Links legend Tom Watson is the red-hot favourite for the Senior British Open crown at Royal County Down today. But just don't tell him.

The man from Kansas City won five Open titles between 1975 and 1983 and now he's looking to add the £500,000 event to his list of eight Major victories.

Winner of the Senior PGA title last year, Watson is playing down his chances on a course he regards as one of the most difficult he has ever played in Britain or Ireland.

He said: "I never go in there and think I am the man to beat. On rare occasions I have felt I am going to win the golf tournament starting off. The way I play golf is to use the old cliché and take it one hole at a time."

A hugely popular figure since winning the 1975 Open Championship on his debut at Carnoustie, he equalled Harry Vardon's total of five Opens by winning at Royal Birkdale in 1983.

He also won the Masters twice - in 1977 and 1981 - and the US Open at Pebble Beach in 1982.

But despite his modesty, Watson knows that he is the man to watch over the famous Down links this week.

"With wind this course plays just about as hard as any course I have played over here. But I hit quite a few quality shots today so I think I am prepared from a golf swing point of view," he said.

"But I don't know the course as well as I need to get to know it and this course takes a while to understand. If the wind changes direction you have a completely different golf course.

"I have had my share of success on links courses but I am not going to say that I am the favourite. There are a lot of other players that can win but I have had a lot of good experiences on these courses."

Defending champion Ian Stanley and Ireland's Christy O'Connor Junior are sure to figure but Watson is the form player, despite missing the cut in the Open at Muirfield last week.

O'Connor in contrast, has struggled to find his best form this year, despite finishing tied third in the AIB Irish Seniors Open and joint second in the Wales Senior Open two weeks ago.

He said: "I would dearly love to win the Senior Open again. And even more so with Tom Watson in the field. That would make it a special victory but we will have to wait and see. Since I broke my leg I have had a few problems with my back and I am not totally happy with my game.

"I'm nearly back to my best but it's going to take more work. It's going to be a long process, and I was told it was. But I think I'm on level par as far as progress is concerned."

Watson's form has been impressive and has made the cut in the Masters and finished seventh in the PGA Tour's MasterCard Colonial on the main US tour.

And although he has yet to win on the Senior Tour this season, he has still managed to record four second place finishes, including a play-off defeat by Don Pooley in the US Senior Open in June.

By contrast, O'Connor has struggled in the US and has failed to finish in the top 20 in the 12 events he has played, earning just dollars 80,000.

Scotland's Bernard Gallacher, Bob Charles, Japanese star Seiji Ebihara and South African John Bland are also fancied to mount a challenge Watson.

But the American star is more worried about how to handle the course than the opposition.

He added: "Most of the holes out there are a lot more difficult than the way they look. The mental game, judgement is critical on a links course.

"Where do you hit the ball? What type of shot do you play and how do you get the ball to the target? These are the challenges."

As for Tiger Woods, Watson feels that the world's number one is uncatchable by any of his current challengers - including Open champion Ernie Els.

"How many Majors has Ernie got compared to Tiger - three to five? Five majors is a big gap to close for any mortal person.

"I think Tiger could be the best players in the game. I know he intends to play at this level and work and play to for as long as he can do it and beat Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 Major and he may very well do it.

"As my friend Lee Trevino says - and he is a very astute observer of human behaviour - all the great players had an Achilles heel. But you can't say that about Tiger. When he came out on tour he had an Achilles heel, but since he has changed his swing with Butch Harmon and he lost his Achilles heel. The only thing that can touch him is a squall. Mother Nature."

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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