tom watson

tom watson


Tom Watson leads british open, Two other past champions on his heels,


Fifty-nine, 52 and 49. Nope, those aren't scores shot on the front nine Thursday by different golfers struggling with the wind; those are the ages of Tom Watson, Mark O'Meara and Mark Calcavecchia, respectively, three past Open Champion winners who are all in contention in 2009 after opening rounds that made you think it was 1998 again. Watson was the story of the day early, shooting a first-round 65 to take the early lead at the Open on a course he made famous in 1977 when he out-dueled Jack Nicklaus for his second of five Claret Jugs. O'Meara, who made it two majors in the same year back in '98 with an arm-raised win at Royal Birkdale, opened with a 3-under 67 that included seven birdies at Turnberry. Calc, who hasn't been a factor on the PGA Tour since 2007, when he won the PODS Championship, tied O'Meara at 3-under par, and is currently just two shots back of Watson.

At 59, Watson strode around the links course as one of golf’s genial elder statesmen, a revered figure who joins the PGA Tour players only twice a year now, for the Masters and British Open. He has, however, made waves at a major championship in his advancing years, shooting a 65 in the first round of the 2003 United States Open. He became the inspirational story of that tournament, however, mostly because his caddie, Bruce Edwards, was carrying his bag while battling A.L.S. Edwards died a year later.

This time, he showed his mastery of links golf, a style that has always suited him with his ability to play balls low and bounce them onto the green and close to the hole.