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Watson owns Turnburry. It's time for them to rename the course after him. At least a hole or putting green or?????????? I've played there 3 times, and other than Royal Dornach, it is the best course in Scotland. Pure magic, with a great Hotel and SPA. And the single malt.............
#1 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:22 PM EDTWhat an inspiration! Over 20 years since his last major win and he can still be second best in the world - not for 1 day, 2 days but for the tournament. That I could be second best in the world at anytime for anything...
#2 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:45 PM EDT"Only second"??? What are we saying? Our culture has turned to value, not heroic effort, but solely winning. Pity that! Tom Watson should not be thought of as having "come up short" but rather admired for having displayed the results of years of hard work and discipline, together with great sportsmanship. Inspiring? YES! Because he beat 155 of the top 156 golfers in the world? No. Because in an era of over-fed sports egos he has reminded us of what a winner really looks like.
#3 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:09 PM EDTYou da man Tom Watson.Humble when being praised , gracious in defeat. Treated the game with respect and competitors in kind. Kids you saw a true role model today. You saw what a better generation was all about today. Thanks for turning back the clock for us. We hopefully are all better for it
#4 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:10 PM EDTwhat a joy to watch this tournament that showed any age can play and win this game.#2 in national open at 59 is remarkable but NOT surprising.e will see him again in this role.
#5 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:14 PM EDTHaving grown up largely in the "Tiger Woods" era of Golf where winning tournaments becomes mechanical, this tournament was a great throwback to the old days where golfing was a craft and game of guts rather than simply hitting the ball as hard as you can with a Callaway Big Bertha.
Tom Watson showed us all even with a new hip and just days from turning 60, the experience of the "old school" of golf on a links course can't be bought or taught, just learned over time. He did blow it on the 18th hole, but his run will never be forgotten by me and probably not by anyone else who watched this memorable event.
#6 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:17 PM EDTAbsolutely fantastic effort by Watson. He'll take the Open next year.
#7 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:40 PM EDTTom Watson had an amazing run at the British open. Period!
Tiger Woods wasn’t there, Phil Nicholson, Sergio Garcia and the list goes on. Clink was and played great and won. Congratulation to him he desires everything he should get. Tom, played great, and won the hearts of countless souls, because, while it appeared to be about an aged golfer, it became about something much bigger. The imagination, the inspiration, that thing that we all believe, that when it come down to it, anything is possible for all of us. Tom proved it was possible for him, and it was, and we cherished the moments and will be forever grateful. When the cup was filled with the final ball, a true golfer’s golfer held his hand out to the winner and a nation held its heart out for him! Tom, thanks, if you can go this far at a the British open, just think how well you can do next time… you didn’t win every tournament you entered when you where in you 20s, why would we expect you to win every one now, and beside it was such a joy and I repeat Joy to watch you play this weekend!!
#8 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:09 PM EDTI think most Americans were glad to see a guy like Tom Watson from the "good old days" make it back into the spotlight this week and almost make history. In a day and time when people like Mr. Watson are no longer in the White House, no longer dominating our sports, and are forced to share corporate board rooms with people who are different, some feel it was good to turn back the hands of time, even if just for a week, to a time when this country was totally by, for, and about guys like Tom. Those were the days when you didn't have to be "politically correct", and guys like "Tom", "Bill", and "Dave" could run the show and not worry about "offending" others. Other people knew their place back then, and it was beneath guys like Tom.
#9 - Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:17 PM EDTThis is one of the greatest inspirational stories in recent times. Here is a guy that played 18 holes of golf at 59 years old, for 4 days straight and was 8 feet short of the movie rights to a story for the ages. Myself - having attemped on several occasions to play 18 holes of golf for two days straight with no international media pressure and on my second day failing miserably - the feat that Mr. Watson accomplished is simply astonishing. He was on the leader board for three days. The pressure building on each day. How do you sleep at night? What are you thinking? The physical and mental toughness it takes to play the game of golf at this level is impossible to measure. The style and composure that Mr. Watson brought to this event at a time when we are all trying to figure out where we will be tomorrow; gives hope to young and old that there is still something out there for us regardless of age.
#10 - Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:44 AM EDTIt wasn't the the last shot (short and right) that breaks the heart. It's the second to last shot...putter from the fringe, a shot Tom's mastered and hit a thousand times. The 'safe' shot. Just get it to within 3 feet and go home, with jug in hand.
So sad. A haunting image. I've never so strongly felt the urge to reach through the screen and shake a man's hand or give a 'man hug'...whatever that is.
You're a class act Tom. Thank you!
#11 - Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:17 AM EDTTom Watson became my favorite golfer the minute I first held a club. While I admit he was on the top of his game at the time (late 70s-early 80s) I've stuck with him ever since and my only criticism of him is I wish he played more Champions Tour events so I would get to watch him more often. It killed me to see that missed putt, but the miss did not diminish the four days of incredible excitement and inspiration he gave me (and many others.)
If I recall what I heard correctly, he has lost his exemption at the British Open upon reaching age 60, so his only chance of returning (unless I'm wrong or something changes) was to win this year. He'll be in the Senior British Open this coming weekend, and if he plays anything like he did this past weekend, they can go ahead and carve his name on the trophy!
#12 - Mon Jul 20, 2009 4:57 PM EDTI would like to say I've been watching golf tournaments for 35 years and this one was the most inspirational I've ever seen. to watch Tom perform at that level is almost unbelievable at almost 60 years old. Tom you may not have won but wat you did do was lift a lot of hearts and remind us that age is just a number .Tom you have always been my favorite golfer and i only wish you the very best in your future and also without you there this weekend they would not have had much of story to cover you was the story.
#13 - Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:45 PM EDTTom Watson has always been my favorite golfer since i started watching golf in the 70s It was great to watch him lead through out the tournament I'm sorry he didn'twin it brought a tear to my eye but he will always be a winner in my book just the way carries himself on and off the course I hope he dose well in senior British this week I know they would have not had much to talk about with out him there this past weekend he was the story . He sure made it a lot more fun to watch. For someone almost 60 to play at that level is amazing. Keep on going Tom!
#14 - Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:37 PM EDTI first met Tom in Kansas City just before he turned pro and rooted for him all through his amazing run from obscurity to fame. It is crushing that he did not win this tournament. I sat through my church service fighting the urge to sneak a look at my cell phone for an update on the match. Only afterward did I learn that he had come up short. But with all due accolades to Mr. Cink, this was Tom's tournament. They will never play another Open there without recalling how brilliantly he played day after day. In the end he missed a putt he could make a 100 times any other time. For any of us who play - and I'm 70 - haven't we all? I salute him for his style, for his low key manner, for the respect he shows the game and his competitors, for accepting even a bad shot without theatrics, and for being as gracious in losing as in winning. Who doesn't now want to shake his hand and wish him well the next time? If anything, I think his stature will be the greater from this than if he had won, for the focus then would have been on what he did more than the character of who he is. He reminds us of what the game is at its best simply by being one of the best.
#15 - Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:15 AM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
Classy, inspiring, gracious - just some of the words I would use to describe Tom Watson.