British Open may reconsider age limits
Photos
Tiger Woods
2009 British Open
TURNBERRY, Scotland - Tom Watson was among the British Openchampions whom the R&A consulted when it decided the game wasgetting younger and it was time to lower the age limit to 60 forwinners of golf's oldest championship.
It might be time to reconsider.
Imagine how much different that conversation would have been hadthe Royal & Ancient seen a performance for the ages at Turnberry,where a 59-year-old Watson was in the lead the final three days andcame within an 8-foot putt of winning.
"I'm sure if someone at age 59 had been winning thechampionship, bringing down the age limit would have been lower onthe agenda," R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said Monday. "Butwe brought down the age limit in order to give more spaces in thechampionship to younger players allegedly in their prime tocompete."
Watson sure looked in prime time at Turnberry.
Perhaps more people should have paid attention on the eve of theBritish Open when Watson spoke in reverent tones about hisaffection for Turnberry, where he had won 32 years earlier in thefamous "Duel in the Sun" against Jack Nicklaus. He explained allweek why he can still complete on links courses that require shotsto be struck pure, not necessarily with power.
Watson wound up beating all but one player in the field.
Tiger Woods didn't even make it to the weekend, hitting the ballpoorly into a northwest wind during a pivotal stretch along thecoast. Two-time defending champion Padraig Harrington was never afactor, finishing 14 shots behind.
Stewart Cink, a worthy champion who closed with a 69, stillneeded help from the old man. Watson's 8-iron on the 18th had justenough bounce to roll off the back of the green. In the playoff,Watson looked his age for the first time and lost by six shots.
"It would have been a hell of a story," Watson said. "Itwasn't meant to be. And, yes, it's a great disappointment. It tearsat your gut, as it always has torn at my gut. It's not easy totake."
Cink was too young to remember Watson's victory at Turnberry,although he played a practice round with him at the Masters thisyear and was struck by how cleanly Watson hit the ball. Playingagainst him when it counted was more impressive.
"The same Tom Watson that won this tournament in '77 showed uphere this week," Cink said. "And he just about did it. He beateverybody but one guy. And it was really special."
The yellow scoreboard towered over the 18th green beneath a blueScottish sky on a quiet Monday morning. The traditional message inred letters had yet to be removed, a somber reminder of who didn'twin the British Open.
"Well played Stewart. See you at St. Andrews 2010."
Cink will arrive at the home of golf with the silver claret jug.
Barring another turn-back-the-clock moment, Watson will go toSt. Andrews next year for a farewell party.
The British Open is the only major that sets an age limit forits champions. The U.S. Open gives only a 10-year exemption, whilethe Masters and PGA Championship offer their winners a chance toplay as long as they want.
Augusta National announced an age limit of 65 this decade whenits former champions began quitting after one round, sometimes evensooner. The club backed off, however, and the age limit was neverimposed. The Masters left it up to their champions to decide whenit was best to stop playing.
There's no reason that couldn't work at the British Open.
Watson is the first to concede he doesn't have the length or theskills to compete at the Masters. He has not made the cut since2002, nor has he broken 70 in the last 12 years. Rarely do formerchampions over 50 compete in the PGA Championship.
The British Open, held on links golf courses, is the only majorwhere age shouldn't matter.
"It's great to see the names of the past competing," Dawsonsaid. "But I do think it's important that we see them in a statewhere they are reasonably competitive. We don't want it to become aprocession. It still has to be a golf championship."
This nearly was a coronation when Watson finished.
Tom Lehman went back onto the course to watch Watson, notwanting to miss a chance to see history. Justin Leonard, anotherformer Open champion, returned to the 18th green as the man hecalled the "King of the Links" sought one more par for thevictory.
"I don't think we contemplated a 59-year-old leading the OpenChampionship going into the back nine on the final day," Dawsonsaid. "And every year after the Open, we look at the exemptions.No doubt, we'll look at this one. It's much too early to say what,if anything, we'll do with it. But we'll certainly be looking atit."
Watson, meanwhile, headed south to Sunningdale for the SeniorBritish Open to compete against men his own age. His runner-upfinish at Turnberry moved him to No. 105 in the world rankings. Heis No. 108 in the FedEx Cup standings, ahead of Sergio Garcia.
Neither of those matter to Watson.
The British Open does.
Watson's only hope of playing the Open after next year is tofinish among the top 10 at St. Andrews. If that doesn't work, hewould have to win the Senior British Open the following week.
Unless, of course, he wins at St. Andrews.
"I still have some of the shots to be able to play that golfcourse," Watson said. "We'll just have to see."
