With the pressures of playing host behind him, a relaxed Simon Khan stormed to the top of the leaderboard on day one of the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Trump International Links.
The 51-year-old, winner of the 2010 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, hosted last week’s Legends Tour Trophy at Hanbury Manor.
He managed a tied seventh finish despite a plethora of off-course commitments but is on track for an even better week in Aberdeenshire.
An opening round of five-under-par 67 gave him a one-shot lead over fellow Englishman Robert Coles and German Thomas Gogele.
Khan said: “Last week was great but it took more out of me than I realised.
“I didn’t do anything until coming up here.
“I played a few holes the day before leaving and that was it.
“I enjoyed last week and the players loved it, which was my main goal.
“This place is amazing.
“Coming here got me going a little bit as I love links golf. This is a classic.
“It is my first time here. You can’t knock the course and the design.
“When people were talking about it you start to think it is going to be impossible.
“Today was a perfect links day.
“If you get 20mph winds and a bit of rain it is a different proposition.”
A flawless round of 67 from our Round One leader, @simonkhangolf 📊
View full leaderboard 👉 https://t.co/mWm8Mw61Vv#SPGAChamp | @TrumpScotland pic.twitter.com/UvcPoPCDjk
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) August 24, 2023
Khan, a two-time winner on the European Tour, says the desire to win tournaments remains just as strong on the senior circuit.
He added: “It is the same feeling whatever level you are winning at.
“That feeling of satisfaction at being in contention and getting over the winning line.
“That is what we probably all still do it for.
“That doesn’t leave you.
“The top players here were always the better players on tour when I was playing.
“I was maybe just below the main guys but whenever you did beat them at Wentworth or somewhere like that it felt really good.”
Robert Coles was delighted with his start at Trump International Links.
By his own account, the 50-year-old has been playing “terrible” in recent weeks after a tied 57th placing at the JCB Championship and a tied 32nd finish at the Legends Tour Trophy hosted by Simon Khan.
But the Englishman, who teed off at 8.25am, led the way for much of the day with a four-under-par 68 before eventually being overtaken by Khan, one of the later starters.
He said: “My form has been terrible over the last month.
“I played rubbish over the last two weeks and I didn’t putt very well.
“It is nice to play well.
“I have been getting in Legends Tour events but I’m not fully exempt.
“I have been quite fortunate at the moment but I know that isn’t long term.
“I know I have to play my way (on to the Tour).”
A good week in Aberdeenshire would be a boost to those ambitions of becoming a regular on the Legends Tour.
A run of three birdies in the space of four holes at the start of his back nine propelled him up the leaderboard.
He said: “I can’t believe the weather. We were in waterproofs and had the umbrellas out at 8am and then it turned into a beautiful day.
“It is as good as you are going to get.
“I tried to stay aggressive and hit driver on a couple of par fours where you have a choice.”
Fellow Englishman Simon Griffiths is another player with aspirations to become a fixture on the Legends Tour.
He suffered double heartbreak in Legends Tour Q School and Champions Tour Q School by missing out on a card by a single shot on both occasions.
Griffiths, who played on the Asian Tour for 12 years, is well-placed after an opening three-under 69 to sit tied fourth alongside Greg Owen, Liam Bond, Michael Campbell and Peter Baker.
He said: “I got my place in the field by coming through a qualifying series.
“There were four events, two in Manchester, one in Leeds and one in Newcastle.
“I have no status on the Legends Tour. I finished sixth at Q School so missed my card by one place.
“It was the same in the US. I missed it by one place there.
“I was pretty gutted but someone always misses by one in golf don’t they?
“That’s just the way golf is. Ever since the game started, someone misses out on something. It’s a cruel game.
“I played in the Senior Open this year and made the cut but couldn’t play the weekend as I had really bad food poisoning.
“Hopefully I can get stuck in this week and get some status. A good week here can change everything. You just have to think like that.”
Defending champion Adilson da Silva started the week with a level par 72 but it was a tough day on the links for two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal who opened with an eight-over-par 80.
