Australian veteran Peter Senior calls it quits

SYDNEY: Australian veteran Peter Senior called time on his long golfing career Friday after nearly 40 years, with “horrendous” hip pain forcing him out of the game.

The 57-year-old, a winner of 34 tournaments worldwide, withdrew from the Australian Open after five holes of his second round, and immediately declared an end to his time on the professional circuit.

“This will be my last professional golf tournament,” he said, adding that he has been struggling with injuries for two years and hurt his hip last week.

“It’s just horrendous, I can’t hit a golf shot out there,” he said.

“It’s no good me being out there annoying the other guys because they’re playing pretty well so this is it for me. I’m not playing any more golf.”

Senior, whose last tournament win was the 2015 Australian Masters, becoming that event’s oldest winner, said it was “a bitter pill to swallow”.

“I’ve had a great run, a great career. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he said.

“I don’t enjoy playing like this. I can’t hit a shot. Every time I hit the ball I get a bolt of pain through my hip.”

While most of Senior’s wins were on the PGA Tour of Australia, he was also victorious four times on the European Tour and three times on the Japan Tour.