General / Editor / 26 February 2007 /

was 46 when he won his 18th and last major title, setting the record for the oldest player to win the US Masters in 1986.

That victory and the memory of him storming through the field at Augusta on the final day to card a 65 and collect his sixth Green Jacket, is still fresh in the minds of many.

But the older tour professionals have had precious few occasions to celebrate in Grand Slam events since that unforgettable day more than 20 years ago, as new technology, longer courses and younger, fitter players have become the norm for the 21st century.

There have been a few notable exceptions. Ray Floyd, at the age of 47, came agonisingly close to becoming the first player in the history of the game to win a major in four different decades, when he lost a play-off to Nick Faldo at the 1990 US Masters.

And the signs are that the so-called 'golden oldies' could be a force to be reckoned with during 2007 after a fine start to the new year, which has already seen two titles go the way of the fortysomethings.

The admirable Vijay Singh started the ball rolling by winning the season-opening Mercedes Open and veteran Fred Funk picked up the baton at the Mayakoba Golf Classic last weekend to show there is no substitute for experience.

At the age of 50 years, eight months and 12 days - Funk became the fifth oldest winner in PGA Tour history - with the four players above him all achieving their victories in 1975 or before.

Funk's victory was his eighth on the PGA Tour and he used all his experience to defeat Argentina's Jose Coceres in a play-off after being pegged back on the final day.

Admittedly, the world's top 64 players were not competing but, nevertheless, it was a considerable achievement and showed Funk should not be overlooked.

The Florida-based veteran has already demonstrated that fact at The Players' Championship two years ago, when he beat the world's best to claim the biggest win of his career.

While the likeable American will always find the going hard on the longer courses because of his lack of length, Funk comes into his own when the onus is on accuracy. He is fourth in the 2007 statistics for driving accuracy while he heads the table for bunker saves.

Like Funk, Colin Montgomerie is not the longest hitter but he is one of the straightest and he has shown over the last two years that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level, finishing runner-up at both the British and US Opens.

Europe's talismanic Ryder Cup figure claimed his eighth Order of Merit title in 2005 and, while he may have failed to win at least one event last year for the first time since 1993, it would be a mistake to discount him from any tournament just yet.

Monty may be 43 now and not won since the Hong Kong Open in November 2005, but he still feels as fresh as ever and looks sure to be a contender at tournaments where accuracy is of paramount importance.

Realising he can't match the bigger hitters, the Scot has now given up on that idea and is now concentrating on keeping the ball in play, which has consequently made him a more dangerous player.

If he is putting well and can put outside distractions to the back of his mind, Monty has the ability to win plenty more titles and that elusive first Major.

It's significant, also, that he is back working with former coach Paul Marchand in the build-up to this year's US Masters.

Marchand was Monty's coach when he was at university in Houston and he last worked with him in 1999, when the eight-time Order of Merit winner won four times and didn't finish outside the top 20 anywhere in Europe.

If ever Montgomerie needed a role model for what can be achieved in the later years of your career, Singh is it.

The Fijian's triumph at the Mercedes Open in January was his 18th victory since he turned 40 and, when he says he sees no reason why the 43-year-old can't be a winner on the PGA Tour every year until he qualifies for the Champions Tour, it's difficult to disagree with him.

Although Singh was slightly disappointed with his performances in 2006, he still won once and managed 13 top ten finishes while he has the best record of anybody in majors in recent years - not missing a cut in his last 15 Grand Slam events.

His work ethic and appetite for success remains as great as ever, and it would be a surprise if he doesn't win at least one more tournament in 2007.

Davis Love III made a welcome return to the winner's enclosure after a three-year absence at the 2006 Chrysler Classic and he will be keen to add to that success this season.

Fourth on the all-time PGA Tour money list, Love has had his problems with his game since winning four tournaments in 2003 but those now appear to be behind him.

He has already managed two top ten finishes in 2007, while he remains one of the cleanest ball strikers tee-to-green that there is anywhere in the world.

The 42-year-old, whose only major success came at the 1997 USPGA Championship, still has all the ingredients in his game to challenge for the top honours and certainly the length of modern-day golf courses is not a problem to him.

But if Love is to return to the level that saw him a regular member of the world's top ten, he does need to show improvement on the green, where his putting stroke seems to have deserted him for now.

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