There was a spring in the steps of the old dogs at Royal Troon yesterday and there was no doubt that the cause was Greg Norman's compelling performance against the young guns in the Open Championship last week.

The Great White Shark is back in Scotland this week. He had intended using the Open as a warm-up for this week's showdown against boys his own age until it developed into something bigger, ultimately finishing joint third and rising 480 places in the world rankings to No.166.

The test this week for the legion of over-50s contesting the Senior British Open will be similar to Royal Birkdale. Big-hitting is a quality that won't be lost but more important will be ball control and course management. Royal Troon's motto after all is Tam Arte Quam Marte - as much by skill as by strength.

Vim and vigour will help too and two former Ryder Cup captains, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam, spoke in admiration yesterday of the 53-year-old Australian's performance.

"Watching Greg last week was inspirational and I can't wait to get out there," said 54-year-old Torrance, who was straining at the bit on Sunday behind a television commentator's mike.

"It's the performance of a lifetime I've seen, a 53 year-old man leading the Open with nine holes to play, and probably the best finish that major golf has ever seen by Padraig Harrington. It was fantastic."

He might have been pushing the boat out a little with that best major finish remark, but as the Harrington proto-type - he was father Bob's original model long before the Irishman came along for coaching - he can be excused for his enthusiasm.

The Largs-raised Torrance is an evergreen type of guy himself with nine wins as a senior to his credit, and as the local hero he will have no shortage of support.

Woosnam, a mere stripling of 50, had a more measured assessment of Norman as you might expect of the Welsh pocket dynamo, who is currently the European senior No.1 and might regard Troon as his territory on which the high-profile intruder had better watch his step.

"I think some of the old guys can do well on a sea links golf course," he said. "You don't have to be super long, you have to play the course as it is. You could be hitting four irons or two-irons off the tee. It's putting the ball in position and it's learning how to control your ball in the wind.

"I'm not knocking the young guys, but with the modern equipment and everything, the ball goes so high. I used my one iron today and it's amazing how high it flies compared to what it used to do. I've really got to try to hit it super low to keep it down with the new ball.

"I think some of the more experienced and older guys can get around a course last week with the weather being like it is. It's not surprising Greg did well. Maybe just a few shots here or there on the last round just didn't quite go right for him or he could have gone really close."

Was it inspirational though? "Very much so," he conceded.

"I think it can always happen on a sea links golf course. I don't think it can happen much on a US Open course where it's a young man's game now."

It will be the strongest field assembled in the championship's 22-year history. In addition to Woosnam, European major champions include Sandy Lyle, who walked off the Royal Birkdale course in disarray after 10 holes in the first round, and Bernhard Langer who is No.2 to Woosnam, all three making their debuts in the tournament.

In total there are 20 major winners in the field, and chief among them is 58-year-old American Tom Watson who won the 1982 Open at Royal Troon and is going for a double he has already achieved at Turnberry and Muirfield. He will also be going for a record fourth British Senior Open crown having equalled Gary Player's record last year at Muirfield.

Norman, twice a winner of the Open, has played in this tournament just the once, finishing third behind Watson at Royal Aberdeen three years ago, and he will have a ghost to lay this week.

Royal Troon was the course where, in the final round of the 1989 Open, he started with six birdies in a row on his way to a 64, then lost a play-off with winner Mark Calcavecchia and fellow-Australian Wayne Grady.

It is a stellar field, but Torrance was in no doubt that Norman is the man on the perch.

"I should bloody hope so," he declared. "We all saw it. He played great and looked like he turned the clock back 25 years to be honest. He's as fit as a butcher's dog.

"He's been working on his physical health and fitness and he really looks after himself. He's in great shape."