Because its a great week when Tiger doesn’t make the cut and Tom Watson makes it to a play off.
TURNBERRY, Scotland — Tom Watson squandered a chance to become golf’s oldest major champion. The 59-year-old missed an 8-foot putt on the 72nd hole of the British Open, then lost a four-hole playoff to Stewart Cink.
Cink won his first major title, but this one will be remembered as the one that Watson let get away when he had a historic victory in his grasp.
He looked his age after a bogey on the last hole of regulation left him tied with Cink at 2-under 278. Watson bogeyed the first playoff hole and fell apart at the third, the par-5 17th.
An errant tee shot, two whacks to get out of the rough, and three putts left him with a double-bogey 7. It was over.
Sure Watson should have won it, but that’s not the point. The point is he was around for the finish and at 59-that’s a great thing in and of itself. Golf is just that way-and it only takes a couple of blow up shots to bring you back to earth.
It was still a great tournament to watch.