British Open Memories: The Biggest Near Miss in Sports History
As we all gather in anticipation for the season’s final major, the 154th Open Championship from Royal Birkdale, where a world-class field will contend for the cherished Claret Jug, we wanted to first re-visit Tom Watson’s near miss at the 2009 British Open. It remains one of sports most poignant “almost” stories. At 59, Watson arrived at Turnberry as a sentimental figure, not a serious favorite, yet he played with remarkable control and imagination across four windy, demanding days. The venue deepened the drama: Turnberry was where Watson had won the 1977 “Duel in the Sun” against Jack Nicklaus, and now, more than three decades later, he stood on the brink of another Open triumph. After birdieing the 17th hole in the final round, Watson needed only a par at the 18th to become the oldest major champion in history. His drive found the fairway, and his approach looked excellent, but the ball ran through the green. From there, he putted past the hole and missed the returning par putt, falling into a playoff with Stewart Cink. Watson, visibly drained, could not match Cink in the four-hole playoff, and the title slipped away. Still, the week became legendary not because Watson won, but because he nearly proved that greatness, nerve, and belief could defy time itself. 
We wanted to get the local perspective of some die-hard Tom Watson fans on their painful memories from the 2009 British Open:
Matt Jaquin (Tom Watson’s #1 fan): I spoke with Neil Oxman, his caddie. Ox said that Tom birdied the first hole on Thursday and was on the leaderboard the entire tourney from that point on. That was one of many takeaways from Ox but one that really sticks.
Another one is that the year before, the 2008 British @ Birkdale, 53-year-old Greg Norman held a 2 shot lead after 54 holes, the oldest to lead or share lead at a major championship after 54 holes, before a 59-year-old Watson shattered it the following year. Funny thing about that is that Tom was in the booth for the final 36 holes of that tourney, working for ABC. He said if Norman were to pull it off, he would get even for all the heartbreaking losses he’s had. Tom agreed to do it again for ABC the following year, although this time he couldn’t do it for obvious reasons. I think that’s a pretty good nugget: not being in the booth because he was in the final group both Saturday and Sunday.
Was on the phone with Michael Watson (Tom’s son) a bunch when Tom was playing. Especially tough for him, since he’s too young to remember Tom’s 8 majors. The local news actually wanted to camp out at his place, so they could pipe in live with him and his buddies, but he politely declined. Needing par to win on the 72nd hole, Michael shot me a text that read: “3 more swings,” after Tom smoked his tee shot straight down the pipe. I showed that text to my dad, and many other family members a month later during a Chiefs’ tailgate. Re-opened up fresh wounds for all of us! I’ll never get over it.
Tom Jaquin: After Thursday’s round, I was like he’s hanging in there. Friday, Saturday, he’s still in it. Sunday, I was at my brother Mark’s apartment, and we all know what happened, but he was hanging in there the whole time. Stewart Cink made that birdie and in the back of my mind, I said I hope that doesn’t come back to haunt us. Tom hit that drive on 18, and I remember I was walking in Mark’s bedroom, and I’ll never forget this, I was almost in tears because I’m thinking he ‘s going to win this, he’s actually going to do it. Then he hit the shot on 18 and we all know what happened after that. I remember going to Chase Pitkin, because I had to pick up 20 bags of mulch and I wanted to puke. It would have been the greatest sporting accomplishment in the history of sports.
Brian McLauchlan: Watson had a chance and we all knew it. We were all on pins and needles just knowing that when that ball went over on 18, it was in no man’s land. Does he chip or putt? He just had to get up and down and he didn’t. Cink finished early with that long putt and had a long wait before the four extra holes. We kind of knew it for a while, but we still had hope. It was just a thrill to be there together watching that. It was heartbreaking, gut-wrenching but it was an amazing ride that weekend.
Michael Jaquin: The first round on Thursday, he shot 65. My brother called me and said, “Hey Mike, how about your daughter Molly’s first Watson round?,” because my daughter was born two weeks before that. He was only one off the lead and he would have been the oldest guy with the lead going into Friday’s round. And then on Friday he had an unbelievable finish. He had the lead, at age 59, he was the oldest guy with the lead going into the weekend. The next morning on Saturday, I was so nervous that I’d go for a walk after two or three holes. My buddy called me and he asked, “Hey Mike, do you think he can win it?”
And at this point Watson is 39 holes into the tournament, and it was the first time I actually thought he might be able to win this thing. He had an amazing finish on Saturday and then on Sunday he’s in the final group. I see him and Hillary Watson, his late wife who just died of pancreatic cancer; I saw them walking down the stairs holding hands for the final round. He knew the course and the night before the tournament he told his wife that he can win it, because he knew the wind was different. He knew Turnberry inside and out. He had a rough mid-stretch, then he’s tied, and then he birdies the 17th hole, which is a par 5, and he’s one up with one to go. He’s waiting on the tee box for Lee Westwood to finish in front of him. At this point he has a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink. He hits a perfect hybrid, right down the middle on the seventy-second hole. Hits the purest 8-iron ever, and when the ball was in the air, he’s like “I did it.” The ball goes long, misses the putt and then playoff. I remember I was holding my brand new baby, and when it was bad at the end of the playoff, tears were pouring out of my eyes.
Tom Watson of the US reacts after a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the second round of the British Open Golf championship, at the Turnberry golf course, Scotland, Friday, July 17, 2009. (AP Photo) ** UNITED KINGDOM OUT, NO SALES, NO MAGS, NO ARCHIVE **
