Interview With
Hale Irwin
by Michael McEwan

Life begins at 40, does it? Hale Irwin would beg to differ. You see, despite winning 20 PGA Tour titles and three US Opens in 30 years on America’s main circuit, it was Irwin’s 50th birthday that signalled the start of the most successful senior career in golf.

During a recent visit to Scotland, he reminisced with Michael McEwan about his illustrious career, and the ‘Super Senior’ also revealed his fear that modern technology is going to damage the future of the sport.

Your appearance in the 2006 Barclays Scottish Open earlier in the year was a big surprise as it’s been so long since we’ve seen you in Scotland. What brought you to the ‘Bonnie Banks’?

Well, there were a number of factors. For one, my good friend Lyle Anderson has asked me to play in the event for a number of years but I had been unable to do so because it is opposite the Ford Championship on the Champions Tour and I felt it important to play there. However, this was the last year of that event, which, coupled with the fact that I hadn’t been playing how I’d hoped I might, made me think that perhaps a change might be good. Plus, my wife and I hadn’t been over to Europe in a while and were going up to Skibo Castle the week after the Scottish Open for a short break. I had also never played in the British Seniors Open either until this year. So, yeah, a lot of things came together to take me here.

I imagine you must have a lot of fond memories of Scotland, such as finishing second at Troon in The Open in 1982.

Oh, absolutely! I have great memories of Scotland. In fact, I even brought my kilt across with me when I played the Scottish Open. It doesn’t fit me very well, so I had to go looking for a kilt doctor! It’s in the Irwin clan tartan, which is from the Irvine tartan, and I was presented with it, well, a few inches ago shall we say!

Of course, in America you don’t have many reasons to wear it so I just thought, ‘Well, OK, I’m going to go over to Scotland and find someone to fix it for me’ so if I ever have an occasion to wear it again then I’ll fit in it.

You’ve seen the best that the game has to offer and have played in the same eras as both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Which player would you say was the pick of the bunch, the best of the best?

Well, I’ve never played with Tiger but, like so many people, I have been in awe of his expertise with the golf club and the golf ball. But, you know, there have always been challengers to him. I’ve always liked Retief Goosen and I think Ernie is another guy who’s performed well through the years. Phil Mickelson has made his mark on the modern game, too.