Australian Open golf: Peter Senior set to call time on storied career

Peter Senior, the elder statesman of Australian golf, is ready to bring an end to a storied career.

Peter Senior with the 2102 Australian Open trophy, a win he rates the highlight of his career.

Peter Senior has finally had enough.

At the age of 57, he would love to keep going but his body is worn down. Senior, the elder statesman of Australian golf, is ready to bring an end to a storied career.

This week’s Australian Open at Royal Sydney will be the penultimate event of his professional life. The Australian PGA on Queensland’s Gold Coast will bring down the curtain on a career that has transcended eras in Australian golf.

He diced with Greg Norman, then traded blows with Adam Scott. His turned professional the same year Jack Nicklaus won the last of six Australian Opens. He will bid adieu alongside Jordan Spieth.

“I just can’t put up with the injuries,” Senior said yesterday.

“I have a crook hip. The last two years I’ve had everything ... shoulders, elbows and I’m just sick of being hurt. I’m going to give it away after the PGA.

“I’ll play a few of the senior events. I haven’t been injured my whole life and the last two years I’ve had everything.

“Torn rotator cuff with a lateral tear a couple of years ago. That got all right and then I had elbow problems and had to pull out of a few tournaments.

“I got rid of that and had a hip problem because I was favouring one side. Every time I hit the ball it feels like a bolt of lightning goes through the back of my hip.

“This year I’ve had both elbows go. Just last week I hit a ball on the range on Monday and Tuesday morning I couldn’t even get up. I was playing well (at the NSW Open), but I couldn’t even bend over to tee the ball up with my right side. I had to tee it up left-handed. I was suffering big time.”

Senior has been a giant of Australian golf. Of his 34 wins as a professional, 23 have been on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Among those wins are two of the more remarkable in recent history — the Australian Open four years ago at the age of 53 with his son Mitch carrying the bag and the Australian Masters last year at the age of 56.

“I have done pretty much everything I wanted to do,” Senior said. “I think that was the highlight of my career — winning the Aussie Open at 53 against the field there was. And to have Mitch on the bag was the greatest thing.’’

Senior got a taste of life in retirement on his return from the Champions Tour in June. He came home from the US expecting to miss the game but instead, he enjoyed spending time with his wife June and their children.

“I just want to do things that normal people do,’’ he said.