A half century has passed since Tom Watson captured the first of his five British Opens, defeating Jack Newton by one in an 18-hole playoff at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland.
Watson’s most memorable Open triumph, however, came in 1977 at Turnberry in Scotland when he closed with a 65 to edge Jack Nicklaus by a stroke in what became known as the Duel in the Sun. Turnberry was also the venue for one of Watson’s toughest losses. In the 2009 British Open, Watson led by one on the final hole but made a bogey and fell to Stewart Cink in a four-hole playoff.
With this year’s Open starting Thursday at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, Watson, 75, reflected on his past appearances.
The following conversation has been edited and condensed.
What stands out about your British Open win in 1975?
What stands out is when I was receiving the trophy from the captain of the R&A, he said to the crowd, ‘Now I’d like to introduce as the champion golfer of the year, Tom Kite.’ That’s how unknown I was.
What did the victory do for your confidence?
It was obviously a victory in a very important tournament, but I was still trying to learn how to win. I hadn’t learned how yet. I felt I had the tools to win, but I didn’t perform when the chips were down. A lot of it has to do with trusting your golf swing, but it also had to do with swinging too fast and making quick decisions. I finally learned by walking a beat slower and deep breathing coupled with a trust in your golf swing. Things started to fall into place.
You were not a fan of links golf (seaside courses, primarily in the British Isles) at first, were you?
That’s an understatement. I hated links golf. I played the ball through the air, not on the ground. I fought it and fought it and fought it, and finally, four years later, I said, quit fighting it and accept what the course is giving you. Remind yourself of what it was like when you were just a kid. You couldn’t fly the ball on the greens. You had to roll the ball on the greens. Have the fun of doing that.
You had the victories in 1975 and 1977 even before you accepted links golf?
Yes. In 1978, I played at St. Andrews and had the lead going to the last round and I said, ‘I don’t like St. Andrews.’ I shot 76 and Nicklaus won. I didn’t like links golf until I had that talking with myself. I’ll tell you what happened in ’77. We didn’t have any wind. We played late in the day, and the winds from the morning died down every day in the afternoon.
What stands out from the victory in 1977?
Jack Nicklaus gave me the biggest compliment. Walking off the green, he said, ‘Tom, I gave you my best shot, but it wasn’t good enough. Congratulations, I’m very happy for you.’ At that time, I said to myself, maybe I can play with the big boys.
How do you look back at the loss in 2009?
I don’t think about it. I only think about it when people like you bring it up. I don’t sit there and say, what if? And I had the luxury of having been an Open champion five times. If it was my only chance to win the Open, I think it would be on my mind a little bit more.
What can you tell us about the Portrush course and what will it take to win?
The outgoing nine gives you an opportunity to score, but the incoming nine is the tough one. I really love the variety of the golf course. It is a great golf course, one of my favorites. You got to stay out of the rough and stay out of the bunkers.
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