation is that when the wind doesn't blow, the course is really not that difficult. It's different when the breeze gets up, of course. You just have to look back to the year Greg won. (In 1986, Norman's winning total at Turnberry was 280).

"Turnberry is easily the most beautiful British Open course. Over the years, Turnberry has been a memorable venue for the championship. When you look inland up at the hotel and then out to sea there's the lighthouse and Ailsa Craig. So many of the holes line the ocean. Like Pebble Beach, it's one of the most scenic places to play the game."

Although he returned to the winner's circle on Sunday for his first victory on the Champions Tour – his previous success on the main tour was the Colonial seven years ago – Price doesn't feel he has the power required to challenge on the extended courses which place such a premium on length.

In Florida, where he won the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in spite of carding three double-bogeys during his final round, Price spoke of the peculiar challenges facing champions in golf where it's possible for players to extend careers far beyond the limits of athletes in other sports. "It's a mental change, and I think everyone goes through it, as you get a little older and you realise your body cannot perform like it used to."

A golfer of medium build whose career was founded on superlative ball striking, Price knows that successful older players such as Vijay Singh and Kenny Perry are men of substance. "If you look at the guys who are playing well in their late 40s, generally speaking, they are big guys. They are big, strong guys who have adapted to the equipment."

At the end of his tenure on the PGA Tour, Price accepted that he was not long enough to win at most of the regular venues. When he joined the senior circuit, he told his wife, Sue, that if he didn't enjoy the experience he would walk away from life as a professional.

Even though he struggled to perform as well as he would have liked, Price enjoys the low-key atmosphere of the senior circuit. "I think you get to a stage in your life where you don't want all that fanfare. You don't want all of that attention. That's why I've loved being out here. It's great fun and the only thing that's been missing for me is my game, but it's coming back."