Insider: Lyle also a winner in big weekend for Scots in golf

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Sandy Lyle called the final day "gut-turning," but in the end he had the trophy at Mission Hills in China.

It had been a long time. Too long. Nineteen years between victories plays serious tricks on the mind.

But Sandy Lyle endured. What else was he going to do?

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The antidote is to just keep trying, keep grinding, keep looking forward.

When the moment finally arrived two weeks ago in China, it was a little unnerving. Like a pounding toothache.

Lyle began the final round of the ISPS Handa Senior World Championship at China's sprawing Mission Hills complex solidly positioned to end his drought. He had a two-shot lead over Australian Peter Fowler.

"Even the start of the day, it was kind of gut-turning," Lyle said. "A little bit like waiting at the dentist, not knowing what is before you, painful or easygoing. It was a horrible feeling, that I want to get this over with."

When it did end, Lyle finally had his first victory since the 1992 Volvo Masters, his 18th European Tour title. This victory came on Europe's version of the Champions Tour but it made little difference to Lyle when it was, or where, or even how.

"I've always said any win, even on a par-3 course, would be well received in my mind since it's been such a long time ... 19 years," said Lyle, who is winless in 49 starts on the Champions Tour since 2008. "It's happened at least."

That it came in golf's growing hotbed of China with his lifelong adversaries like Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance in the field made it even sweeter. Lyle shot a bogey-free final round 70 over the World Cup Course at Mission Hills for a 12-under-par 204 total, three better than Fowler.

"You wonder after about four or five years whether you'll ever win again let alone nearly 20, so this is very special," said the 53-year-old Scot.

A lot has been made of the fact that two Scots -- Martin Laird on the PGA TOUR and Paul Lawrie on the European Tour -- made it into the winner's circle last week on their respective tours. Less has been made of the fact that the first Scot to win in a fortnight was Lyle, the two-time major champion who next week will return to Augusta National Golf Club where he won the Masters in 1988.

Lyle watched "pretty closely" as Laird and Lawrie won their tournaments.

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"I was pretty pleased to see Paul win in Spain," Lyle said. "He had a little drought (nine years) since his last win. Then you've got Martin Laird in Orlando. I didn't see any of the golf, busy at the airport at the time. It was very character building (for Laird). We know the last few holes can be very tough, no matter how good a player you are. He did great."

Lyle and Laird hook up on Facebook from time to time and they have arranged a pairing for the Par 3 Contest Wednesday at Augusta National, where they will personally congratulate each other on their victories.

Just as Laird got it done down the stretch at Bay Hill, so did Lyle in China. Always a long hitter, Lyle blasted a good tee shot, 330 yards downhill, on the final hole.

"Even then you're still wondering," said Lyle, who was nursing a one-shot lead. "A wedge second shot 140 yards. You can still mess up here."

Those are the doubts that set in when you haven't won in nearly two decades.

He didn't mess up.

"I wouldn't say it was squeaky clean but solid enough that it tells me the game is there when I need it," Lyle said. "I played the last hole pretty solid. No bogeys, two birdies but only because I wasn't holing any putts. One bogey in three days on a Nicklaus golf course."

Lyle, the 1985 British Open champion, started the 2011 season with a runner-up finish in the Handa Australian Senior Open and tied for fifth in the Handa Cup Senior Masters in Japan to take the lead in the European Senior Tour Order of Merit. He knew he was getting close.

"My trophy cabinet has been gathering dust over the years so I feel relieved to get a win and it's even better that it's here in China on this course," he said. "This answers a lot of questions I had about myself."