Golf FanHouse

Watson, Norman Get British Exemptions

FanHouse Newswire — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:58:00 EST

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) -- Tom Watson's place in the next five British Opens is safe after the Royal & Ancient's decision to change one of its exemption rules.

The 60-year-old five-time British Open champion finished runner-up this year but would have lost his exemption status because of the R&A's age rules. But golf's governing body outside the United States said Monday it has amended one of its rules so that former champions who finish in the top 10 in the previous five Opens get a five-year exemption.

That also applies to Greg Norman, a two-time champion who tied for third at the 2008 British Open.

"We have introduced this exemption as a direct response to seeing two of our great Open champions, both in their 50s, challenging to win our championship these last two years," R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said.

"We rightly reduced the age of exemption for past champions from 65 to 60 two years ago and our intention was never to remove players still at the top of their game from competing in the Open."

Watson, at 59, almost became the oldest British Open champion at Turnberry this year, but he missed an 8-foot putt and bogeyed the final hole before losing a playoff to Stewart Cink.

Next year's British Open will be played at St. Andrews from July 15-18.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Watson, Norman Get British Exemptions originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Major Championships

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA, US Open, Masters, PGA Championship

Tiger Woods won five times in 2009, but for the fourth time in his 13-year career, he was shutout in the majors. That may not be cause for concern for Woods, but it gives fans and the media something to talk about. It also makes the "How would you rank the major championships?" question a lot more interesting.

With only one tournament left on the PGA Tour calender, now seems like as good a time as any to make my case. Obviously, this will be a scientifically rigorous endeavor, and I hope that you would treat the results accordingly. Or don't. Whatever, let's get to it.

In reverse order, the most exciting majors of 2009:

4. U.S. Open, Bethpage Black

Woods won this event in 2002, the last time it was at Bethpage, and there were any number of attractive story lines for the week: Tiger because, well, he's Tiger; New York golf fans' love affair with Phil Mickelson; and the endless heckling by those same fans of a gripping and re-gripping Sergio Garcia.

Seven years later and Tiger was still the most important player in the field, Phil was still looking for his first U.S. Open victory (more than that, he was playing with the knowledge that his wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer the month before),and Sergio had lost the interminable pre-shot routine but had gained the title of Best Player to Never Win a Major.

Yet despite the potential for intriguing subplots to play themselves out, the weather became the story. The first round was postponed and the tournament didn't finish until Monday afternoon. Oh, and Lucas Glover won the thing. That's not to say he didn't deserve it -- he did because he was able to hold it together down the stretch while Phil, Ricky Barnes and David Duval faltered. It's just that the constant downpours interrupted any rhythm a typical tournament develops as it builds to a (climatic, hopefully) Sunday finish.

So I'm blaming this one on Mother Nature.

3. PGA Championship, Hazeltine

I'll be honest: I would have ranked this event lower than fourth had Woods held on to win Sunday. It's not that his March to 19 isn't the biggest story in golf four times a year, it's just that Tiger has so mastered this game that it's hard to get too worked up by his latest "no way that just happened" moment.

And unlike the 2000 U.S. Open where he blew the doors off the rest of the field, or the 2000 PGA where he outlasted little-known Bob May in a playoff, or even last year's U.S. Open when Woods peg-legged his away around Torrey Pines for 91 holes, the '09 PGA was, well, boring.

Woods was atop the leaderboard for the first three days, and after a Thursday 67, he did just enough to maintain the lead for the next 36 holes in the most unexciting manner possible. It didn't affect ratings -- people will tune in just to make sure they didn't miss something previously thought impossible -- but that didn't make it any more watchable after the fact.

And then Sunday happened, Y.E. Yang merrily made his way around the course oblivious to what he was in the midst of. To prove that point, on the 72nd hole, he smoked his hybrid approach shot from more than 200 yards to 10 feet before draining a birdie putt for good measure.

You might argue that Yang's outta-nowhere performance should elevate the PGA to a first- or second-place ranking here. I'd agree except for this: Tiger didn't even put up a fight. He finished bogey-bogey and spent much of the final 54 holes trying to stay out of his own way. Now if he had mixed in a few snowmen on his way to the clubhouse and played himself off the first page of the leaderboard in spectacular fashion, I'd reconsider.

2. The Masters, Augusta National

This was Kenny Perry's tourney to win. He led by two strokes with two holes to play, but finished bogey-bogey. Instead of Trevor Immelman helping him slip into a green jacket, Perry found himself in a playoff with Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera. And two years after holding off Tiger and Jim Furyk at the U.S. Open at Oakmont, El Pato, against a different cast of characters, did it again at Augusta National.

The only thing more startling than Perry's late-Sunday collapse was how Cabrera's final round began. He spun his wheels early, going out in 1-over par. He then bogeyed No. 10 before carding three birdies on his final six holes.

If Cabrera's win was of the slow-motion, come-from-behind variety, Perry's loss was the opposite. It happened in an instant, and everybody -- including Perry -- knew it was over when he flubbed a chip on the 71st hole and couldn't get up and down on the 72nd. Sure, he still had the playoff, but as he stood on the tee box you sensed that he already knew his fate.

It made for slightly more captivating television than, say, Tiger pouting his way around Hazeltine while Yang methodically dismantled him.

1. British Open, Turnberry

I have no idea what the bylaws stipulate in terms of who qualifies for the PGA Tour Player of the Year, but if 59-year-old Tom Watson had won the British Open they should have given him the award on the spot. I'm not one for "instant history." In general, I like to take the long view when comparing amazing feats across eras. But I feel safe in writing that if Watson had somehow found a way -- just once -- to make an eight-footer when it mattered, I'd be the conductor on the "This is the most remarkable story of in recent memory" train.

And that includes Tiger's U.S. Open performance last summer. (Before you get all huffy, Watson didn't win so I don't have to argue that point. Which means that neither do you.)

But Watson missed the putt and headed to a four-hole playoff against Stewart Cink who, judging by the crowd, had exactly three fans on the property, all family members. (I should back up and mention that Watson has won five Open Championships in his career, including 1977, at Turnberry. Scotland has adopted him as one of their own.)

Still, Cink prevailed. Decisively. In fact, the old-timer charged with engraving the Claret Jug after the winner is determined got to work shortly after the two players teed off. On the first playoff hole, Watson hacked his way to a bogey while Cink made par, and the next three holes were an extended victory march. (Or farewell tour, depending on your perspective.)

The notion that a guy nearing his sixth decade on this planet almost pulled off the impossible against players half his age led to the predictable "golf isn't a real sport" vapidity. Call it what you want, but for me it's what makes golf great. I mean, prior to last week, I'm pretty sure nobody had Y.E. Yang staring down Tiger. It's the unpredictability that makes it compelling, that's the point.

Ranking the Major Championships originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Feherty Defends Tiger Woods

Ryan Wilson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA

Despite five wins on the European Tour during his 20-year professional career, most people know David Feherty as the on-course analyst for CBS' golf coverage. He's fantastic at his current gig, though occasionally his political views obscure his television work.

Feherty is in Sioux Falls, SD this week to headline the South Dakota Make-a-Wish Foundation's annual golf tournament (it's his ninth straight appearance), and in an interview with the Argus Leader's Mick Garry he talked about his controversial comments regarding the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader.

More interesting, though, Feherty also defended Tiger Woods' British Open performance.

Not so much the on-course derailment, but Woods' antics as a consequence of his poor play. Shane Bacon documented the atrocities here, concluding that, "... Tiger has billions of people that follow his every move, including a lot of kiddos that would love to be the next Tiger. While Woods isn't exactly the one showing them the proper way to helicopter a wedge down the fairway, he is acting like, for lack of a better term, a baby on the course."

