2009 Open Championship Clippings, 54-Hole Edition

Just when you thought Friday's wild events would make for a great day of filings, the possibilities Sunday have the scribes working overtime to put the enormity of Tom Watson into perspective. Not an easy thing to do as the entire concept of a 59-year old winning is still unfathomable to most of us, even after Greg Norman's run last year.

Want to know how big the story is? There were almost no Tiger-missed-the-cut redux specials.

Anyway, gentleman, boot your laptops...

Ledes

Ian Chadband in the Telegraph:

Last time, it was the Duel in the Sun; this time, it could be the Duel with the English Sons.

Larry Dorman in the New York Times:

For just a moment on Saturday, this whole dream vision of Tom Watson, 59 years old and leading the 138th British Open, seemed to have caught up to him — just as his young pursuers had.

But as he did the day before, and as he had done so often in days gone by, Watson resolutely refused to go away.

AP's Doug Ferguson writes:

Tom Watson has a plan to win the British Open. It no longer reads like a fairy tale.

James Corrigan in the Independent:

This is getting serious. Tom Watson is on the brink of golf's most stunning victory.

Watson

If you have time, check out Watson's post-3rd round interview. Lots of great exchanges thanks to some surprising questions. This was fun:

Q. How does the wind affect the modern ball versus what you were playing back in '77?

TOM WATSON: Well, the wind doesn't affect it nearly as much. The modern ball goes straighter; it doesn't curve as much. It's a harder ball to play downwind, I think. The old ball was a better ball to play downwind. But into the wind and crosswind, the modern ball is much better. It doesn't curve as much and it bores through the wind better.

Tom English in The Scotsman:

OLD Tom Morris's whiskers will be fairly twitching up there in the golfing gods. He's watching. Don't doubt it. Watching and cheering. You don't believe it? Fair enough.

It's a fanciful tale to be sure. Mystic nonsense. Okay. So come up with another reason for what's been going on at Turnberry this week. Explain the mysteries of Tom Watson taking a one-shot lead into the final round of the Open championship at the age of 59. Tell us about the huge putts he holed, the fortunate bounces, the feeling in the air around him.

And...

We are talking history on an unimaginable scale. Not just Old Tom Morris but Harry Vardon, too. Vardon is the only man who has ever won six Open championships.

Mark Reason in the Telegraph:

They gave Tom Watson a standing ovation as he walked onto the 18th green, but it was strangely different to the one that Greg Norman received at Birkdale last year.

Norman’s Saturday evening was lit by sentimental sunlight, as if the heavens knew that this was the Australian’s moment. Watson walked home beneath a muted sky and the crowd sensed that ol’ Tom’s moment of magic may still be to come.

Gene Wojciechowski for ESPN.com:

Thanks for saving this Open Championship from post-Tiger Woods withdrawal. Thanks for single-handedly rescuing a tournament that had its steering wheel turned toward ZZZZZurnberry and a leaderboard of Who's-That?, What's-His-Face and So-and-So.

We owe you, Tom Watson.

Doug Ferguson on Jack Nicklaus playing some tennis before retiring to his couch to watch Watson, shed a few tears, send his first text message and issue this proclamation:

"Whether or not Tom players well tomorrow, whether or not he wins, it doesn't make a difference," Nicklaus said. "Of course, we would all love to see Tom win, but what he has accomplished already is a phenomenal achievement.

Paul Forsyth in The Scotsman:

Watson's competitive instincts are what have made the last few days possible. Like Nicklaus, he has resolved never to be a ceremonial golfer, which casts doubt on the wisdom of the R&A's decision to grant exemptions only to players aged 60 or under. Next year's Open at St Andrews will be Watson's last, unless he chooses to go through qualifying.

The man is an inspiration. Not only is he an example to the weekend hackers ambling towards retirement, he is a reason to take up golf in the first place, for in no other sport is it possible to play, and compete, for so long. He has lifted Seve Ballesteros, who says it has made him want to make a comeback. Nicklaus, too, is watching on television, doubtless rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Never mind Old Tom Morris, old Tom Watson is on the brink of something special.

Jaime Diaz breaks down a possible Watson win more scientifically and says it would rank as the greatest single tournament victory in the history of golf.

John Hopkins in the Times:

Such a performance would surpass the victory in the 1986 Masters by Jack Nicklaus when he was 46. It would exceed Ben Hogan's victory in the 1950 US Open 16 months after he had nearly been killed in a car accident in Texas. Tiger Woods's acquisition of 14 major championships pale in comparison. Even Woods's 15-stroke victory in the 2000 US Open, an achievement Watson calls the most impressive thing he has ever known in golf, would be a lesser achievement than a man who is two months short of his 60th birthday winning one of the game's four annual major championships.

Garry Smits also puts a Watson win above the Nicklaus comeback at the 1986 Masters. Maybe Watson has Weiskopf's return to the booth to thank?

Bob Smiley lands a shot of Watson's unique courtesy car.

