It brought back memories of the famous 1977 Duel in the Sun at Turnberry this week at the British Open. Tom Watson, the heir to Jack Nicklaus’s throne beating the Golden Bear that weekend in one of golf’s biggest moments.
This week it was Tom Watson again making an inspired run at the Claret Jug, before thousands of adoring fans. Whoever thought that a 59 year-old fading star, could make such an improbable run at history? Wasn’t this supposed to be just another notch in the belt of Tiger Woods in his quest to break the record of 18 majors held by Nickaus? Fortunately, for the avid golf fan it was anything but that. 
For weeks Turnberry had been lambasted by writers all over the world for being an easy course, that players would rack up record scores for the Open, after all, it was merely a resort course right? Day one seemed to give away that feeling, with many projecting the cut the next day to be at One-under par, with the ease that players were getting around the course. However, on Friday the Irish Sea reared its head, and out of the lion’s mouth came the weather that makes Turnberry such a difficult course to play. It was like the Ailsa Craig out in the distance had reached to the gods in hopes of bringing the nasty weather many were used to. And nasty it was. Fairly calm in the morning, the winds rustled up in the afternoon bringing with it the sideways rain, nature’s true defense of the course.
When all was said and done, mighty Turnberry had taken many of it foes, and sent them packing. Among them, golf’s greatest player Mr. Woods, who would do well to take a course in golf etiquette soon, after watching his childish club throwing antics, and swearing on camera.
Yet, out of the dust came a wily veteran Tom Watson, a Turnberry hero to lead the way going into Saturday. He was closely followed on the leaderboard by England’s great hopes, Lee Westwood, and Ross Fisher, and the man they called the Mechanic, Miguel Angel Jimenez; a man who seems to be always atop the leaderboard when playing in the spotlight. To the joy of the crowds, Watson continued his success, playing the course in such a methodical manner that it was easy to overlook his no-nonsense way of playing, and unflashy shot style. Your heart raced every time you watched him strike the ball, praying that he hit the shot right on target, that the golfing gods would be watching over him, making sure he played well.
And play well he did, coming in Saturday sporting a four-under to put him atop the leaderboard, and a date with Aussie Matthew Goggin, and perhaps history on Sunday.
By the time he had teed off Ross Fisher had moved to the top of the leaderboard at five-under, an inspiring run by the Englishman. But that was soon to falter as a quadruple-bogey at the fifth hole killed any chance he had at raising the jug. Watson struggled off the bat, with two bogeys in his first three holes, but he was able to right the ship quickly, moving to two under going into the home stretch.
He was able to par the 15th and 16th, and then he made his way to the 17th, a reachable par 5. On his second shot he sent a screamer of a wood onto the green, only for it to roll off the back. But he was able to make an up and down, and going to 18, he was in sole possession of the lead at three under par.
With the crowd on its feet, and cheering him the whole way down the hole, Watson made his way to his second shot, which had landed just in between cuts behind the green, a rather unfortunate lie. He was able to get the ball out, but it whizzed past the hole, setting him up with a long par putt. This is where the nervousness kicked in. He hit the putt, or better yet stabbed at it, and the ball rolled just to the left of the pin. The crowd let out a groan, and Watson put the bogey putt in to fall into a playoff with Stewart Cink.
This was the beginning of the end for Watson, as the fatigue kicked into his 59 year-old body. For the four playoff holes, he played a poor four-over par, giving Cink the Claret Jug, in what may have been the quietest winning celebration, in the history of victory celebrations. Aside from a few claps here and there, most everyone was silent and heartbroken, their hero of 1977 had lost in his bid to win the Open, and no one was cheering for the victor.
However, this week at Turnberry should not be looked at as a disappointment, but rather as a fantastic display of golf. It allowed a generation gap to connect as young and old rooted for the old guy to win, a true warrior of the links, walking off into the sunset, it was a feel good story all week, and one that will soon not be forgotten.
