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Nine days after falling agonisingly short of an astonishing victory at the Open Championship, veteran Tom Watson is bidding to win his first US Senior Open.

The 59-year-old has buried memories of his play-off loss to fellow American Stewart Cink at Turnberry in Scotland and has set his sights on clinching a sixth Major title on the Seniors' Tour.

"This US Senior Open is the one I want to win the most," Watson said at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana.

"I've been pretty close a couple times ... and I sure would like to have this one."

Watson has finished second three times at the event but his preparations for this week were set back when he succumbed to a stomach bug while in Britain.

"You don't eat Chinese food in the UK," he said with a smile. "It didn't quite agree with me and I'm kind of down in the dumps right now. My body is, put it that way.

"It's gonna be difficult for me to be properly prepared for this tournament," he added, having opted not to practise at Crooked Stick.

"It puts me on the defensive. I will not have formulated much of a game plan."

In Watson's favour, however, is the superb form he has shown from tee to green over the last fortnight.

He led the British Open at Turnberry by a stroke with a hole to play before losing to Cink in a play-off and then tied for eighth in the Senior British Open at Sunningdale, England on Sunday.

"Last week was a good week from a ball-striking standpoint but I didn't get the putter working very well," Watson said.

"I made an adjustment on the last day and I'm looking forward to putting that adjustment into play this week. That's been my Achilles heel the last 10 or 15 years."

Watson has been overwhelmed by the support he has received since his brilliant display at Turnberry where he was aiming to shatter golf's record for the oldest Major winner, compatriot Julius Boros having clinched the 1968 US PGA Championship at the age of 48.

"The outpouring of communications I got from people all around the world was humbling," he said. "It was warm-hearted, and the outpouring of support was just extra special."

An eight-times major champion on the regular tour, Watson said he had quickly come to terms with the disappointment of Turnberry where he squandered the chance to win in regulation by missing an eight-foot par putt on the 72nd hole.

"Mentally and emotionally I'm fine," he added. "I've always been able to take a defeat or disappointment and make lemonade out of it. Bobby Jones said it right. He said very simply: 'You never learn in victory, you only learn in defeat'."

Reuters