Brian Manzella
Administrator
You saw it. I saw it.
But it is still hard to believe that the golf gods could lead us this far down the primrose path, before yanking the rug out from under us.
Uggh!
Tom Watson very nearly pulled off the greatest upset in sports history in the 138th Open Championship, as the 1000-to-1 shot lost in a four-hole payoff for the title of Champion Golfer of the Year to fellow American Stewart Cink.
Needing just a short iron shot and two putts for the Claret Jug, Watson hit one club too many into the firm 18th green, didn't get up and down, and delayed the engraver's work until a beyond anticlimactic four hole playoff was three holes in.
Stewart Cink Open champion, Tom Watson, historical footnote.
Wow.
To my mind, there are many a lesson to be learned form this historical almost, and without further delay here they are:
But it is still hard to believe that the golf gods could lead us this far down the primrose path, before yanking the rug out from under us.
Uggh!
Tom Watson very nearly pulled off the greatest upset in sports history in the 138th Open Championship, as the 1000-to-1 shot lost in a four-hole payoff for the title of Champion Golfer of the Year to fellow American Stewart Cink.
Needing just a short iron shot and two putts for the Claret Jug, Watson hit one club too many into the firm 18th green, didn't get up and down, and delayed the engraver's work until a beyond anticlimactic four hole playoff was three holes in.
Stewart Cink Open champion, Tom Watson, historical footnote.
Wow.
To my mind, there are many a lesson to be learned form this historical almost, and without further delay here they are:
1. This is the only sport a man or women in their late 50's early 60's can win a major championship.
There is ZERO doubt about it.
No matter the physical conditioning, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, cycling, etc. are beyond the limitations of the human being of that age.
Period.
Golf is different, and Sam Snead proved that by almost winning the '74 PGA at age 62.
Lesson Learned:
Even if Watson or Snead won, or Tiger does the same in 2035, any talk of "Greatest Sports Achievement," just because a man if this age wins a major, should be done with an asterisk near your right middle finger and a tongue planted in your cheek.
Trust me, if Snead had done in in '74, there would have been no such talk.
Upset of the century in this case? Maybe.
2. The 60 year-old rule is stupid.
Why this rule was put in place, when a "break 160 or you're out" rule would have been much fairer, is beyond me.
Drop it now.
3. The Young Guys played good as well.
Hey Tiger, there is BOATLOAD of guys coming.
Chris Wood.
Matteo Manassero.
Ross Fisher.
Rory McIlroy.
Ryo Ishikawa.
4. Tiger, fire this damn method.
And the coach it came with.
The next person that defends this non-decision, should have to stand to the right of Charles Barkley on every tee shot for a year.One handed?
Tiger....youcandoit!
5. ABC isn't getting out fast enough.
I never thought someone could be worse than Peter Kostis, but I was wrong.If Curtis Strange said, "Wow, isnt the sky a lovely blue today," it would still sound like a smart-ass comment.
6. The 4-Hole, 5-Hole or any other multi-hole playoff, should be banned from golf forever.
I'll give you an 18-hole playoff, if you really want to tell me it isn't a basket of plain white toast either, but...
4 holes?
Ah, nope.
Too many folks have to move, too long to get it started, too much chance of a total crash, too many other to mention.
They should have gone back down 18, or off #1 or #9 for sudden death like the Masters and be done with it.
7. Watson's Swing is a classic, Tiger's is closer to a Vlasic.
When they did the side-by-side comparison of Watsons '77 swing and his '09 version, they should have done '09 Watson and '09 Tiger.
It would have done golf a great service and maybe opened Elrick's eyes.
Even my 10 year-old nieces could have spotted the obvious differences.
And by-the-way, Snead in '74 and Watson in '09...wonder if they'll be any of these fad methods of the new millennium showing up in high-speed at major in 30 years with a 60 year-old attached?There is ZERO doubt about it.
No matter the physical conditioning, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, cycling, etc. are beyond the limitations of the human being of that age.
Period.
Golf is different, and Sam Snead proved that by almost winning the '74 PGA at age 62.
Lesson Learned:
Even if Watson or Snead won, or Tiger does the same in 2035, any talk of "Greatest Sports Achievement," just because a man if this age wins a major, should be done with an asterisk near your right middle finger and a tongue planted in your cheek.
Trust me, if Snead had done in in '74, there would have been no such talk.
Upset of the century in this case? Maybe.
2. The 60 year-old rule is stupid.
Why this rule was put in place, when a "break 160 or you're out" rule would have been much fairer, is beyond me.
Drop it now.
3. The Young Guys played good as well.
Hey Tiger, there is BOATLOAD of guys coming.
Chris Wood.
Matteo Manassero.
Ross Fisher.
Rory McIlroy.
Ryo Ishikawa.
4. Tiger, fire this damn method.
And the coach it came with.
The next person that defends this non-decision, should have to stand to the right of Charles Barkley on every tee shot for a year.One handed?
Tiger....youcandoit!
5. ABC isn't getting out fast enough.
I never thought someone could be worse than Peter Kostis, but I was wrong.If Curtis Strange said, "Wow, isnt the sky a lovely blue today," it would still sound like a smart-ass comment.
6. The 4-Hole, 5-Hole or any other multi-hole playoff, should be banned from golf forever.
I'll give you an 18-hole playoff, if you really want to tell me it isn't a basket of plain white toast either, but...
4 holes?
Ah, nope.
Too many folks have to move, too long to get it started, too much chance of a total crash, too many other to mention.
They should have gone back down 18, or off #1 or #9 for sudden death like the Masters and be done with it.
7. Watson's Swing is a classic, Tiger's is closer to a Vlasic.
When they did the side-by-side comparison of Watsons '77 swing and his '09 version, they should have done '09 Watson and '09 Tiger.
It would have done golf a great service and maybe opened Elrick's eyes.
Even my 10 year-old nieces could have spotted the obvious differences.
