Golf's major championships are interesting in that who loses often is remembered as much as or even more than who actually wins.
Take Greg Norman at the Masters. Larry Mize's miraculous playoff chip-in dealt him a stunning defeat in 1987, then in 1996 Norman's epic final-round meltdown allowed Nick Faldo to secure his third green jacket.
Then there's Phil Mickelson in the U.S. Open. Lefty let it slip away in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills as the painfully boring Retief Goosen claimed his second Open title, and two years later Mickelson (along with the majorless Colin Montgomerie) imploded on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot to help an under-the-radar Geoff Ogilvy prevail.
This year, the Masters was as much about old-timer Kenny Perry failing to cash in his major opportunity as it was about Angel Cabrera winning, and unheralded Lucas Glover's victory in the rain-plagued U.S. Open at Bethpage Black will have to share space in the history books with close-but-not-good-enough bids by Mickelson, Tiger Woods and David Duval.
Therefore, please excuse us if the 2009 British Open (or the Open Championship, if you prefer) won't simply be remembered as Stewart Cink's career breakthrough.
That's nothing against Cink, though. He's been one of the PGA Tour's best dozen or so players for more than a decade, a Ryder Cup regular and a well-liked guy. At 36 he's finally a major champion, and good for him. He's got enough game that it likely won't be his last triumph in a major.
But with all due respect to Cink's accomplishment, this Open at Turnberry will be remembered most for the improbable, amazing performance of 59-year-old Tom Watson, five times the British Open winner.
Seeking his ninth major championship and first since 1983, Watson came up just short of a record-tying sixth Open title. He missed an 8-foot par putt for the win on the 72nd hole, then clearly was outplayed by Cink in their mostly uncompetitive four-hole playoff.
Nonetheless, it was difficult to feel anything other than admiration and appreciation toward Watson, who turned back the clock and turned an Open that never had Mickelson and had a surprisingly shaky Woods for only two days into a must-see spectacle.
Watson didn't just play well for a day or two or sneak onto the bottom of the final-round leaderboard for 15 minutes.
Masterfully maneuvering around the Scottish links as he had in famously outdueling rival Jack Nicklaus at Turnberry in 1977, Watson drew on his vast experience to put on an awesome show of shotmaking for four consecutive days. He played the best golf for 71 1/2 holes.
With Cink in the clubhouse after sinking a clutch birdie putt at No. 18 late Sunday afternoon, Watson carried a one-stroke lead to the 18th tee and then struck a perfect drive. He drilled his approach shot, too, but his 8-iron had just a little too much juice and the ball ran through the back of the green, coming to rest up against some light rough.
Choosing to putt instead of chip, Watson ran it 8 feet past the hole, then his pressure-packed putt to win the Claret Jug and become golf's oldest major champion by a staggering 11 years was poorly executed and never scared the cup. One could say Watson -- who rolled in long bombs all week -- finally looked his age on that ill-timed effort.
Although Watson still had an opportunity in the playoff, he missed his best chance to win when he missed the earlier putt on 18. An understandably deflated Watson struggled throughout the playoff, while the much-younger Cink produced nearly flawless golf in running away for the victory.
In the aftermath of Watson's heartbreaking defeat, Cink received some good-natured barbs about ruining what probably would have gone down as one of the most impressive, incredible feats in sports history. For all of his happiness and satisfaction about winning, Cink conceded that there was a bittersweet element to his conquest; he knew that golf fans around the world were pulling for their man Watson.
And so Cink now has his name engraved on the vaunted Claret Jug along with that of Watson, who appears a mere five times. It could have been six; it probably should have been six.
But worry not. When we think back about the 2009 British Open years and even decades from now, there's one man we will think of first and most: Old Tom Watson. Well played, sir.
Take Greg Norman at the Masters. Larry Mize's miraculous playoff chip-in dealt him a stunning defeat in 1987, then in 1996 Norman's epic final-round meltdown allowed Nick Faldo to secure his third green jacket.
Then there's Phil Mickelson in the U.S. Open. Lefty let it slip away in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills as the painfully boring Retief Goosen claimed his second Open title, and two years later Mickelson (along with the majorless Colin Montgomerie) imploded on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot to help an under-the-radar Geoff Ogilvy prevail.
This year, the Masters was as much about old-timer Kenny Perry failing to cash in his major opportunity as it was about Angel Cabrera winning, and unheralded Lucas Glover's victory in the rain-plagued U.S. Open at Bethpage Black will have to share space in the history books with close-but-not-good-enough bids by Mickelson, Tiger Woods and David Duval.
Therefore, please excuse us if the 2009 British Open (or the Open Championship, if you prefer) won't simply be remembered as Stewart Cink's career breakthrough.
That's nothing against Cink, though. He's been one of the PGA Tour's best dozen or so players for more than a decade, a Ryder Cup regular and a well-liked guy. At 36 he's finally a major champion, and good for him. He's got enough game that it likely won't be his last triumph in a major.
But with all due respect to Cink's accomplishment, this Open at Turnberry will be remembered most for the improbable, amazing performance of 59-year-old Tom Watson, five times the British Open winner.
Seeking his ninth major championship and first since 1983, Watson came up just short of a record-tying sixth Open title. He missed an 8-foot par putt for the win on the 72nd hole, then clearly was outplayed by Cink in their mostly uncompetitive four-hole playoff.
Nonetheless, it was difficult to feel anything other than admiration and appreciation toward Watson, who turned back the clock and turned an Open that never had Mickelson and had a surprisingly shaky Woods for only two days into a must-see spectacle.
Watson didn't just play well for a day or two or sneak onto the bottom of the final-round leaderboard for 15 minutes.
Masterfully maneuvering around the Scottish links as he had in famously outdueling rival Jack Nicklaus at Turnberry in 1977, Watson drew on his vast experience to put on an awesome show of shotmaking for four consecutive days. He played the best golf for 71 1/2 holes.
With Cink in the clubhouse after sinking a clutch birdie putt at No. 18 late Sunday afternoon, Watson carried a one-stroke lead to the 18th tee and then struck a perfect drive. He drilled his approach shot, too, but his 8-iron had just a little too much juice and the ball ran through the back of the green, coming to rest up against some light rough.
Choosing to putt instead of chip, Watson ran it 8 feet past the hole, then his pressure-packed putt to win the Claret Jug and become golf's oldest major champion by a staggering 11 years was poorly executed and never scared the cup. One could say Watson -- who rolled in long bombs all week -- finally looked his age on that ill-timed effort.
Although Watson still had an opportunity in the playoff, he missed his best chance to win when he missed the earlier putt on 18. An understandably deflated Watson struggled throughout the playoff, while the much-younger Cink produced nearly flawless golf in running away for the victory.
In the aftermath of Watson's heartbreaking defeat, Cink received some good-natured barbs about ruining what probably would have gone down as one of the most impressive, incredible feats in sports history. For all of his happiness and satisfaction about winning, Cink conceded that there was a bittersweet element to his conquest; he knew that golf fans around the world were pulling for their man Watson.
And so Cink now has his name engraved on the vaunted Claret Jug along with that of Watson, who appears a mere five times. It could have been six; it probably should have been six.
But worry not. When we think back about the 2009 British Open years and even decades from now, there's one man we will think of first and most: Old Tom Watson. Well played, sir.
