Tom Watson bids for the Senior British Open
Tom Watson is all set to compete in the Senior British Open, which will take place at the Walton Heath Golf Club’s Old Course in Surrey, England. The Champions Tour event, carrying a purse of $2-million, is the first of the four majors that will take place
this season.
The 61-year-old veteran, who is known for eight major wins, spoke to the press on Wednesday and discussed his plans for the tournament.
“I didn’t make a double bogey the entire week, and I had a hole-in-one. I will remember that for a long time. You have to drive the ball straight to win here. I was making putts last week that I have not been able to do for a long time. I hope it’s not a
blip on the radar,” said Watson.
The American missed last year’s cut at St Andrews, where the Open Championship took place, however this time he took the field by surprise in the second round of the major. He drove a ball to a distance of 160 yards on the par-3 sixth hole, which bounced
on the field and later rolled into the cup. That was the only hole-in-one of the four-day tournament, which proved the veteran still had it.
Apart from that stroke, Watson made the cut and caught eight birdies in 72 holes against 17 holes. Interestingly, he did not make a single double bogey, which was yet another accomplishment for the player.
Taking motivation from his superb play, Watson said that he was sure about the fate of this year’s trophy. He added that he was putting and his driving accuracy was better than last year.
Watson won the Senior PGA Championship in May, 2010 and this will be his fourth attempt on the title. The course where the tournament will take place is another form of link-styled course.
Another factor that will determine the fate of the game is the weather, which has been forecasted to be overcast. However, considering how well Watson adapted to the conditions at Royal St George’s, mastering the Walton Heath won’t be too much of an ask
for the veteran.
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