BEFORE embarking on his first round of golf at Close House yesterday, Gordon Brand Jnr could be found at the far end of the academy chipping away on the driving range working on his short game.

He was not the only one, occasionally taking a break and sharing a joke with those around him too ahead of his Pro-Am outing. This is his seventh year on the European Senior Tour, but the 56-year-old still holds the same determination to win events like he had when he claimed eight titles on the main Tour.

And when he tees off his first round in the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship at lunch-time today, he is focused on ending an almost two-year wait for a third Senior Tour title.

Brand Jnr said: “It’s a different environment here I would say, but I won eight times on the European Tour and yet I’ve only won twice on the Senior Tour. I would have to say I have under-performed. A win would be nice and very timely.

“The desire to win never disappears. That’s why you play, it’s because you like to compete and you want to play golf. We want to make the Sunday and hopefully I will be involved because that’s when the real challenge and excitement comes. Being competitive for so many years never goes away. You want to be in with a chance come Sunday.”

Brand Jnr is one of the most decorated names who will be at Close House, alongside the likes of former Ryder Cup players Sam Torrance, Ian Woosnam and Mark James. He celebrated success for Europe in both of his Ryder Cup appearances, but surprisingly holds the memories of another triumph closer to his heart.

“Everybody always thinks it must be the Ryder Cup,” said Brand Jnr. “I was lucky enough to play two in 1987 and 1989; the first one we won on American soil and then we retained the trophy at the Belfry.

“But my highlight was my first Tour win in 1982 at the Coral Classic. I had made the transition from amateur golf and you never know how good you are, how you will adapt to suddenly teeing up with Sam Torrance, Ian Woosnam and the guys you have seen on the telly.”

The Kircaldy-born Brand Jnr has played all over the world, but this week’s appearance on the outskirts of Newcastle at the plush Heddon-on-the-Wall complex is a new experience to him. First impressions are extremely favourable, but all he is focused on is the weekend.

“It’s hilly, so it’s a good job I am reasonably fit!” said Brand Jnr. “We have played Slaley Hall, which is up and down and pretty close to here. I did well at Slaley Hall so hope that’s a good sign.

“The golf course can be irrelevant really, we have played some hilly golf courses. The course is in great shape, the weather is beautiful, so hopefully my golf can match up with it.”

In his first Senior Tour season he was edged out in a titanic six-hole play-off by namesake Gordon J Brand at Slaley Hall, when Brand Jnr eventually flew the green in to a virtually unplayable lie at the 17th.

He said: “That was my first Senior tournament. It was an epic thing. We played the 18th five times and then got on the 17th, someone’s phone went off and it was my bloody phone! I got an eight on a par three and that sorted us right out.

“Hopefully I will be competing again. It is all about competing, we just like being out here because we have very few tournaments. It’s a very good standard and my game is not too bad going in to it.”

* More than 18,000 people have registered for tickets for the event and are available at www.closehouse.com/pgaseniors on a complimentary basis.