Capelle On Golf

All week long Tom Watson was talking about the spiritual side of golf, a notion that had first made itself evident to him 32 years earlier at the Duel in the Sun. As you no doubt have heard a dozen times this week, Watson turned to Nicklaus on the 14th tee of the final round of the 19977 Open and said, of their heated competition, “This is what it’s all about.” Nicklaus famously replied, “You bet it is.”

Ah, the competition. Close contests fought by worthy adversaries where the outcome is in doubt until the end. And so Watson, over the course of his career, was involved in so many hard fought majors though we  remember him most for his five Open titles, beating Jack four times, and now for his crushing loss at the 2009 Open for the Ages (play on words intended) at Turnberry.

Yes, major championship golf is the cruelest of all sports. If only – if only Watson had chosen a nine iron instead of an eight for his second on the 72nd hole, he and not Stewart Cink would have been hoisting the Claret Jug.

But he chose the eight, his ball landed hard and ran through the green. Then he proceeded to hit one of the worst putts of his life, a ten footer that came up woefully short and well to the right of the cup. Mike Tirico correctly called it “A zero confidence putt.” As it slowed to a stop, a rueful smile crept across the weathered mug of Tom Watson. Perhaps he already knew the contest had slipped away, for in a tired display of golf, he was brutally beaten by six shots by the 35 year old Cink, who put on a display worthy of a champion.

It has been thought, with good reason, that Tom Watson’s major championship legacy was long completed, his last top 10 coming at the 2000 PGA, and his last top four coming at the 1997 Masters. And he still trails Gary Player and Ben Hogan by one in lifetime majors.

But, as Watson said to Jack so long ago, this game is more that about winning. It has a spiritual side that makes it the greatest of all games and one that, after a loss,  “rips at your gut.” So true, and next to Nicklaus, who owns 19 seconds to go along with his 18 major titles, few know it better that Watson.

Watson’s inflicted pain, sinking improbable putts and chips three times to snatch majors from Nicklaus’ palm late in the proceedings. On each occasion, the golf gods, with whom Watson has forged a lifetime bond, played a huge role, for anyone who know golf understands that any shot outside of 10-15 feet that finds the cup is a delicious blend of skill and luck.

Certainly Watson has had his share of good fortune but, by putting himself in contention so often, he’s also suffered mightily, as was apparent on the tee of the 18th hole in the playoff when the pain was etched across his face and he was on the verge of tears.

It all stated at the 1974 US Open at Winged Foot where a 24 year old  Watson held the 54 hole lead, shot a closing 79, and finished 5t, five back of Hale Irwin. In the ensuing years Watson has accumulated a series of heartbreaking losses as re ran his count of close seconds from one to seven, and now eight, balancing the ledger with his wins.

While Winged Foot gave him his first taste of golf’s hard knocks, he didn’t suffer his first close second until the 1978 Masters where he finished 2t, one back of Gary Player, who close with a 64 at age 42. Later that year Watson lost another 54 hole lead, closing with a 73. He went on to lose a three man playoff to John Mahaffey, who shot a final round 66.

Watson did not wait long for the misery to mount. At the 1979 Masters he lost another three man playoff, this time to Fuzzy Zoeller. From 1980-83 Watson won five majors, but suffered another gut wrencher at the 1983 US Open where Larry Nelson hole a monster putt on the 16th green at Oakmont to beat him by a shot. This time Watson had shared the 54 hole lead with Seve Ballesteros.

At the 1984 Masters Watson finished two back of Ben Crenshaw, whose victory was keyed by a 60 foot roller coaster that traveled from the front to the back of Augusta’s tenth green, a putt that was surely aided by the gods. Then, for the second time in his career, Watson recorded two seconds in a season after finishing 2t at Open, two back of Ballesteros, after sharing the 54 hole lead with Ian Baker-Finch.

Watson’s seventh, and seemingly last second, came at the 1987 US Open where he held the 54 hole lead at Olympic, but lost by a stroke to Scott Simpson’s 68.

So there you have it. Tom Watson, eight times a winner, and eight times second winner. While the media continues extol the virtues of those who have fought great fight and lost – men like Nicklaus at Turnberry, Rocco Mediate at the 2008 US Open, and now Watson at this year’s Open, they then revert to counting wins only in determining the pecking order of golf’s all time greats.

The R&A certainly knows better, for the awarded a Silver Medal to Watson for his performance. And some day the media learn to properly value seconds too. And when they do, they’ll realize that winning 19 majors alone will not necessarily make Tiger Woods the best ever.