This year’s British Open turned into Tom Watson’s “turn back the clock moment” as he came nearly one shot away from winning the British Open at Turnberry. Watson’s resume was already filled as a golf legend but he created an indelible image of 59-year old man playing one of the greatest rounds of tournament golf that we have seen in awhile.
Watson who pretty much carved his name into golf lore in the 70’s and 80’s gave
himself a chance to win a major in the 2000’s which most of us given the sight of that sentence would have laughed it off as a creative plot from a skilled writer.
Watson conjured up moments that fans and students of the game will remember for a life-time. It’s nice to see that golf is not just a sport dominated by one man for at least one weekend. During the week, Watson effortlessly hit shots onto the fair-way and played arguably one of the best rounds of golf of his career on Saturday going into Sunday.
Then the wheels started to wobble but not fall off, Watson had a chance to re-write history as the oldest player to win a major championship by a full ten years over the previous-record holder. He was one shot away and then reality started to set in as he could not hit a putt from eight-feet out.
He would go into a playoff with Stewart Cink, only to watch his dream slip away as Cink rallied to claim the claret jug as his first major as Watson looked on. In a way, I feel bad for Cink since his first major will be overshadowed by the aura of 59-year old man nearly winning his 9th.
Watson will turn 60 in September, maybe “60 is the new 30.” He played arguably was at the top of his game at 59 years old, outside of Michael Jordan dropping 50 as a 40-year old, this might be the best example of an older player defying the odds to compete with the younger players. It also proves that legends still have something left in the tank after all.
Watson’s wild ride came up short with turning back the clock but for four days in July, he almost did.
Elementary My Dear Watson, Tom’s Wild Ride at Turnberry
