Goggin keen to be major threat at US Senior Open

He’s gone from one of the oldest in the fields in Australia to one of the youngest. But Tasmania’s finest golf export Mathew Goggin is keen to show he can still cut it at the US Senior Open.

Mathew Goggin, pictured at the course at Seven Mile Beach he’s helping build earlier this month, will tee off in this week’s US Senior Open. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

When South African legend Ernie Els spotted Mathew Goggin practising before this week’s US Senior Open he quipped: “what are you doing here?”

The Tasmanian former world no.48, who lines up in the senior major after turning 50 just a fortnight ago feels like his gone back in time as he morphs from one of the oldest players on Australia’s Challenger Tour to one of the youngest.

“I’ve been playing a few events in Australia and I literally don’t know anyone. Everyone’s 20 to 23, there’s no old guys,” Goggin said.

“It’s funny to come out here. It feels like a time capsule, it’s so bizarre.

“I played a practice round with Apples (Stuart Appleby) today and I’ve seen (Greg) Chalmers and Richard Green, a whole bunch of guys.

“I’ve had a bunch of people come to me and say ‘what are you doing here?’. That’s the first thing Ernie Els said to me and I said ‘yeah we’re old, what can I say?’”

Goggin has spent the last few years helping design a new public access course at Seven Mile Beach he hopes will be ranked in the world’s top 100.

But after injuries cut short his career, highlighted by a tied for fifth finish at the 2009 British Open, Goggin is keen to show he can still cut it at the top level at Rhode Island’s Newport Country Club.

He has spent the past two years juggling his Seven Mile Beach commitments with playing a handful of tournaments in Australia, including a third-place finish at Rosebud earlier this year.

“Playing in Australia has really helped and being able to get those competitive juices going, to compare yourself to the young guys and realise if you play well you’re not that far behind,” he said.

“Practising and playing at your home club is great, but until you put a tee in the ground in the US Senior Open or an event like that, that’s where you really find out where your game is.

“(For the past couple of years) I’ve tried to get some invites in Australia and took whatever I could get. It would have been nice to play more, but at least I’ve played some and I can draw on that a bit now.

“I felt like my wrist surgery and the back injury that followed it (golf) was taken away. I still had a few good years and didn’t get that opportunity.”

Mathew Goggin Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“I just love competing, that’s what I realised playing in Australia. I don’t necessarily miss golf when I’m not playing, but I really miss competing.”

His near miss at winning a major at Scotland, where he finished two strokes behind winner Miguel Angel Jimenez, was 15 years ago, but it still costs Goggin some shut-eye.

“The British Open, I think about that all the time still because it would have had such a big impact on my career,” he said.

“I remember an interview with Pat Rafter and they asked how he lost (a final) at Wimbledon, and he still wakes up disappointed.

“They say you won a million bucks and you won these other tournaments, but that’s not how you think.

“It’s the great opportunities you lose that keep you up at night, and they do forever.”

Goggin can lay claim to being Tasmania’s best golfing export, but he’s keen to help the ‘next big thing’ finally come through the system.

“Having a great facility might help inspire some kids, also easy access and a lot of programs,” he said.

Mathew Goggin in action at the 2018 NSW Open. (AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)

“A lot of it also comes down to the pathway once they start showing some promise. “Professional golf is so much tougher to get to now, but it would be great if we even had a competitive state team or we could field a junior girls team.

“Hopefully we can play a part in that. A lot of clubs do a great job in bringing juniors on, and there’s plenty of junior programs happening on Saturdays. But it’s connecting the dots between someone who starts playing golf, then becomes a club member, then has a pathway with good local coaching and programs.

“There’s just not a lot of tournaments for them to get experience, and once the cream rises to the top we don’t have enough to see that happening at the moment.

“I get to go home and play golf with my dad, or my son or nephew. There’s not too many sports like that where it’s for life.”

* All four rounds of the US Senior Open can be watched on Kayo/Fox Sports 505 from 2am Friday morning