I'm of two minds on this. Woods is the most scrutinized athlete on the planet. Networks regularly televise every one of his swings no matter how many pages deep he might be on the leaderboard. To some it's annoying, but Tiger drives ratings and ratings pay the bills.

But as Shane mentions, like it or not, Tiger's a role model. And the on-course pouting can get to be a bit much. Of course, anybody who has played golf knows that it's an exercise in patience and sooner or later, there's a good chance you're going to snap. It happens every day. The difference, as I mentioned above, is that we don't have cameras in our face after we drop-kick our drive short of the women's tees.

Feherty reminds the self-righteous set to try to keep things in perspective:

"Those critical forget about what he did a couple of weeks before for the troops at the tournament he put on (the AT&T National). All the things he did at Walter Reed, all the things that tournament is about. And he bangs his club here or there? I was fly fishing in Colorado - I didn't see any of it. I've read about it since then. If you play golf for a living and you don't swear or throw the occasional club, you should be disqualified. It's not that kind of a game - it's not meant to be played with all the hushed tones. You're supposed to show your emotions."

Exactly. Yes, I could stand to see fewer Woods' temper tantrums, but it's part of the deal. I suspect he's not changing, so either the networks should limit Tiger's face time, or we should quit bellyaching about the occasional club toss.

By the way, I'm convinced that the loudest critics are also those people who watch golf telecasts with phone in hand, ready to call in any infraction, no matter how trivial. Because, frankly, that's how busybodies roll.

Via Local Knowledge Blog

David Feherty Defends Tiger Woods originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did Technology Help Tom Watson?

Ryan Wilson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA

Tom Watson nearly won the British Open nine days ago. A uncooperative putter -- one that has plagued him for most of his career -- proved his undoing, and the 59-year-old would have to settle for second place and the Greg Norman Treatment.

Last year, Norman, then 53, made a run at the Claret Jug, faded late, eventually tied for third, and spent the next 12 months accepting congratulatory wishes for the moral victory. There are worse ways to transition to the old-timer's circuit.

Amid all the back-slapping we've been treated to any number of explanations for Watson's success, despite his advanced age: a golf landscape devoid of talented young players, Watson's Open Championship experience (particularly at Turnberry), his shiny new hip, so and and so forth.

One thing we haven't heard, though: how advances in equipment helped him get around the course more efficiently than all but one other player in the field. GolfWorld's Mike Stachura writes that Watson's bag 22 years ago (the last time he "seriously contended on Sunday in a major"), looked wholly different from the one caddie Neil Oxman was lugging around Scotland a week and a half ago.

[In 1987], Watson carried a persimmon driver (Ram TW 805) with a True Temper Dynamic Gold X-300 shaft that was 43 inches long. ... And the head size was about 150 cubic centimeters. His irons often included a 1-iron and always a 2-iron. Those Golden Ram Tour Grind forged blades also utilized a heavy steel shaft to go with a center of gravity location that was at least four-fifths of an inch up the clubface and just a little toward the heel. And let's not forget about the Golden Ram Tour 100 ball Watson played, a wound, balata ball designed to accentuate spin first, distance second.

(For those of you who aren't into golf equipment minutiae, today's drivers are 460ccs. Just a slightly bigger sweet spot.)

Now Watson's bag is filled light-weight composites and oversized clubheads. Which means mis-hits are minimized, distances are maximized, and a guy nearing his sixth decade on this planet can compete with players half his age. And Watson concedes as much.

"Has anybody here taken an old persimmon head driver and hit it recently?" Watson asked at Turnberry before the tournament. "I couldn't hit the sweet spot if it saved my butt. No way I could hit the sweet spot. They have that big old thing about like that, and you swing it as hard as you can, and if you mis-hit it off center it still goes out there. It makes you sloppy. The big-headed clubs make you a little sloppy."

During the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry, Watson hit 1-iron, 7-iron (to two feet) on the 72nd hole on his way to victory over Jack Nicklaus. Against Stewart Cink last week: hybrid off the tee and an 8-iron over the green. Equipment, clearly, is the great equalizer. Except...

... Everybody benefits from the same technology. And it doesn't matter how many hip replacements Watson has, he's not in better physical shape than most of the golfers in the field at Turnberry. So when Stachura writes: "... while Watson did nearly everything right at the British Open last week, it was his use of modern technology that may have been just as significant in his near victory," I tend to think it was mostly the former since everyone had access to the latter.

More anecdotal evidence: it's not like over-50 set is regularly running roughshod over the world's best players; it's a rare occurrence, maybe once a season. Either technology is streaky, or once-great players in the twilight of their careers occasionally catch lightning in a bottle. I'd like to think it's resurgent old-timers reveling in past glory, if for only a week. It makes for a more compelling story.

Did Technology Help Tom Watson? originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greg Norman Leads Senior British Open

Shane Bacon — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, Champions Tour

Around this time a year ago, Greg Norman was the golf story. A ripe 53 years old, Norman plotted around the links at Royal Birkdale for three days in the lead of an Open Championship, trying to capture his third major championship victory.

You all know the story. Norman faltered in the final round, shooting a 7-over 77 to lose to Padraig Harrington by six shots. A year later, the Shark is at it again, leading the Senior British at Sunningdale Golf Club after a third-round 64 allowed him to jump Fred Funk. Norman is a shot ahead of Funk at 10-under with 18 holes to go for his first ever Champions Tour win.

That stat can be misleading. Norman has avoided playing even sparingly on the Champions Tour, but when he has, he's been successful. After the near-win at last year's Open, Norman finished t-5 at the Senior British and fourth at the Senior U.S. Open.

Norman will have to take down Funk, who opened the tournament with rounds of 64-65 before coming back to the field on Saturday with at 2-over 72. Loren Roberts is also tied with Funk at 9-under, with Denis Johnson a shot back at 8-under.

The big story last week at Turnberry was Tom Watson, who started the week with some hope at Sunningdale. Watson's 67 on Thursday was surprising considering all he'd gone through the last few days, but he has struggled to go low enough to stay with the leaders. A Friday round of 69 was followed by an ever-par round of 70 to have the five-time Open winner six shots back of the lead.

Greg Norman Leads Senior British Open originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watson Shoots 67 at Senior British Open

Ryan Wilson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: British Open

On Monday, hours after losing the British Open in a playoff to Stewart Cink, Tom Watson (don't know if you heard, but he's 59 years old) hopped a flight to make the short trip from Turnberry, Scotland to Sunningdale, England to prepare for the Senior British Open.

Last year, then 53-year-old Greg Norman logged a third-place finish at the British before tying for fifth at the Senior British. And through the first round, Watson is on a similar path. He's currently tied for sixth, three shots behind leader Fred Funk, after signing for a 67. (Interestingly, Norman also shot 67.)

"I made a few early putts maybe I shouldn't have made and I missed some I should have made," Watson said. "I had birdie chances on the last four holes but didn't make them. It was a good score. Maybe it could have been better," Watson told the Associated Press.

Of course, the conversation is never far from the eight-footer he didn't come close to making on the 72nd hole last Sunday. And Watson talked about that, too.

"I don't want to [see a replay of that putt]. That was the ugliest stroke in the world. I don't want to relive that thing," Watson said, before admitting he initially wanted to play it over again. "Then I said, 'To heck with it. That's history. That's over and done with.'"

Doug Sanders feels your pain, sir. (Except the part about Watson having eight majors to his name and Sanders having none.)

