HK OPEN | REVIEW
Man For All Seasons Paul Prendergast had only one thing on his mind when he travelled to the Emirates Australian Open last month – watch his idol – the ageless Tom Watson – put on a show ... which he duly delivered.
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t’s one of life’s great ironies that we sometimes don’t fully appreciate great moments until they’ve passed us by. We don’t get to enjoy our time over, so the recent opportunity to witness the legend Tom Watson in action at the Emirates Australian Open in Sydney last month was an occasion to savour. Jet-lagged from a flight from South Africa and deep in the grip of ‘flu, there was still no stopping the 63-year-old Watson who charmed fellow competitors and audiences alike. From the moment he set foot on The Lakes Golf Club during a windswept Wednesday proam to the time he tapped in his final putt on an equally blustery Sunday, Watson’s class shone through as the rest of the field humbly followed along in his shadow. Watson, who has five Open Championships and a Hong Kong Open title among dozens of others to his credit, may be open to a possible return Down Under in future but who knows? The last time Jack Nicklaus played in Australia was during the 1998 Greg Norman Classic at The Australian Golf Club; a course that neighbours The Lakes, redesigned originally by Nicklaus during the 1970s and in fact, again as we speak. The Golden Bear was 57-years-old at the time, made the cut and finished under par for the 72 holes – but it never occurred to us Australians at the time that we wouldn’t see him play on our turf again. Comparing the actions of these two greats of the game in those two tournaments, it’s easy to
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Watson (pictured here at Royal St George’s during the 2011 Open Championship) loves nothing more than playing in testing conditions, something he certainly experienced at last month’s Australian Open (opposite) 32
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In Australia, Watson was both metronomical and economical in the consistency of his swing and ball striking, despite not being at all well for the entire week.
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Watson, who has eight major titles to his credit, is seen above with the Claret Jug after winning The Open in 1977 at Turnberry, the so-called “Duel in the Sun”, where he famously defeated Jack Nicklaus; the Golden Bear was again on the receiving end of Watson’s brilliance in 1982 when the latter hold this chip on the 17th hole (opposite) to all but sew up the US Open 34
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see why Watson continues to be a threat at his age on the Champions Tour and can hold his own with much younger players, something that was most memorably highlighted in 2009 when he came within a whisker of winning The Open at Turnberry. Watson, who was appointed US Ryder Cup captain for a second time soon after returning home (see sidebar), remains in better shape and with levels of flexibility that would put men more than half his age to shame. His physical condition is allowing him to do what Nicklaus could not when he last played in Australia. It was significant to note the length of Watson’s swing at 63 in comparison to Nicklaus at 57. Nicklaus had long before started to become shorter in his backswing, as did Arnold Palmer in that age bracket. Watson by comparison was still supple and athletic enough to be able to swing the club back past parallel. At The Lakes, he was both metronomical and economical in the consistency of his swing and ball striking, despite not being at all well for the entire week. His short game remains sharp and was a critical factor in ensuring he made the cut for the weekend late in round two. Over the final three holes, he chipped stone dead for par, holed a 40-foot birdie putt and scrambled for par from a deep bunker to shoot four-under 68, the joint best round of the day. His putting stroke, in particular, looked more solid than the nervous action he was employing to largely great effect to nearly claim that sixth Open Championship three years ago. Not that Watson was particularly happy with his performance, in Sydney or during the previous week at Sun City. When asked what a ‘pass mark’ was for him at this stage of his career, his reply of: “Better than I did now,” illustrates the high standards he maintains – perhaps the most crucial element to his longevity. “The even rounds [68 and 69 on days two and four] are what’s good,” he continued. “There’ll be some more practice sessions to help get the ball on the clubface a little more consistently so I can still compete. Not hitting the ball solidly is the thing that concerns me. I’ve always been pretty good hitting it on the clubface. Hitting it fat, hitting it thin, mis-hitting a lot, that gives you cause for concern. “I got a little bit closer today I thought, but it’s not there yet.” Walking with Watson and his pro-am group on Wednesday with not more than 20 other spectators, I marvelled at his ball striking in the 40km wind conditions and was left in awe at the quality of a 3-iron struck unerringly into the gale and into the hole for an eagle two on the tough par-4 16th. By this point, he had well and truly won over HKGOLFER.COM
his playing partners with his good grace and generosity as much as his play. Despite looking pretty unwell, Watson unfailingly assisted each of his amateur partners with every shot – club selection, chipping and reading the lines on putts. To me, this was in stark contrast to other professionals who were seen striding a hundred metres ahead of their partners as if they were infected with the plague. Playing with Watson, former Australian cricket great Ian Healy told me that “Tom had fixed me” off the tee, and was shaking his head at the great man’s play. Fellow partner Geoff Merrill – the noted Australian winemaker – looked to have completely abdicated every decision about his own round to Watson by the turn, with good effect. Along the way, Watson signed every piece of paraphernalia that was thrust under his nose, even re-aligning people who wanted photos with him so the sun was in the right location. HKGOLFER.COM
It was significant to note the length of Watson’s swing at 63 in comparison to Nicklaus at 57. Nicklaus had long before started to become shorter in his backswing, as did Arnold Palmer in that age bracket. Watson by comparison was still supple and athletic enough to be able to swing the club back past parallel. This decency and respect for the galleries and fellow players continued throughout the week with a loyal following in tow through all four rounds. Numbers also swelled considerably after Watson fought back from an opening 78 to be four-under at the turn in round two and a chance to make the weekend action. The galleries were in raptures as Watson drained a ‘Watson of old’ snake on his penultimate hole, replete with low fist pump and that famous gap-toothed grin, to ensure he wasn’t going home early. “I hate missing cuts, it means you’ve failed.” Watson told us after the round, revealing he had not missed a cut internationally in his career outside of The Open. Watson gathered fans young and old, with his personal touch and a few well chosen words of encouragement, but his most ardent admirer is now likely to HK Golfer・JAN 2013
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Guan, the Chinese wunderkind, got more than he bargained for as Watson stunned everyone by asking him to join him for a practice round at Augusta on the Tuesday of the championship. Come April, they will be the youngest and the oldest competitors in the field in what will be Watson’s 40th Masters.
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be 14-year-old Guan Tian-lang, the Chinese prodigy who won the recent Asia-Pacific Amateur title to qualify for this year’s Masters. Guan will become the youngest player to grace the fairways at Augusta National and was at The Lakes at the invitation of Golf Australia. Watson met Guan in the media area after the second round after he and his parents had waited for the chance of an autograph and a photo opportunity. Guan got more than he bargained for as Watson stunned everyone by asking him to join him for a practice round at Augusta on the Tuesday of the championship. Come April, they will be the youngest and the oldest competitors in the field in what will be Watson’s 40th Masters. The American, who Whether the Guangzhou-based Guan fully hails from Kansas, fired appreciates the storied achievements of the great a brilliant 69 in windy man is unknown but he was clearly the star struck conditions to complete his Australian Open experience teenager. Watson made a point of chatting to him each time he saw him too, providing advice (above); at the press on his choice of a local caddie and tournament conference in New York preparation. “I remember my first time, 1970. following his selection as the 2014 Ryder Cup captain I was all of 20-years-old. I went out there and 36
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missed the cut,” he said. Watson clearly enjoys these opportunities to guide youngsters on their way, just as elder players helped him when he started out on tour. “They remind me of how I was, I like that. I know what they’re feeling,” he smiled. Watson completed his tournament in high winds with a three-under par 69, outscoring his much younger partner, Gold Coaster Matt Ballard by two strokes before gales halted play for four hours. A laced hybrid into the wind on the final hole set up the opportunity of a fairytale finish but his lengthy birdie putt came up agonisingly short. And with that, he was gone. An inquisitive Justin Rose asked after his score while Watson was signing his card and had a look of astonishment then a broad grin when he learned of the master’s bogey-free round in the conditions. “That’s amazing,” he said with a shake of the head. If this was to be the final round Watson plays in Australia, it was a fitting finish. Can he see himself returning in the future? “Who knows?” he said with a smile. “I’ve certainly enjoyed being here in this country – seeing the Outback, Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns – there are a lot of things I’ve done here. “I’d also like to go to Tasmania or the western part of Australia. There’s always a chance.” If not however, we can only doff our caps and echo the sentiments of a spectator who called out to Watson during the final round: ‘Thanks for the memories, Tom.’ It’s been our honour. HKGOLFER.COM
Watson’s Ryder Cup Call Tom Watson will become the oldest captain in Ryder Cup history after being named as United States skipper for the 2014 event at Gleneagles upon his return from Australia. “I was waiting for about 20 years to get the call,” he told the American broadcast network ABC. “It is a great honour to do it again.” Eight-time Major champion Watson was the last US captain to record an away win, with a 1993 victory at the Belfry. David Toms and Larry Nelson were also tipped to take the job for the event which runs from 26-28 September 2014. The decision, news of which was broken on NBC’s morning Today Show ahead of a formal news conference near the top of New York’s Empire State Building, represents a move away from the PGA of America’s policy of appointing major-winning players in their mid-to-late 40s as skipper for the biennial competition. At 65 when play begins in Scotland, Watson will overtake John Henry Taylor, who was 62 when he performed the role for Great Britain in 1933. He will also be eight years older than previous American record holder Sam Snead, who was in charge as the two sides played out a draw in 1969. The choice was backed by 14-time major winner Tiger Woods – a player Watson had previously criticised for his behaviour both on and off the course. “I’d like to congratulate Tom Watson on his selection as Ryder Cup captain,” the former world number one said. “I think he’s a really good choice. Tom knows what it takes to win, and that’s our ultimate goal. I hope I have the privilege of joining him on the 2014 United States team.” Watson admitted he is desperate for Woods to be on his side at Gleneagles.
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Said Watson: “First of all, I hope he [Woods] is on the team. “I don’t think there is a tougher competitor maybe in the history of the game than Tiger. He is someone who anyone would want on his team.” A more cautionary tone about Watson’s prospects was voiced by Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup winning captain Colin Montgomerie. “What happens if he fails?” he said. “He has to win now. If he doesn’t succeed at Gleneagles what’s going to happen in 2016? There is a lot of pressure on Tom Watson, but he can handle that – I’m sure he can. I personally wish him well. “It will be a task for anybody to take on Tom Watson because he is very well respected, very well liked and loved here in Scotland.” Former US PGA Championship winner Toms, 45, had been considered favourite before speculation grew that four-time Ryder Cup competitor Watson would return to the post after he said at the Australian Open that it would be “a great honour”to accept the challenge. Only Paul Azinger in 2008 has led the US to success in the previous six tournaments, in a spell which has also seen Love, Corey Pavin, Tom Lehman, Hal Sutton and Curtis Strange fall short. Watson is the first repeat captain for the US since Jack Nicklaus in 1987, and said he hoped his experience would ensure there would be no repeat of the collapse which saw the US throw away a fourpoint lead going into the final day in Chicago last September. “I’ve lived for that pressure, lived underneath that pressure all of my career and I just hope I can set the table for these players to go out,” he said. “I’m a stage manager, I set the stage for them and they go out and perform their act and in two years I hope that we can get it done.”
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