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Tom Watson Jilted at Immortality's Altar

• dorkfeatures 712 Posts

  Mon, Jul 20 2009 5:59 AM

  Hi All,

  So near yet so far. What might have been eh ??

  Bad luck Tom, you played one of your greatest tournaments, but unfortunately came up just short.

  Great Bleachers Report bye the way. Just hit the news link.

  Looks like the course won again though - only 2 or 3 players under par.

  Till next year

  Cheers Doug

• bear40 2 Posts

  Mon, Jul 20 2009 8:08 AM

  I really feel for the guy, I was so pulling for him. All he had to do is land his approach on the green at a18, 2 putts, and out of there! It was tough to watch him struggle through that playoff, I am sure he was spent by then :( Great showing otherwise though, no one could have seen it coming, I tip my hat to one of the classiest golfers of our time. I also love the fact that the course held up well, and no one shot the lights out, the way a major should be.

• TartanArmy 10 Posts

  Mon, Jul 27 2009 11:35 AM

  I was there at the 18th when Tom looked for all the world, that he was going to win it. His tee shot was spot on. I was sitting right level with the front of the green, and much like the old-timer, I was really shocked when what looked like a perfect approach shot, just ran right through and off the back edge. Even then I was still confident he would do it. When he stepped up for his final putt, the only person at Turnberry who wasn't rooting for him was Cink. Sadly it wasn't to be, but this will always be remembered as Tom Watson's Open by many people. Really nice guy who captured our hearts. I'm gutted he won't be back.

• seveking 983 Posts

  Mon, Jul 27 2009 12:05 PM

  Was there anybody in the world supporting Cink?

• lvietri 3,326 Posts

  Mon, Jul 27 2009 1:31 PM

  His Wife

• Faterson 2,902 Posts

  Mon, Jul 27 2009 2:21 PM

  seveking:

  Was there anybody in the world supporting Cink?

  Former Nicklaus fans! There was that famous chip-in on the next to last hole at the 1982 US Open at Pebble Beach, through which Watson took away Nicklaus's record-setting fifth consecutive US Open victory. Nicklaus had already been giving the winner's interviews in the clubhouse at that moment. Here's an article by ESPN's Pat Forde, titled Rooting against Watson, and here's why.

  (Of course, I, too, wanted Watson to win.)