Whatever, Watson tees off tomorrow at 1:50 PM local time, and if you're in the States and in the mood for some early-morning golf viewing, TNT will start their coverage at 9 AM ET. It'll be just like the British Open but without Curtis Strange. Until the weekend, anyway.

Watson Shoots 67 at Senior British Open originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charles Barkley Calls Tiger Woods 'More Impressive' Than Michael Jordan

Ryan Wilson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA

Charles Barkley took time out from his busy schedule of holding down last place at the Lake Tahoe Celebrity Championship this past weekend to talk about two of his best buds: Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Tiger had just missed the cut at the British Open, and Jordan was competing in the Lake Tahoe event.

When asked about Woods' early exit at Turnberry, Sir Charles explained to the Arizona Republic that, "It bothers me right now that people make such a big deal out of that. He missed one other cut in a major, and that was after his dad died. So that doesn't really count. And to go 13 years and miss one cut in the majors has to be one of the most remarkable achievements out there. That's really impressive. And it shows you the stupidity of certain people who are questioning him."

I can't disagree with any of that, especially the last part. Of course, that doesn't keep the "FIRE HANK HANEY!" nutjobs from spreading the word.

Barkley was also asked to compare Tiger and Jordan:

"I think Tiger is more impressive. He has to play against 130 guys or more every week. He can't control what other people are doing. He can only do his thing. They're the two greatest athletes I've seen in my generation. For me, it's cool to have competed against Michael and watched Tiger in his prime."

Wow. I'm not sure where I stand on this because I've never really thought about it. Yeah, sure, Tiger routinely beats 130 guys when he tees it up, but let's be honest: 115 of them had no chance heading into the tournament. Not physically -- just about everybody hits it 300-plus off the tee and can get up and down from 100 yards, no problem -- but mentally.

Jordan, to an extent, was able to control others around him, but there's only so much you can do with Stacey King and B.J. Armstrong, even as the best player on the planet. In that sense, MJ was on his own, especially when you consider all the double-teams he regularly faced.

Ultimately, Barkley comes to the right conclusion: "They're the two greatest athletes I've seen in my generation." I think we can all agree with that. Well, most of us, anyway.

Charles Barkley Calls Tiger Woods 'More Impressive' Than Michael Jordan originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adams Golf Missed Marketing Opportunity With Tom Watson

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA

On Tuesday, the Dallas Morning News' Eric Torbenson wrote that "Tom Watson's inspiring runner-up finish at the British Open on Sunday could turn into a big win for Plano's Adams Golf Inc." Adams Golf has sponsored Watson for a decade, and the 59-year-old's showing at Turnberry was probably the most exposure the company has ever received.

"Our name was everywhere - on SportsCenter, on televisions internationally. A lot of people don't even know who we are or that we're in Dallas, but I think they do now," Chip Brewer, Adams' president and CEO, told Torbenson. Brewer also called Watson "the face and soul of the company," which I don't doubt.

But as CNBC.com's Darren Rovell writes, Adams Golf could have done a much better job of capitalizing on the unexpected exposure. Instead, after the company's stock increased 18 percent leading into last weekend, it was down down sharply yesterday. Rovell writes:

... Perhaps because the people who might have bought stock in the company are finally realizing that sitting and clapping probably isn't the best way to cash in on your association.

I'm not sure what their budget is but found it pretty remarkable that Adams Golf didn't have a single ad for Watson (see The Greenbrier's full page ad in USA Today).

If that were too expensive, maybe they would have given him a special hat to play in Sunday's final round.

Rovell also points out that Adams Golf could have updated their Web site "to do some sort of Watson flash on the front of their Web page." That didn't happen either.

It's about taking that association and doing something more with it. Nike knows that. Hours after Stewart Cink bested Watson their golf site had an array of products to offer out of Stewart's bag.

This is a perfect example of how a company decides to market their product is so important. There's no way Stewart Cink should be "more popular" -- at least in terms of merchandise moved in the hours and days following his British Open victory -- but that's the difference between having Nike or Adams Golf as your sponsor, I guess.

Ten years ago, SeeMore putters saw sales go through the roof after Payne Stewart made a putt to win the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. No telling how many more putters SeeMore would have moved if they had an internet presence, but that's the difference between 1999 and 2009. Too bad Adams Golf missed out.

Adams Golf Missed Marketing Opportunity With Tom Watson originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Making the Cut: Cinking In

Shane Bacon — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:38:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA

Each Wednesday during the golf season, FanHouse will list the top five names in golf and why they're important. Did Barack play 18 with Tiger? Did a certain player do something controversial off the course? Or was just playing golf enough to get the pot stirring? Join us for a weekly feature we call Making the Cut.

5. Rick Rhoden -- Who said 50-year-old golfers can't win the occasional golf tournament? Rhoden, 56, claimed his eighth (8th!) Lake Tahoe Celebrity Championship last weekend, beating out Dan Quinn and Tony Romo. As Ryan pointed out after the victory, Rhoden has earned more in his "celebrity" golfing than he ever did during a season as a major league baseball player.

4. Hank Haney -- This quote basically has summed up the past week of Haney -- "I'm really worried about Hank [Haney]. Between Tiger and myself, he might kill himself." That came from the lips of Charles Barkley, and if anyone should be nervous, it is the famed instructor in charge of the most famous swing in golf. Tiger Woods has seemed to struggle with his swing all season, even during wins, and it all hit the fan at Turnberry. Sure, even Tiger deserves a break when he has a bad week, but can Haney stick around if Tiger can't find his groove anymore? Time will tell.

3. Bo Van Pelt -- If I told you Bo Van Pelt won on the PGA Tour last week, you might think I was crazy. Well, he did, at the U.S Bank Championship in Milwaukee, site of the "other" tournament going on during British Open week. It was Van Pelt's first PGA Tour win in 229 starts in his career, and he needed a birdie on the second playoff to claim it. It might not have starred any of the top names in the game, but Van Pelt had to beat out the likes of John Mallinger and Jerry Kelly to claim the victory, a large feat considering the success those two have had.

2. Tom Watson -- Probably the golf story of 2009 so far, Watson was one shot away from winning a major championship two months from his 60th birthday. While he didn't win, he sure did kick up the "is golf a sport" conversation, one in which my coworker absolutely killed on Tuesday. If Watson wasn't the best British Open golfer before this week, he sure is now, and I'm not really sure there is any comparison. If Watson makes par on 18, he would have won a British during the Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods era. You can't argue his ability to play links golf.

1. Stewart Cink -- How influential is Twitter in Stewart Cink's life? I actually got an e-mail from my mom asking if I followed him on the social site. Since the victory at Turnberry, Cink has tweeted pictures of Guinness-drinking from the Claret Jug, how he fit the Claret box in his overhead compartment and what the top-10 list looked like before his appearance on David Letterman. Needless to say, it appears Cink is really enjoying his latest piece of hardware.

Making the Cut: Cinking In originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tom Watson Will Probably Decline PGA Championship Invite

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA, PGA Championship

A year ago, Greg Norman finished third at the British Open after leading the tournament through 54 holes. He then earned a top-5 finish at the Senior British Open the following week.

His out-of-nowhere showing at Royal Birkdale was enough for the PGA Championship to extend him an invitation. Partly because of his performance in Europe, but also because Tiger Woods was rehabbing a bum knee and Norman could help counter floundering television ratings.

He ultimately declined, Padraig Harrington went on to win his second major in as many months, and ratings were predictably awful.

Tom Watson lost to Stewart Cink in a playoff last week at Turnberry, good for second place. It wasn't enough to automatically qualify for next month's PGA Championship, but like Norman, he will likely be extended an invite. Also like Norman, it sounds like Watson will take a pass. Via the Associated Press:

Told that it would be nice to see him win the PGA and complete the career Grand Slam, Watson chuckled and said, "Right now I wouldn't hold my breath that I'm going to be playing the PGA. ... There are certain courses that you can play and that you can compete on and do well," Watson said. "Not all of them, but there are certain ones. And Turnberry was one for me."

Watson talked last week about how he found Augusta National nearly unplayable. And Hazeltine, site of the PGA Championship, will measure more than 7,600 yards with three par-5s greater than 600 yards, which might play a role in his decision.

Japan's Ryo Ishikawa and former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman have already received invites, and PGA of America spokesperson Julius Mason told the AP the rest of the exemptions wouldn't be decided until August 3.

So for now, Watson prepares for the Senior British Open and we'll know something for sure in two weeks.

Tom Watson Will Probably Decline PGA Championship Invite originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cink Reads Top-10 List on Letterman

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:55:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA

As is customary, the British Open champion appeared on Letterman to read a golf-themed Top 10 List. Last night, Stewart Cink did just that after quite possibly the most randomly awesome introduction from Paul Shaffer and the band. (Because, really, nothing screams professional golf like 'N Sync.)

As someone who routinely shoots in the 90s, and isn't afraid to lose a half-dozen balls in the process, let me just say that I will be incorporating No. 9 into my game immediately: "Instead of 'fore', I often yell, hit the deck, losers.'"

Also money: No. 6: "I called Tiger Woods last night, I laughed, I hung up."

As the first hardcore Twitterer to ever win a major, I suppose it makes sense that Cink documented it all via his Twitter machine.

Cink Reads Top-10 List on Letterman originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Golf a Sport? Who Cares

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA

For 71-and-a-half holes, 59-year-old Tom Watson was Turnberry's best golfer. A two-putt bogey and four forgettable playoff holes later, Watson was a 59-year-old British Open runner-up. Stewart Cink, 23 years Watson's junior, had played flawlessly down the stretch and finally captured his first major.

In the aftermath of what almost was, Watson has been hailed as a hero, his performance a reminder that age, if just for a week, can be a state of mind. God forbid we leave it at that. The fact that someone who has been on this earth for almost six decades came within one shot of winning one of the toughest tests in golf can only mean one thing: it's not a sport.

At least that's the tired, cliche-riddled arguments you'll get from certain media folk every time an old-timer has a good showing. Because, you know, it happens almost weekly.*

CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman, using faulty logic and not much else, offers this:

This story might be inspirational but for the sport of golf it should also be mortifying. Actually, it's a tad embarrassing. What does it say about a sport when it takes a playoff round to finally beat Watson despite Watson's age?

It says golf isn't a sport, that's what it says. Thank you, Mr. Watson, for finally providing irrefutable proof.

Freeman then writes that, "There are no 59-year-old running backs, outfielders or point guards because the level of athleticism is so extreme in those sports that if someone Watson's age tried to play them they'd get broken into tiny pieces." Before hedging: "here are older professional athletes of course. The NHL's Chris Chelios is 47 and Dara Torres won three Olympic silver medals at 40. Yet there is still a tremendous difference between 40 and 59."

What about 47 and 59? So this is what passes for irrefutable evidence? Really?

Look, I'm fine if people don't think golf is a sport. I suspect that when Scottish shepherds started knocking stones into rabbit holes back in the 12th century, they weren't clamoring that this new past time be classified a "sport." Because, well, there weren't any sports 900 years ago. But it is a game with rules that requires skill and focus.

So if Freeman and others want to get caught up in semantics, have at it. But that doesn't change the fact that Watson has devoted his life to the game, spent thousands of hours perfecting his craft, and that when it's all said and done, he will be one of the best golfers to ever tee it up.

That he almost accomplished the impossible nine years after he graduated to the Champions Tour isn't an indictment of the game. It's an exceptional feat, a memorable moment in golf history. Oddly, I don't remember a lot of bellyaching when Jack Nicklaus won the 1986 Masters at the age of 46. Then again, Chelios is 47, so Jack didn't qualify as old using Freeman's made-up age limit.

Blogger Stephanie Wei defends golf as a sport and makes a good point:

Consider the position of DH in baseball. I love Edgar Martinez, but in the last few years of his career he was basically limping his way around the bases. He could still hit the ball decently up until he retired at the age of 41 - it was because of his consistent swing and excellent hand-eye coordination. Kind of like golf. So does that mean a DH isn't a "real" athlete?

I can only assume that Freeman wrote this column tongue-in-cheek because it's an inane argument. Which leads me to this? Why? Why waste his time and ours on this?

This is the only thing I can come up with: it was easy, and it would rile up the "golf is a sport" crowd. Here's the thing: call it what you want, I don't care. It's a game with rules that requires much more skill than it takes to tap out a few unoriginal thoughts in the name of spike being contrarian and a few more page views. Hey, you can't have John Daly sue you and lose every week.

* it almost never happens

Is Golf a Sport? Who Cares originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Major Championship Disappointments

Shane Bacon — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, US Open, Masters, PGA Championship

With the 2009 British Open in our rear view, a lot of talk is about what could have been. A 59-year-old man had a chance to win a major championship against the best golfers in the world, and was one swing away from doing so. So, where does this tournament rank in major championship disappointments? Take a look and see ...

Ken Venturi's 80 at the 1956 Masters -- Before Kenneth Venturi made a name for himself as golf broadcaster, he was a pretty good stick. Good enough that, in 1956, as an amateur, Venturi found himself leading the Masters by four shots heading into the final round. Venturi would eventually shot 80 on Sunday, missing out on a chance to become the only amateur ever to win the Masters. Jack Burke Jr. claimed the green jacket that year, coming back from eight shots on the final day.

Arnold Palmer's 1966 U.S. Open Collapse -- The year was 1966, and the King was going through his longest drought without a major since his first win, at the '58 Masters. After a tie for fourth at the '66 Masters, Palmer went to the Olympic Club in hopes of claiming his second U.S. Open title. Seven shots up with nine holes to go at the majestic San Francisco course, Palmer faltered, leading to an 18-hole playoff that was eventually won by Billy Casper. Palmer never won another major championship.

Tom Watson's Miss at Career Grand Slam -- Watson has won eight major championships, but never a PGA Championship. That could have been erased in 1978, when he took a four-shot lead into the final round at Oakmont, only to shoot a 2-over 73 and find himself in a three-man playoff. John Mahaffey ended up with the Wanamaker Trophy, and still holds the record for biggest comeback in PGA Championship history.

Greg Norman's 1996 Masters -- Sometimes, a picture can say everything you need to know about that fateful Sunday at Augusta, and here it is. Up six shots with 18 holes to go at the Masters, Norman looked like he'd finally break through at a tournament he'd finished in the top seven times prior. The Shark ended up shooting a final round 78 to lose to Nick Faldo by five shots. Not only was this my first golf memory as a kid, but watching him collapse was one of the tougher things any golf fan has ever watched.

Jean Van de Velde -- Not a lot of sports moments can make you think directly to that time by just the person's name -- Billy Buckner. Steve Bartman. David Tyree. Jean Van de Velde is the golf version. The 1999 British Open had everything you'd ever want in an epic collapse, including a playoff you knew wouldn't be won by the victim. Up three shots on the field after basically dominating the toughest golf course in the world, the unknown Frenchman stood on the 18th tee at Carnoustie with a golfer's dream -- a double-bogey to win the Claret Jug.

You know what happened next. Van de Velde decided to pull driver off the tee, pushing it 30 yards right of the fairway. Instead of chipping out into the fairway, Van de Velde, who appeared to have killed his caddie, decided to go for the green. I've played Carnoustie. The only hole tougher than 18 in Scotland is the 17th. Nobody in their right mind would ever do any of this. His second shot hit the grandstands, bounced off some bricks around the Barry Burn, and ended up in the rough. On his third shot, Van de Velde tried to hit it out the rough, only to find the burn.

The lasting image came next, as Van de Velde rolled up his pants, took off his shoes and looked like he might try to hit the half-submerged golf ball. He eventually took a drop, hitting his fifth shot into a bunker. Needed to get up and down just to make the playoff, Van de Velde hit out of the bunker to eight feet and somehow, heroically, made the putt. That was all for naught, as he lost in the playoff to Paul Lawrie.

Just typing all that out makes me feel bad for the guy, who famously said after, "Maybe next time I'll hit the wedge," he said. "And maybe you will all forgive me."

Phil Mickelson at Winged Foot -- It looked like we were well on our way to the Lefty Slam back in 2006, when Mickelson arrived at Winged Foot. Fresh off his second Masters victory and second consecutive major championship, Lefty had his game together. Rounds of 70-73-69 were good enough for a share of the lead heading into the final round, where Mickelson would be paired with Kenneth Ferrie.

Lefty made three birdies on Sunday, and was standing on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead, needing a par to tie and a bogey to win his first U.S. Open. Phil inexplicably hit a tee shot so far left off 18 that it caromed off a merchandise tent. If that wasn't bad enough, Mr. Gamble himself tried to hit a punch-cut long iron, only to catch a branch. Four shots later Phil was tapping in for double-bogey, famously saying after, "I am such an idiot."

Sergio Garcia, Carnoustie in 2007 -- From the start of the week at Carnoustie, Sergio Garcia looked like he'd be claiming that first major championship we had all expected for years. The Spaniard burst on our golf radar in 1999 at the PGA Championship, where he famously dueled with Tiger Woods only to eventually lose to his Swooshness.

Garcia had since struggled with the spotlight, but an opening round 65 at Carnoustie in '07 was music to golf fan's ears. Sergio continued to dominate the course some call Car-Nasty, making just three bogeys in his first 54 holes. Heading into the final round with a three-stroke lead, the tournament looked to be his.

On the front nine on Sunday, Sergio was downright nervous, make three bogeys in four holes before making up with consecutive birdies on 13 and 14. With Padraig Harrington making a move, Garcia needed to keep making pars, but a bogey on 15 looked like the end to Garcia's run. That was, until Padraig made a double-bogey on the 18th, leaving the door open for a Sergio par and the victory. Blaming just about everything but the Goodyear blimp, Garcia couldn't cash a 10-footer for par, losing in a playoff to Padraig. Also, Garcia took "being gracious in defeat" to an inexplicably low level.

Tom Watson at the '09 British -- It was the story that you're now probably sick of hearing. A 59-year-old past Open champion making a run at a course he made famous in 1977. A storybook moment for sure, Watson needed just a par on his final hole to take home his sixth Claret Jug.

Deciding between clubs, Watson picked the 8-iron, and as fate has it, was victim of the type of golf that he has always dominated. The shot landed on the green, but would never bite, bouncing over the green and leading to a three-putt bogey. Watson would eventually lose to Stewart Cink a playoff, having us all wonder, "What could have been?"

Major Championship Disappointments originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Tiger Woods Plays Poorly, Talk Turns to Hank Haney's Job Security

Ryan Wilson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: British Open, PGA

It doesn't matter how well Tiger Woods has previously played, or how many top 10s he has logged, when he has a poor week -- especially if that somehow includes a missed cut -- the reaction is predictable: Tiger needs to a) fix his swing and b) jettison Hank Haney for good measure.

I can't disagree with tightening up his swing -- Tiger looked like a 4-handicapper at Turnberry -- but Woods continues to support Haney, at least publicly. Skepticism remains (via Gold Digest's Local Knowledge blog):

Within hours of Tiger Woods missing the cut, there was already speculation that he ought to consider a serious talk with his swing coach, Hank Haney. Although Woods has gone out of his way to diffuse it, it's a line of thinking began after the Masters. BBC analyst Mark James offered the same Woods-Haney critique after Woods missed the cut here. Even though Woods worked with Haney the week before Turnberry, had said on his Web site that he and Haney were good and Woods had won at Congressional in his last tournament before he got here, the Haney Rumor Wagon is probably going to be getting new wheels.

No idea if Haney is on the outs. Since joining Woods in early 2004, Tiger has six major victories in 20 events (.300 winning percentage). That's slightly better than the 8-for-28 (.286) he managed while working with Butch Harmon.

So maybe it's not as dire as some folks might have you believe. I mean, just prior to Bethpage, Tiger steamrolled the field at the Memorial, hitting 14-of-14 fairways during the final round (and 47 of 56 for the week). Nobody's was talking about Haney's job until, well, Tiger only managed a top 10 at the U.S. Open two weeks later.

For all the concerns about the state of Tiger's golf swing, best bud Mark O'Meara seemed unfazed by the missed cut:

"I would tell you that I played with Tiger on Tuesday and it was as good as I've seen him hit the ball and prepare for a major championship," O'Meara, 52, told Reuters.

"As much as anyone I was shocked (when he missed the cut). It just goes to show you that even if we think that Tiger Woods is not human, he is human. ... I don't think that we need to worry too much about him. He's going to be just fine."

I think that's right, but that doesn't mean we won't be inundated with breathless "How can Tiger fix his swing before Hazeltine!?" stories. So there's that.

In the meantime, just something to keep in mind, courtesy of BBC golf analyst Peter Alliss: "It's very difficult to criticize Tiger. He's just had a bad week. He didn't play very well but it's only about the fifth bad week he's had in 13 years. He will regroup and come back and probably win another couple before the end of the year. ... I think his problems are quite small, but he's won all these things without any help from me."

When Tiger Woods Plays Poorly, Talk Turns to Hank Haney's Job Security originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British Open Ratings Up From '08, Still Low by Historical Standards

Ryan Wilson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: British Open

Tiger Woods' 2008 season ended promptly after he peg-legged his way around Torrey Pines to win the U.S. Open. He had reconstructive knee surgery and didn't return to the PGA Tour until this February. Predictably, television ratings plummeted, even with Padraig Harrington successfully defending his British Open title before winning the PGA Championship a month later.

Good news: Woods missed only his fifth professional cut at Turnberry last week, but ratings for ABC's final-round coverage was up from the year before. Bad news (via Sports Business Daily via Sports Media Watch):

"The 3.9 overnight is the second-lowest for the final round of the British Open since at least '98. Despite the relatively low number, this marks the first time since Tiger Woods' victory in '05 that ratings have increased for final round coverage of the event."

That's sort of surprising since 59-year-old Tom Watson was a wobbly-kneed eight-footer away from pulling off the most improbable major championship victory in golf history. But maybe the difference between fans who religiously watch the biggest tournaments -- no matter who is leading -- and people who tune in just to see what Tiger is doing is decidedly large. So when Woods is on a flight back to the States, those viewers find other ways to spend their Sunday mornings.

More fun facts:

"To put the 3.9 in perspective, the men's final at Wimbledon drew a 4.2 overnight earlier this month. Additionally, the 3.9 for the British Open is lower than the overnights for several non-major PGA events this year, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational (4.9), AT&T National (4.6) and Players Championship (4.1)."

