April 05, 2016: Tom Watson is a rock star in an understated sport. As he walked out on the balcony of the clubhouse at the Augusta National Golf Club, there was a round of hungry cheering from the fans. Watson looked dapper in a pink cardigan, letting out a satisfied smile to greet the patrons.
After eight major championships and 45 years of living as a professional golfer, Watson will bid adieu to the game at 66, knowing that he did all he could to further the game.
Watson was inches away from becoming the oldest major winner, but suffered disappointment, when a gust of wind denied him an opportunity on the 18th hole at the British Open in 2009. At the ripe age of 59, Watson only needed par on the 18th to win, but it wasn’t to be.
He played his last Open at St Andrews in 2015 and will sign off with a final hurrah at The Masters this week. Few, if any, will forget the stirring run he made at the 2009 Open at Turnberry in Scotland when he was nearly 60 years old.
Watson lead for most of the week and teed off from the 18th box, knowing all he needed was a par to lay his hands on the Claret Jug for a sixth time. But he missed a putt from eight feet out to slip into a four hole playoff with Stewart Cink.
A gutted Watson was far too spent emotionally to challenge Cink, who took the only major title of his career by downing Watson in the playoff. Watson admitted to feeling that his “guts were torn out,” but insisted that there was no grief, instead asking that we celebrate the joy that underpinned his glorious career.
It is greatly unlikely that Watson will add to his collection of eight major titles this week, but he will firmly focused on making the cut to try and ensure that he departs on his own terms.
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