August 22, 2013 – Santiago Luna held off a determined challenge from former Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance to win the SSE Scottish Senior Open and seal a memorable return to St Andrews, 15 years after defeating Tiger Woods at the Home of Golf in the Dunhill Cup.

The Spaniard carded a closing one under par round of 71 to finish on five under par 211, one shot clear of Torrance, who designed the championship course at Fairmont St Andrews, and Irishman Denis O’Sullivan, who at 65 would have become the second oldest winner in the history of the European Senior Tour.

Home favourite Torrance, an 11-time winner on the Senior Tour, turns 60 next Saturday, but his bid for one more victory in his 50s came up just short, as Luna landed his maiden Senior Tour title in just his sixth event.

“It is difficult to explain how I feel,” said Santiago Luna, whose only European Tour victory was the 1995 Madeira Islands Open. “It has been a long time. On a golf course like this, it is very tough to win.”

“Yesterday was very tough with the rain, but I putted so well. I’m so happy to win, especially somewhere like this because it is difficult for me to play here. In Madrid, we don’t have this sort of wind.”

“I love Scotland it is special to win in St Andrews. I feel unbelievable.” 

Luna, whose previous best finish on the Senior Tour was tied eighth in the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open, enjoyed one of his career highs over the Old Course in St Andrews when he beat Woods 71-72 in the semi-final of the 1998 Dunhill Cup, helping Spain reach the final where they eventually lost to South Africa.”

“This is a different story to beating Tiger Woods,” he said. “That one was good, not because I beat Tiger, only because I got my point to get through to the final. That was an unbelievable week with José María Olazábal and Miguel Angel Jiménez. I know that if I play Tiger 90 times he would win 89 times, but that one was mine.”

“I’ve been playing on The European Tour for the last few years and I’ve felt I’ve had nothing to say to anyone because I’d lost my generation, but now I’m back with my generation and it is great to win.”

Picture: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Por REDACCIÓN