The three non-major golf tournaments listed? Tiger was in contention on Sunday for all of them, winning twice.

As a viewer (even one who loves Tiger), it can get tedious to have television cameras reflexively trained on Woods whenever he's on the course, but that's the deal: Tiger equals eyeballs, and eyeballs equals ratings.

Want more proof? Turnberry's third-round coverage drew a 2.4 overnight rating, down 14 percent from last year's 2.8. Just a guess, but that's a function of Tiger missing the cut; last year, viewers knew Woods wasn't playing the British Open a month in advance and planned accordingly ... by not watching. That didn't happen till Saturday this time around.

British Open Ratings Up From '08, Still Low by Historical Standards originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Winners and Losers, 2009 British Open

Shane Bacon — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:43:00 EST

Filed under: British Open

For most, the 2009 British Open will be the story of "What if ... ?" What if a couple of putts had gone this way or that? What if the wind hadn't blown or someone had pulled a 9-iron instead of an 8-iron, or had a little more confidence over the short putts. But if you remove the what ifs, and look at the final results, who were the winners and losers from the Open Championship? Read on to find out ...

Winners

Stewart Cink -- Normally, the champion lands a spot under the category. A lot of people might think he fell into this win the same way Geoff Ogilvy did at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, but Cink had to make some big putts coming in, including the birdie putt on his 72nd hole after failing to convert on the par-5 17th. His fist pump after the putt drop said it all. Cink played the four-hole playoff 2-under, and birdied three of his final five holes of the Open.

Cink was on the short list of "best player never to have won a major" and erased that with some gutsy putts on Sunday. Sure, he might not have been the people's champion, but Cink is one of the good guys on tour and deserved this as much as anyone in the field. Plus, more inside looks at what a British Open champion deals with!

Tom Watson -- One club choice. That was all it was. Watson said that while he was on the 18th fairway, needing a pair to claim his sixth Claret Jug, he initially felt the right club was a 9-iron. But Watson, being the wise, seasoned veteran he is, didn't want to try and over-swing at a shot he needed to win a major championship at 59 years of age. Watson hit the eight, and it was too much, and he failed to get up and down from a place few people got up and down from all afternoon. After that par putt went begging, you just knew it was over. Sure, you hoped he'd pull it out, but you somehow knew that he wouldn't.

But Watson did something for golf that few people in the game can do. He made us forget about Tiger Woods. He made us shift our conversations away from another failed attempt by guys like Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey. He was the story at a course that he won at in 1977, at a tournament 32 years later that he had no right to be leading. Sure, he didn't win, and it was a pretty sad moment for all sports fans that he didn't, but you can't help but applaud his efforts. And while I don't know what else to add, I can promise you that there was a caddie, somewhere in the sky, looking down on Tom, applauding him as he finished up on Sunday.

Watson's run was more than an attempt to win. It was living evidence that golf is the best sport in the world.

Chris Wood -- Seriously, does this kid ever finish out of the top-10 on his home turf? Wood, just 21, has played in two British Opens and has finished in the top-10 in both. The Englishman (Englishboy?) shot a final-round 67 and was one bogey on the 18th away (he was in the same spot as Watson a couple of hours earlier) from making the playoff. Wood, who is 6-foot-5 and might weigh 145 pounds soaking wet, looks like he could be a Ryder Cup-per soon, and obviously doesn't get rattled in major championships. A pretty solid performance from a young guy looking to break through.

Turnberry -- There was a lot of talk about this golf course not being a great British Open venue. In the Duel in the Sun, Watson and Jack Nicklaus went around this course like it was a pitch-and-putt. After an opening round that saw 50 guys break par in perfect weather, the winds picked up and showed that Turnberry is a true test of links golf. It has some stern golf holes, but fair ones, and concludes with a "must birdie" 17th and a tough 18th that forces players to hit precise golf shots to even sniff a par. Next year we get St. Andrews, but Turnberry is just as solid a test as any of the venues around. I hope the R&A returns soon enough.

Losers

Tiger Woods -- It really took me a couple of re-watches of Tiger's second round to fully grasp what the commenters around these parts had pointed out -- Woods looked like a baby this week at Turnberry. You never hear me bash Tiger because, frankly, he is the best in the world at what he does, but his conduct at Turnberry was pretty self-involved. Slamming clubs, hitting his bag, tossing 5-woods, screaming any curse word possible for all to hear. I know we all get frustrated on the golf course (trust me, I'm as bad as anyone), but at some point Tiger is going to have to realize that his attitude does more than just express his disgust at his current situation. It turns people off of golf. Off the course, Tiger is probably the most cautious athlete alive, making sure not to say anything to turn eyes away from his brand. Lately, I wish he'd bring a little of that onto the golf course.

Lee Westwood -- Another major championship that has left Westwood shaking his head as he drives down the winding two-lane highway away from Turnberry. Lee, who was in command at the British Open, bogeyed three of his final four holes, including one at the 18th hole that kept him out of the playoff. This is the second time in just over a year that Westwood has failed to convert on the final hole to sneak in to a playoff, dating back to the '08 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Does Westwood have the game to win a major championship? It appears so. Does he have the mindset? That still seems to be the big question.

Michael Campbell -- Well, there are bad attitudes (like Tiger displayed on the golf course) and then there is just bad sportsmanship. Campbell, the 2005 U.S. Open champion who finished t-3 at the British in 1995, withdrew for the fourth time in a tournament last week at the British after being 20-over. Campbell, who also pulled out of the Players and missed the cut at the Masters and U.S. Open, can't keep doing this, mainly because it's a waste of a spot for someone that might actually finish the tournament. In junior golf, if you withdrew from a set number of tournaments, you were disqualified from certain bigger events. Maybe the PGA Tour needs to implement something like that for major championships. It's a shame that players are sitting at home while Campbell starts playing poorly and decides he's doesn't want to finish. Quitting sure does make you look bad.

Curtis Strange -- Even while some people thought TNT did a poor job on Thursday and Friday, I was surprisingly content with their coverage. The commentary was good, but not overkill, and they showed a lot of golf and focused on the right groups. ABC is the opposite of that, and most rests with Mr. Strange. Countless times on Sunday, Strange would nail home that this putt was "VERY IMPORTANT," which most sports fans understand since it is the back nine of a major championship. Guys would hit shots to 20 or 30 feet, and Strange would act like his kid had just won an Olympic medal. Maybe relax a hair, Curtis, and just give us solid commentary from a guy that has been there before.

Winners and Losers, 2009 British Open originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watson's Success Should Embarrass Golf's Young Guns

Greg Couch — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: British Open

TURNBERRY, Scotland -- It's cold-truth time for golf now that we've had a day to catch our breath from the Tom Watson Open, won by Stewart Cink.

Watson's run at the British Open was a great moment for golf, and particularly needed in a tournament where Tiger Woods failed and Phil Mickelson stayed home. But while everyone marveled at a 59-year old stepping up, what did that mean?

It was fun to watch at the time, but it didn't say much about the game.

It said that the younger generation pulled a vanishing act when its two leaders were gone.

Bacon: British Open Winners and Losers
Heartbreak at Turnberry | Watson's Play Challenges Age Rule

And it said that if golf wants to be considered an actual sport, and not just a refined, difficult skill set, then it has a lot of explaining to do.

Early in the week, Watson said that golf is a young person's game. By the end, after watching the young people, he was enlisting the media to try to fight against the Open's age-rule, which suggests that 60-somethings can't compete.

So let's start with the younger generation because Watson -- and Mark Calcavecchia and Vijay Singh -- set up a battle of the generations in this tournament.

