Blast from the past

Saturday, July 18, 2009 3:26 pm (Eastern)

By David Barrett

It's been a quarter of a century since Tom Watson last led a British Open going into the final round, but here he is at age 59

The last time Tom Watson had the lead going into the final round of a tournament was in April of 2008. Of course, that was on the Champions Tour. And he had a partner.

The event was the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, a team event where Watson and Andy North had a four-stroke lead entering the final round and ended up winning by one. Oddly enough, Watson will have North walking the fairways with him again tomorrow in the final round of the British Open, which he enters with a one-stroke lead. North is the roving announcer who covers the final group for ABC.

Photo: © Glynn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images Tom Watson is looking to win again at Turnberry 32 years later.

It will be hard for North to be objective covering his good buddy, but he will bring some insight (on Saturday, he correctly predicted that Watson would bounce his approach shot onto the 18th green). But, let's face it, the whole golf world--and anyone who appreciates a great story--will be pulling for the 59-year-old five-time British Open champion on Sunday.

The previous time before that Liberty Mutual Legends event that Watson had a lead Saturday night was just a week earlier, at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, which he held on to win.

This is not the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. This is a major championship, where 59-year-old past champions are supposed to show up, soak up some applause from the galleries for past accomplishments, and go home on Saturday. They are not supposed to threaten to win. In fact, it has never happened.

The last time Watson entered the final round of a major championship with the lead was 22 years ago, when he ended up finishing second at the 1987 U.S. Open at Olympic. The last time he entered within five strokes of the lead was the 1996 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills, where he was four back and finished 13th. The last time he was really close came at this very site, Turnberry, in the 1994 British Open, where he was just one behind after 54 holes. He putted terribly in the final round and finished 11th after a 74.

The best news for Watson is that he is putting well this week, on both the long ones and on the short ones that have given him so much trouble ever since his prime years. The question is whether he can keep it up for four days, a tall order at his age.

The last time Watson led a British Open through 54 holes was at St. Andrews in 1984. He lost that championship to Seve Ballesteros thanks to a bogey on the 17th hole combined with a Seve birdie on the 18th. Many called it a knockout punch to Watson's career, especially considering that he never won another major after collecting eight (five of them British Opens) between 1975 and 1983. The crazy thing is that it's a quarter of a century later, and here he is trying to win another major.

In his career, Watson has led or shared the lead through 54 holes of a major 12 times, winning six. Those were all a long time ago. On the Champions Tour, he's 7-for-15, and the last time he was in this position at a senior major he blew up to a 78 in the final round of the 2007 U.S. Senior Open.

Will he be able to do it at Turnberry? Age and history (no player has ever won a major beyond 48 years old) are not on his side. What he has going for him is his conviction that he can compete with the kids on a links course, his positive memories at Turnberry (wins at the 1977 British Open and 2003 Senior British Open), and the collective goodwill of the Scottish crowd who will be cheering him around the links.

0 comments
_________________________

Click here to signup or login below.
Email:
Password: