Tom Watson still a major player at age 58

At 58, age-defying Watson still shines as major player

By Lynn DeBruin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 27, 2008 at 9:18 p.m.

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Hunter Martin/Getty Images

Tom Watson hits a shot during the first round of the Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 22.

Poll

Will you attend the U.S. Senior Open this week?

29th U.S. Senior Open

* When: Today through Sunday.

* Where: The Broadmoor East Course, Colorado Springs.

* Attendance: More than 150,000 spectators are expected to attend throughout the week.

* Field: 156 professionals and amateurs (age 50 and older).

* Format: 72-hole stroke play; field will be cut to low 60 and ties plus anyone within 10 strokes of the leader after the completion of the second round.

* TV: Thursday and Friday, ESPN, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, KUSA-Ch. 9, 1-4 p.m.

* Tickets: Prices are $20 for practice rounds, $40 and higher for tournament rounds. Available at USSO.Broadmoor.com/tickets.php, 2008USSenior Open.com or King Soopers stores or by calling 877-281-OPEN (6736).

* Daily schedule

Play begins at about 7 a.m. daily and concludes at about 7 p.m.

Today: Practice round.

Tuesday: Practice round.

Wednesday: Practice round.

Thursday: First round.

Friday: Second round.

Saturday: Third round.

Sunday: Final round.

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Tom Watson may not know the Broadmoor East course like he knows Ballybunion in Ireland, but that's not to say the five-time British Open champion isn't familiar with Colorado.

The Hall of Fame golfer has white-water rafted here several times, pulled a trout out of Steamboat Lake, hiked the Flat Tops Wilderness and crossed the daunting Devils Causeway 11,800 feet above sea level.

Clearly, he isn't exaggerating when he says, "It's a favorite state of mine."

What's also clear is that the man who has won just about every conceivable tournament, including his amazing run at the British Open, two Masters and a U.S. Open, would like to add the 2008 U.S. Senior Open in Colorado Springs to his trophy case.

"It's a very special tournament for me, and I had it in my grasp," he said of last year's event. "I had the reins and I lost the reins."

He was talking about Whistling Straits a year ago, when he blew a three-shot lead with eight holes to play en route to a back-nine 43 to finish fourth behind Brad Bryant.

It only added to the pain of three runner-up finishes in the event since he became a regular on the Champions Tour in 2000.

While statistics show the average age of winners on the senior circuit this year is 53.3, Watson, at 58, has bucked the trend, winning twice already in 2008 - at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am and Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.

"In my case, it's genes," said Watson, who doesn't talk much about an arthritic left hip that eventually will need to be replaced.

"My mom and dad created some good genes in my body and I've been able to remain pretty flexible and play the game without too many injury problems. As we get older, there are all types of injuries we have to deal with and have got to take time off for. And to get well at our age, you've got to take more time off. I've been very fortunate."

That's not to say Watson doesn't make fun of himself.

At this year's Masters, where he missed the cut, he said, "I'm getting old" when asked about his play.

"Last year I hit the wrong ball by mistake and today I forgot to move my ball back when I moved the coin," he said of the two-stroke penalty. "So I'm getting old. I'm losing strokes the easy way by doing stupid things."

The guy with the Huck Finn smile and the Midwestern roots said the key to his game is keeping things a little simpler.

"Physically I don't have the speed that I once had with the golf swing. I'm not 26 anymore," he said. "Mentally, I'm not as prepared as I used to be. I understood golf courses better. Today, I just try to keep it simpler, just try to avoid areas where I know you're not supposed to hit the golf ball."

While Watson, who tied for fifth Sunday in the Senior British Open, said his life still revolves around golf, it's not the No. 1 passion that he wakes up with anymore.

He has taken time to do other things, as evidenced by a trip last year to the Middle East as part of a United Service Organizations-sponsored group that included David Feherty, Butch Harmon, Howard Twitty, Tom Lehman and Joe Inman.

They visited 11 bases in seven days, as he said, "trying to make (the troops) smile as best we could."

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