I think what we learned is that Tiger's greatness has been hiding the shortcomings of the guys he's beating.

Turnberry is a course well-suited for the older guys, because it doesn't play long. You can't just rip it to shreds, as Lee Westwood put it. Watson said that his experience on the links course made a big difference because many of the younger American players haven't seen that type of course.

Calcavecchia, by the way, who's 49, said that experience is completely overrated.

But whatever. Watson knew to bounce the ball up onto the greens, using the hard fairways, while the younger Americans rolled up sleeves and pounded their usual high-arcing shots that were affected by the wind.

"I see some of the kids, they're not playing the shot the way I would play it,'' Watson said earlier in the week. "Take some of the element of risk out of play. That's the way I think I'm playing.''

Well, is there some reason why today's young American players couldn't have figured that out? It sounds like the same problem with American tennis, where the young guys can only flex muscles, and not use strategy.

Watson's success was a condemnation of today's younger players. With Woods and Mickelson out of the way, you would think everyone from the current generation would have been salivating. This was their big chance.

Instead, they hid meekly while Watson made his move. Cink is hardly washed up at 36, but he's not one of the young supposed-stars, either.

He said that no one had ever included him in the talk about greatest players never to win a major.

Sergio Garcia. Rory McIlroy. Anthony Kim. Hunter Mahan.

Couldn't one of those guys beat out a guy who just had his hip replaced? Couldn't one of them have even contended? At least Chris Wood did.

This generation surely has more depth than any past generation. But what about at the top of the game? Padraig Harrington has all but lost his swing. It was a grand time for a new superstar to emerge.

Not an old one.

Latest British Open Photos

In a handout picture released by the Asian Tour shows Stewart Cink of the US celebrates by kissing the golf ball during the 72nd hole of regulation play on the 18th green in the final round of the 138th British Open golf championship in Turnberry, Scotland, on July 19, 2009. Stewart Cink was aware he had spoiled the party at the British Open on July 19 but that did nothing to take away from his sense of achievement. The 36-year-old from Alabama, got the better of a weary Tom Watson in a four-hole British Open play-off to claim his debut major win on a day of high drama at Turnberry, denying his 59-year-old compatriot the chance to become the oldest major winner in history. RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE AFP PHOTO/HO/PAUL LAKATOS/ASIAN TOUR (Photo credit should read PAUL LAKATOS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

US golfer Stewart Cink hugs the Claret Jug after winning the 138th British Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Course in south west Scotland, on July 19, 2009. TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO/Adrian Dennis (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Tom Watson of the U.S. plays his third shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland, July 19, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN SPORT GOLF)

Reuters

Stewart Cink of the US plays from the ninth tee during the final round of the British Open Golf championship, at the Turnberry golf course, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Stewart Cink of the US, right, reacts with his caddie Frank Williams after a birdie putt on the 18th green during the final round of the British Open Golf championship, at the Turnberry golf course, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

The leaderboard is seen during a playoff between Tom Watson of the US and Stewart Cink of the US, following the final round of the British Open Golf championship, at the Turnberry golf course, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Rebecca Naden, Pool)

The leaderboard is seen after a playoff between Tom Watson of the US and Stewart Cink of the US, following the final round of the British Open Golf championship, at the Turnberry golf course, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

USA's Tom Watson, left, and his caddie Neil Oxman look on as Stewart Cink of the United States, right, plays his final shot to win the fourth round round of the British Open Golf Championship at Turnberry Golf Club, Turnberry, Scotland Sunday July 19, 2009. (AP Photo/PA, Anthony Devlin) ** UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE **

And can a guy seven weeks from turning 60 really do what Watson did if golf were an actual sport? All week, I saw John Daly smoking a cigarette on the 18th fairway and pushing a weight-loss procedure, and Calcavecchia talking about his wide base helping him putt, and his four beers a day.

Watson is surely in great shape for a 59-year old, saying he works out occasionally. But the muscular athlete (Woods) went home after two days.

It's about your definition of a sport, I guess. But if Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were to skip the U.S. Open, you would not see Jimmy Connors winning it. Joe Frazier could not compete for a title anymore.

If advanced age and lack of fitness don't eliminate you from the top level of the game, then it's hard to see how it's a sport.

In the end, that's just semantics, though, and maybe a good tavern-argument.

But of more serious concern to golf should be the shambles that Watson made of the younger generation with Tiger gone.

It's hard to imagine if Watson, say, had a bad Open in 1978, with the other stars of the day competing, that someone from the 1940s or '50s would have nearly won instead, especially if that someone's career had already wrapped up a quarter of a century earlier.

Maybe Watson had just one fluke week on a favorable course, but it just seemed strange that so few players from this century stood up at all.

So few seemed able to adapt their games.

At 39, Mickelson, who was home taking care of his sick wife, is already well past the young-gun age. Maybe no one will be there to clear him out of the way. Or if he just decides to go someday, then who knows?

Arnold Palmer might be ready to rise again.

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Watson's Success Should Embarrass Golf's Young Guns originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unless R&A Makes Rule Change, 2010 British Open Will Be Watson's Last

Ryan Wilson — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: British Open

Last week, before anybody knew what Tom Watson was capable of, the 59-year-old, eight-time major winner (including five British Open titles) announced that the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews would be his last.

Not because 60 was a nice even number, or because Watson thinks he can't compete with players more than half his age. But because the R&A reduced the maximum age for past champions from 65 to 60.

"This was reduced from 65 years of age because of a desire to see more places available in the starting field to golfers in their prime who had a genuine chance of competing for the Open Championship," R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said recently.

In theory, that's a fine point, but Watson was an eight-foot putt away from proving that he had more than a "genuine chance of competing" for the Claret Jug. In fact, if Watson had won at Turnberry, by rule, he would earn a 10-year exemption, meaning he could play until 69.

But his putter, which has plagued him for the latter half of his career, failed him at the worst possible moment Sunday afternoon. So instead of talking about the best sports story of the year (and the most improbable major victory ever), we're talking age limits.

First- or second-place finishes aside, Watson's perfectly justified in wanting to play beyond 2010 if he so chooses.

After his first-round 65, he said "Yeah, let the old geezer have his day in the sun." And then offered this after Friday's 71 that had him atop the leaderboard heading to the weekend. "Now you kind of perk up your ears and say, 'This old geezer might have a chance to win the tournament,'" before adding: "I've laid the gauntlet down to you people [media] to ask Peter Dawson to maybe change his mind about the 60-year-old exemption ... I will play next year, may the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise."

In 2003, Augusta National, the closest thing golf has to a sovereign state, tried unsuccessfully to change the lifetime exemption for past champions to champions no older than 65. Yeah, that didn't fly. And then-chairman Hootie Johnson, after consulting with past champions and current members Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, reconsidered the rule before it was implemented.

No idea if Dawson and the R&A will feel similar pressure, but there are avenues for Watson to qualify for the British Open after his 61st birthday. Via the Guardian's Ewan Murray:

There are anomalies associated with the exemption status. For example, a player who has not won the Open is entitled to play beyond the age of 60 if he has qualified by another means. The winner of the British Senior Open is allowed a year's Open exemption and such a player could well be older than 60. Even past champions are allowed to play beyond the set age if they progress through qualifying. They will perhaps appreciate not having to participate until the final stage of local or international qualifying; Gary Player, now 73, attempted to gain entry via such a route four years ago.

