Tom Watson: Old Chap to Beat at 2010 Open?
With the 2010 British Open Championship, also known simply as "The Open," on its first legs this week, it is difficult not to think back to last year’s final battle between unlikely final contenders, American professional golfers Stewart Cink and Tom Watson. Stewart Cink was clearly the underdog with very few wins to his name, but he took The Open anyway.
Tom Watson was an unlikely candidate to be in the final as well last year, but this was certainly not always the case. From the 1970s to the 1980s, Watson was one of the top players in the world and he won eight Major Championships. He was also at the head of the PGA Tour Money List five times. From 1978 to 1982, Watson was the number one player in the world in McCormack’s World Golf Rankings.
As the eighties progressed, he was ranked a few times as second place and once again, almost 26 years since his last Major victory, Watson found himself second place at the 2009 Open. He could have taken the game had he made the par putt on the 72nd hole, but then lost to Cink after a four-hole battle. If he wins this Open at the age of 60, he will be the oldest player to win a Major Championship.
During last year's Open, what was frustrating for most Watson fans was that he was leading for pretty much the entire game. Fans and general spectators alike, however, were mostly just inspired and amazed that the then 59 year-old was so close to pulling in an Open victory at all. For fellow golfers, Watson’s age defiance goes beyond inspiration to encouragement.
Irish professional Padraig Harrington, for example, is at the top of his game but has started to question how long his fifteen minutes can last as he fears hitting the downward slope of passing the midpoint of his career. Fellow golfers and fans alike wanted to see Watson win the Claret Jug, because for him, the win would demonstrate that even when golfers age past their prime and lose what Harrington calls “that buzz,” they can still have big wins and big comebacks.
Watson has currently been teamed up with Japanese teenage prodigy, Ryo Ishikawa, and Harrington for the first two days at The Open at St. Andrews, which could be extended due to an abrupt end on the opening day after dreadful weather hit the greens.
Just like Watson in his youth, Harrington is winning Major victory after Major victory in a short period of time, and like Watson, he is hungry for his next win. Harrington described this similarity between himself and Watson: “I would suggest that’s the case with anyone who wins a major championship…Having won the three that I have, it’s all about winning the fourth.”
One might not think that 19 year-old Ryo Ishikawa could have anything in common with these two older golfers, but that’s not the case. Ishikawa is not only a rising star and therefore hungry for a first Major victory, but he has what Harrington calls Watson’s youthful “rip it and play it from there” attitude.
Team Watson tees off against Team Cink, who is grouped with South African professional Ernie Els and English professional Ian Poulter, to reclaim a victory he has proven himself perfectly capable of winning.
And what does Watson think is even better than being considered a real contender to win the Jug at The Open this year? He tells USA Today how great it feels to have reclaimed younger fans after all of these years: "I've had a bunch of young kids come up to me the past year," Watson said. "I hadn't had any young kids come up to me for years. Back then it was always kids coming up to me saying, 'My grandmother loves you.' But these kids came up and said, 'Hey, Mr. Watson, that was great last year at the British Open.' That's been a wonderful sidelight to what happened."
But does the 60 year-old think he has what it takes to actually win at St. Andrews? "My form is not as good as it was last year, to be frank with you." Watson said. "I'm putting pretty well, but my ball-striking isn't quite where it was last year. I was very comfortable about the way I was hitting it last year.”
In practice rounds, Watson’s game seemed to be doing fine, but only time will tell as The Open goes into its second day today.
St. Andrews requires a thoughtful game and experience can go a long way. Watson may be a bit worn for years, but he notes that he definitely has the experience: "I've got an artificial hip, I'm a little stiffer, I don't hit the ball as far…But I do have a little more experience under my belt."
Can experience and hunger beat out the world’s youngest and fittest golfers on the infamous greens? Maybe not, but Watson continues to inspire at The Open this week.
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