AFTER a lifetime of stress, travel and the countless mood swings that come with a career in professional golf, the game's ageing role models would be excused were they to call it a day. Who would begrudge them the quiet life, an opportunity to savour its simple pleasures, and give to their grand-children the time they couldn't give to their kids?

If only it were that easy.

There are 157,918 reasons why John Cook is playing in this week's Senior Open at Royal Troon, and if he is still top of the leaderboard after this afternoon's final round, they will all come after the pound sign in his pay cheque. The American, who was second to Nick Faldo in the 1992 Open at Muirfield, leads by one shot after a 67 in yesterday's third round. His countryman Bruce Vaughan is second on five under par, Argentina's Eduardo Romero third just a stroke further back, while Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer share fourth place on one under.

Langer has earned more than $1.4m on the Champions Tour this year. Watson, who carded a 71 here, has earned more than $10m from the over-50s game since coming of age eight years ago, which helps to explain why he is not at home, painting his picket fence. Not that a healthy pension is their only motivation. Just ask Greg Norman, he of the luxury yachts, private jet and multi-millon dollar business empire. Fresh from his exploits at Royal Birkdale a week ago, the Australian who has more money than he knows what to do with has been at it again on the Ayrshire coast, even though it is offically his honeymoon. Still shadowed by his new wife, Chrissie, complete with Prada bag and designer shades, the two-times Open champion carded a 67 that took him to one over for the tournament.

With all the advances in equipment, golf is one of the few sports that allows players to remain so competitive in their old age. Those who never quite made it first time round have a chance to start again. Those who have been there and done it can keep alive the essence of their being by lapping up a trickle of the adrenaline that used to be their lifeblood. Footballers, cricketers and the rest would all do the same, given half a chance. How they would love to wallow in the perpetual childhood that is professional sport, and avoid the withdrawal symptoms that are prone to manifest themselves in loneliness, depression or even worse. Those in any doubt as to the continued meaning of sport to the elderly should have been on the 11th fairway the other day when a doctor, aiding a spectator who had collapsed, felt the need to interrupt his rescue mission when he saw Watson approaching. “Quiet,” he said. “They are trying to hit.”

The Senior Open has been a gratifying experience for players and fans alike, boasting most of what was good about the previous week's Open, and little of what was bad. The field is stronger than ever, and the crowds well up on last year, although not to the extent that periscopes and step ladders are par for the course. Seldom do the game’s greats have such a chance to be at one with the land, free from the grandstands and TV towers that so often frame these scenes.

And, mercifully, the wind that both made and ruined the spectacle at Royal Birkdale has all but gone. So still and hushed were the links yesterday that there was little to hear but warm ripples of applause, and the click of club on ball. On one occasion, a marshall turned to reprimand chatting spectators, only to find that the conversation was that of two players on an adjoining fairway.

At least they had more to say than a disgruntled Norman. The self-styled “shark” was in no mood to bask in former glories after a four-under-par 67 that could, and should, have been better. It was the lowest score he has posted since landing on these shores less than a fortnight ago, and the best of this week's championship, but it wasn't good enough for the Australian.

Despite fairly thrashing it down the fairways, and finding the right distance with almost every approach, his putter too often let him down. “I’m not very happy,” said Norman. “I just didn’t capitalise on my round. It was the worst score I could have shot.”

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