When did Tom Watson won his signature British Open at Turnberry?
Their support for Watson was total – he has long been held in particularly high regard in Scotland – but best not to get too excited, only to be disappointed later. But gradually the reality of the moment first merged and then took over from our fondly horded memories. Watson – two months shy of 60 but always young of heart and smiling boyishly – was ruthlessly taking Turnberry to the cleaners as he did so famously in 1977. There was no Jack Nicklaus to duel with this time though there was a good luck text from Barbara Nicklaus. Watson candidly admitted that he felt an unusual “spirituality and serenity” about his round. It certainly had a trance-like quality and it was beguiling to watch a master rolling up his sleeves, almost by public demand, and going to work on his favourite canvas. The result was a mental picture to treasure, especially for those too young to remember 1977 or indeed 1994, when he led at Turnberry going into the weekend despite the worst putting display of his car
It was 32 years ago that Dan Jenkins watched Tom Watson outlast Jack Nicklaus in the epic British Open “Duel in the Sun” at Turnberry, and Watson’s first-round 65 Thursday in the first round of the Open brought back some amazing memories. Watson and Nicklaus both shot 68-70 in the first two rounds of that 1977 Open and were paired for Friday’s third round (back then the Open ended on Saturday). Both men shot 65 to share a three-stroke lead after 54 holes, but Jenkins says those in attendance didn’t realize history was being made until well into the final round. Watson trailed Nicklaus by two with six holes to play before birdieing four of the final six. “The killer shot was Watson’s putt at 15,” says Jenkins, Golf Digest’s Writer-at-Large, covering his 41st Open this week. Watson was on hardpan 10 feet off the green, 50 to 60 feet from the hole, “and his putt hit the flagstick so hard it almost broke it in two,” says Jenkins. “If Watson doesn’t hit that flagstick, Nicklaus wins the tou