So there's that, although I suspect we'll be hearing more about the R&A's decision. In the meantime, maybe Watson's runner-up finish at Turnberry will get him an invite to next month's PGA Championship. (Hey, it worked for Greg Norman last year, even if the thought of a Tiger-less major may have prompted the move.) And if Watson wins there, not only will he have the career grand slam, he will also have a lifetime exemption to the PGA Championship. For now, anyway.

Unless R&A Makes Rule Change, 2010 British Open Will Be Watson's Last originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heartbreak at Turnberry as Watson Wilts

Greg Couch — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: British Open

TURNBERRY, Scotland -- Painful. Just painful. We know that sports can be cruel, but that was about as bad as it gets.

Tom Watson, 59 years old, was trying to make history at the British Open. Fifty-nine-year-olds do not do this. He talked about love of golf in Britain, where the ghosts are. He was emotional all week, and we kept waiting for the collapse, the nerves, the problems. And they never came.

So it got down to the last hole, and all he had to do was make a par. Then, well, you can guess. The old fogey almost did it. That's what Watson said the headline should be. He's right, I guess. This is what it's like when the big moment doesn't happen. The winner of the British Open is ...

Not Watson.

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It was Stewart Cink, an American winning his first major. The bad guy in white pants. In fact, it was a touching moment for Cink, who said that no one even included him in the discussions about the best player never to win a major. So he was believing he didn't belong. And here he was. Winning a major. In a four-hole playoff. Against one of golf's legends.

Cink and Watson finished regulation at 2-under par, then Watson fell apart in the playoff.

"This ain't a funeral, you know," Watson said.

Think again. You should have heard Turnberry during that playoff, when it was clear that Watson was done. The players were at the 17th hole, and the P.A. guy at 18 was pleading with fans. Show respect to both players when they get there. Realize this is a big moment for Cink. Nothing. Morgue. The big moment wasn't happening.

Watson fired imaginations all week. He was a story about getting another chance. Missed the moment of glory you were expecting? Well, how about trying again? These old-guy athlete stories always do that, like when George Foreman won the heavyweight title, and Jack Nicklaus won the Masters.

They were in their mid-40s, though. Kids next to Watson. And the expanding-waistline, receding hairline crowd gets a rallying point. Are you sure your time is done? What closet holds that racquet, glove or ball? Imagine the courage it would take to try again.

Watson stood there on that stage again, risking a comfortable legacy. When Cink came up 18, he did receive polite applause. Watson then walked up the middle of the fairway with his hands clasped behind his back, a grin pasted on his face hiding reality, and everyone went nuts.

A few minutes later, Watson sank his last putt, held his arms out to his side, and just shrugged. He had given his best. I could only imagine what Watson was going through a few minutes later, waiting for the post-tournament ceremony, grin still pasted on, nearly running into the guy holding the champion's Claret Jug. Watson looked for a second, then moved on, while Cink walked past, telling a reporter: "It's almost indescribable."

"It would have been a hell of a story, wouldn't it?" Watson said. "Yes, it's a great disappointment. It tears at your gut, as it always has torn at my gut. It's not easy to take."

The painful part isn't in the near-miss, but in the truth. Watson blew this. We spent four days wondering if he could really keep his nerve. He had lost it 25 years ago with his putting. And then, just when you started to believe ...

On the last hole in regulation, he was just off the green, needing a two-putt to win. He had been hitting putts short all day, out of nervousness. And this time? He rammed it eight feet past the hole. So he stood over that 8-foot putt for the championship, the kind of putt he had made all week. The kind he had missed for the past quarter-century.

And it never came close.

"I just got a little too thoughtful about the shot, thinking that it was going to be a little slow," he said. "It would have been a special memory. Now ..."

Watson had everyone buzzing for four days. Seven weeks from turning 60, he saved the tournament, as Tiger Woods failed to survive the cut. But frankly, Watson has had his time. He won eight majors, including five British Opens. Nothing changes for him, and he had another moment.

Meanwhile, Cink, 36, who had gone 0-for-54 in majors, now has a moment, too.

"I did not feel nervousness today," he said. "Somebody at a major championship always has that calm peace."

Yes, it was Cink and a 59-year-old until the last hole. That doesn't say much for golf's younger generation. Woods was out. Phil Mickelson stayed home to take care of his sick wife. And you wouldn't think that should open things up for a guy who just had his hip replaced.

"I'm glad this happened," Watson said. "It was fun to be in the mix of it again. It reminds me of what it was like when you played the big tour, played the kids' tour and were in contention all the time, and the responsibilities that you have to take care of business.

"My hat goes off to Tiger for what he has to go through on a weekly basis, with all the things pulling at him."

He started the week talking about the good old days and finished with the old fire. Watson was relevant again.

"The dream almost came true," he said. Well, it did for Cink.

Like what you read here? Follow me on Twitter: @gregcouch

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Reuters

Stewart Cink of the US plays from the ninth tee during the final round of the British Open Golf championship, at the Turnberry golf course, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Stewart Cink of the US, left, his caddie Frank Williams, right, his wife Lisa, second from right, and sons Reagan, back center, and Connor, second from left, are seen after Cink won a playoff following the final round of the British Open Golf championship, at the Turnberry golf course, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Rebecca Naden, Pool)

Stewart Cink of the US, center, holds up the trophy after winning a playoff following the final round of the British Open Golf championship, at the Turnberry golf course, Scotland, Sunday, July 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Heartbreak at Turnberry as Watson Wilts originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At Turnberry Lawrie 'Wins' High-Scot Honors, Manassero Is High Amateur

Ryan Wilson — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:20:00 EST

Filed under: British Open

Stewart Cink is the British Open champion, the first major victory of his 15-year professional career. Given what happened at the 2001 U.S. Open at Southern Hills, you might say it's a been a long time coming.

But part of me wonders if the 138th Open Championship will be remembered for who didn't win. Tom Watson, 59 -- and 26 years removed from his last major title -- was the 54-hole leader. In fact, he was the 71st-hole leader, too. A sloppy bogey on the last landed him in a playoff with Cink and that was that.

It was a valiant effort and a hell of a lot of fun to watch, particularly since we weren't beaten about the head with every Tiger Woods shot since, you know, he missed the cut.

Ten years ago, Jean Van de Velde held a three-shot lead on the last hole of Open Championship. A slow-motion train wreck triple-bogey got him into a playoff but by then his fate was sealed. Oh, and Paul Lawrie eventually outlasted Justin Leonard for the Claret Jug that year. It's easy to forget.

I mention Lawrie because he's in the news again. Sort of. He's Scottish, this year's Open Championship was held in Scotland, and he had the highest finish among his countrymen. It's hard to make an 8-over, T47th exciting, but I think this qualifies:

Lawrie made an albatross-3 on the par-5 seventh hole on Sunday that was, all things considered, the highlight of the week for the home side.

Lawrie's 4-iron from 213 yards lifted him into top-Scot honors, somewhere around 50th place. Adding to that competitive injury the Scottish had to endure a high-profile row between two of their top players - Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie.

Ah, yes, Sandy and Mrs. Doubtfire. Apparently, catfights take a lot out of old people because Lyle and Monty missed the cut. In fact, the only other Scot to play the weekend was David Drysdale who finished 10-over for the week. So, yeah, that seemingly meaningless Lawrie double-eagle on No. 7 proved to be the difference.

Meanwhile, Italy's Matteo Manassero won low amateur honors. The 16-year-old, who played with Watson the first two days, tied for 13th after shooting 2-over. For some perspective, when Tiger Woods played his first PGA Tour event as an amateur in 1992, Manassero was -1.

At Turnberry Lawrie 'Wins' High-Scot Honors, Manassero Is High Amateur originally appeared on Golf FanHouse on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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