Gordon Strachan admits he will be feeling a mixture of excitement and dread when he tees up in this month’s Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International in Aberdeenshire.
The Aberdeen legend, who helped the Dons to European Cup Winners’ Cup glory in Gothenburg 40 years ago, will be playing in the Wapp Celebrity Series that will kickstart the week’s golf from August 23-27.
Curling star Eve Muirhead, snooker legend Stephen Hendry, journalist and broadcaster Dan Walker and former Scotland rugby captain Gavin Hastings will be among the other celebrities taking part.
Former Scotland, Celtic and Southampton manager Strachan plays off a very respectable handicap of nine but admits he’ll still be feeling the nerves.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to it.
“There is excitement at playing on a top course but there is also the dread at the back of your mind that you are going to be useless.
“It is a strange sensation.
“You love it and hate it at the same time.
“I remember playing golf at Wentworth in front of 25,000 people and apart from getting beat 5-0 by Artmedia Bratislava (during his time as Celtic manager) that was probably one of the worst days of my life.
“I haven’t played the Trump course before.
“I have been invited by John Hewitt and others to go up but I haven’t been able to make it.
“I play most of my golf when I go to La Manga. We have a home there and I played there a week ago with Kenny Dalglish, who also has a home there.
“It’s just the same as football – I get beat by him at golf as well.
“I’m still a nine handicap but I’m not steady.
“On occasions I can play to nine or just below nine but most of the time, 80% of the time, it’s over nine.”
Sir Alex’s golf ban was right call
While Strachan loves nothing more than a round of golf nowadays, it was a past-time that was restricted to a few weeks in summer between football seasons when he was a player as former Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson banned his players from the course.
He said: “Sir Alex never let us play golf.
“I kept that habit throughout my whole career.
“I only played golf six weeks to two months a year in the summer but once the real football started I never played golf.
“Sir Alex wanted to keep all our energy for playing football.
“Whenever I was a manager I never allowed golf during the season.
“I tried to prevent players from playing golf.
“If you said to the players to come back in the afternoon to walk for five hours in the hills with weights on their backs they would think it was mad.
“We’ll call it golf – ‘Oh, that’s OK then.’
“There is plenty of time to play golf when you are finished.
“I think you should keep all your energy for training and playing games.
“I also knew there were players who tried their best to get past it.
“I know for a fact Scott Brown played golf behind my back.
“Paul Telfer was another one but I couldn’t catch them.”
The 66-year-old loves watching the best golfers in the world and has a few favourites he keeps a close eye on.
He said: “There are so many good golfers.
“I like watching Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.
“I was at the Scottish Open last month and I watched a bit of Scheffler.
“My wife and I always liked Luke Donald and we were always interested in how he was playing.
“I liked his mannerisms.
“I was watching Miguel Angel Jimenez on the TV at the Senior Open (last week). He is always good fun to watch.
“I was fortunate to play with John Daly as well and he was interesting.
“I’m a great admirer of golfers – their mental strength and the sportsmanship.
“I love everything about it.
“I think if I had the choice between watching the World Cup final or the Ryder Cup I think I would go with the Ryder Cup.”
Augusta on the bucket list
Strachan admits there remains one course on his bucket list that he would love to get the chance to play in the near future.
He said: “Augusta would be one I would like to play.
“I have been twice. Playing off nine, I think I would be lucky to break 100.
“When people are watching it on TV, I don’t think they realise how hilly it is and how subtle everything is.
“It is a magnificent spectacle. I’d love to play it before I get to that stage when you are only hitting the ball 100 yards off the tee.
“I don’t think I’d enjoy that so I’ve got a couple of years to get there.”
Closer to home, Strachan is a fan of the courses in the north-east and is relishing the chance to finally get to tee up at Trump International Links.
He said: “I played Royal Aberdeen two years ago (in the Scottish Senior Open). We were never invited on when we were Aberdeen players as it was too elite.
“I played Murcar a couple of times and I’ve played Deeside which is nice. I was lucky play with Sandy Lyle there once.
“Trump is one I wanted to play so here I go.”
