Golf is said to be a sport for individuals, but André Bossert is bucking the trend as the Swiss credits his caddie Karl Young for his performances this season, rising to third on the European Senior Tour Order of Merit.
A severe back injury in 1997 forced Bossert off the Tour for three years. He unfortunately missed out on regaining his Tour card after spells on the European Challenge Tour, but has found his feet on the Senior Tour and is on course for a career-high finish on the rankings.
“Karl is a good friend and a great caddie,” said Bossert. “The reason I’ve had success is definitely due to his support. He has been fantastic.
“Because of my back injury, I was forced off the Tour in 1997. I remember Karl caddying for me 15 years ago and we set this goal to get on to the Senior Tour.
“We’ve done that and we’re really enjoying it here. I see that everything is now going in the right direction. You get more options available to you as you start to play better.
“If I have a good finish in Mauritius, there may be some options to play in Japan and other interesting places. I’m very happy with my year. So far, I’ve moved up from last year’s position and I’ve never qualified for the US Senior Open, so I’m definitely heading in the right direction.”
In his first full season on the Senior Tour, Bossert finished 13th in the Rankings after recording two top ten results, adding to a runner-up spot behind Colin Montgomerie at the 2014 Travis Perkins Masters.
He finished eighth in 2015, with four top tens to his name, including a tied third finish at the Acorn Jersey Open.
His breakthrough victory came at Woburn, site of his runner-up to former Ryder Cup Captain Montgomerie, as he beat another former European Captain, Ian Woosnam, to the coveted Travis Perkins Masters title. In doing so, he became just the eighth player to win on the Challenge Tour, European Tour and Senior Tour.
“To have my first win at the Travis Perkins was fantastic. Woburn is probably my favourite course we’ve played on all year.
“I feel as though I’ve been pretty consistent. I had a bit of a lull during the middle of the year, but I’ve brought it back and I’m looking forward to the final event of the season.
“It was exciting in Italy on the final day. I had my chances but, unfortunately, I didn’t have a great putting day. I felt like I let the opportunity slip a little but, overall, I’m happy.”
