Notes: Watson hunting for record-breaking win

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• Should Tom Watson claim a fourth title in this event, he would set a new record for most wins in Senior British Open history. He is currently tied with Gary Player for most victories in the event. Player won this tournament at Turnberry in 1988 and 1990 and at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland in 1997.

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Tom Watson won the Senior British Open last year.

• The previous 21 Senior British Open Championships have been won by players from nine different countries. England's Neil Coles (1987), South Africans Gary Player (1988, 1990, 1997), Bob Verwey (1991) and John Fourie (1992), New Zealand's Bob Charles (1989, 1993), Americans Tom Watson (2003, 2005, 2007), Tom Wargo (1994), Pete Oakley (2004) and Loren Roberts (2006), Scotland's Brian Barnes (1995-96), Brian Huggett of Wales (1998), Christy O'Connor, Jr. of Ireland (1999-2000), Australian Ian Stanley (2001) and Japan's Noboru Sugai (2002) have all triumphed in this event.

• When he tied for 34th at last year's tournament, Bob Charles was competing in his 21st Senior British Open. He is the only player to compete in all 21 tournaments and is a two-time champion.

• Since 2003, Eduardo Romero and Tom Kite have posted four top-10 finishes in the tournament to lead all players in that category. In four starts, Romero lost in a playoff to Loren Roberts in 2006, tied for second in 2004, tied for fourth in 2007 and tied for ninth in 2005. Kite tied for second in 2004, was fourth in 2003 and tied for 10th in both 2006 and 2007. He missed the cut in 2005.

• Tom Watson remains the only player in tournament history to win the event with four consecutive rounds in the 60s when he won at Turnberry in 2003. Besides Watson, only Brian Huggett (1998), Christy O'Connor, Jr. (2000) and Ian Stanley (2001) have won a Senior British Open after posting four consecutive sub-par rounds.

• Among the Champions Tour contingent with British Open titles on their resumes who are playing in this week's Senior British Open are Bob Charles, Greg Norman, Mark O'Meara, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Sandy Lyle.

• Mark O'Meara, who won the 1998 British Open at Royal Birkdale and tied for second in this event last year, tied for 30th in the British Open when it was held at Royal Troon in 2004. Sandy Lyle also made the cut in 2004, finishing 73rd.

• In previous British Opens held at Royal Troon, several current Champions Tour players turned in strong finishes. In 1982, Tom Watson won the tournament, but Massy Kuramoto, Tom Purtzer and Des Smyth (all tied for fourth) and Sandy Lyle (tied for eighth) cracked the top 10. In 1989, Wayne Grady and Greg Norman fell in a playoff to eventual winner Mark Calcavecchia. Watson was fourth, and Eduardo Romero tied for eighth that same year. In 1997, Romero tied for seventh. Tom Kite and Watson tied for 10th.