Fisher, Westwood and Goggin

John Huggan tells us all about Ross Fisher and includes this:

Paired with the 1989 champion at Royal Troon, Mark Calcavecchia, in a near facsimile of the "tortoise and the hare", the oh-so-slow-moving Fisher made the sort of start every player yearns for before the off. A pair of steady pars at the opening holes was followed immediately by a nifty 20-foot putt for birdie at the par-4 third. Suddenly, the world was a beautiful place, appropriate given the spectacular scenery that surrounds the storied Ailsa course.

One did have to wonder, however, just how taken Calcavecchia was with Fisher's tortuous pace. He is, after all, the man who described being paired with Sir Nick as "like playing alone, only slower".

Speaking of Fisher's pace, Mark Reason tags along with John Paramor and explains in must read fashion the methodology on Open slow play timing. It seems Fisher has been close to a penalty several times.

When a golfer is put on the clock he has 40 seconds to play unless he is the first in the group to hit. On Friday morning Fisher received his bad time for taking 67 seconds. He then took 44 seconds over seven subsequent shots.

A cruel referee could have penalised Fisher on each of those occasions, but Paramor is more like a benign policeman. He gives the player 10 per cent leeway, like a traffic cop only pulling in a driver for doing 78mph on the motorway. This week Paramor invited the Telegraph to see how he goes about his business.

And this was beautiful:

Another message comes through on Paramor’s earpiece. Even the news of Tiger missing the cut couldn’t be more exciting. It’s time to put Monty’s group on the clock. Colin Montgomerie, one of the fastest players on tour, KJ Choi, not one of the fastest players on tour, and Zach Johnson are behind schedule.

Paramor steers his buggy under the ropes and waits for the players. He tells each man in turn that they are on the clock. Choi gives him an old-fashioned look. There is history here. Paramor gave the Korean a bad time in his national Open. Monty looks like a firecracker has exploded behind his eyes.

He quickens his pace and heads straight for a 'ball spotter’ working for the BBC. The man has twice got in the group’s way and held up play. Monty has words and the man in the stripy jumper flees the course.

Richard Bath on Westwood's one greedy play and how it cost him a tie of the lead.

Within sight of the 18th green, it was a policy that looked certain to see him end the day with one of the handful of under-par rounds, and within a shot of overnight leader Tom Watson's mark of four-under. But then Westwood got greedy. He eschewed caddy Billy Foster's sage advice to hit right to compensate for the wind, ignored his own plan to go for the meat of the green, and went for the pin. Had he gone for the heart of the green, his shot would have been pin-high. Instead, it flumped into the bank of impenetrable grass just short of the green and plugged. His first attempt to dislodge the ball barely moved it, and although his second was a sublimely deft lob that put him close enough to finish with a single putt, he had still dropped back to two-under, a shot behind Matthew Goggins and compatriot Ross Fisher, and two behind Watson.

Paul Kelso consider England's chances.

Of the two, Westwood is most obviously ready to step up to the highest level. A European Tour fixture for 15 years, he has recovered the consistency that saw him win the Order of Merit a year after Lawrie’s Open win, and is increasingly putting himself in contention for majors.

At last year’s US Open, he was a shot away from joining Woods and Rocco Mediate in a play-off, and having seen off Woods in the opening two rounds here this week, he had no excuse for a shortage of self-belief.

Steve Elling on Westwood's chances, includes this:

Playing alongside Woods and Japanese teen Ryo Ishikawa, Westwood birdied the first three holes of the first round and has had few major issues since, at least compared with most players. Westwood cracked that the media circus left town Saturday, sort of like Woods and Ishikawa, who both missed the cut.
"I couldn't believe it on the first tee today; there were about five photographers there," he said. "I wondered where they had all gone. I thought they were there for me [the first two days], but obviously not."

Derek Clements on Matt Goggin and his pairing with Watson Sunday.

One of the highlights of his professional career was when he played with Tom Watson in the third round of The Open at Royal St George’s in 2003. “I just learnt so much from him. I mean, here was a guy who was getting on in years, but he just hit the ball beautifully and managed his game and the course superbly. To be honest, it was scary how good he was. Six years later, here he is at the top of the leaderboard again. It’s just incredible,” he said.

Reason in the Telegraph:

Fisher, the bookies’ favourite, does not talk about winning a major, he talks about winning majors. That is good to hear, but he will have to hole the putts today. Fisher has the long game, but does he have the touch and the unblinking belief to hole the clutch putts.

Will It Come Down To 17?

Oliver Brown in The Telegraph:

On Friday, the one day when the 17th played downwind, the field helped themselves to birdies with uncommon voracity. Among the top-20 players profiting from yesterday’s more placid conditions, only one, Justin Rose, failed to pick up a shot.

“The one hole that is disappointing is 17,” he said. “They moved the tee so far back that it’s a very boring hole. It plays so long that you can’t reach the green in two.

And while you're reading about the course, Jim McCabe zeroes in on the par-5 7th and Jim Furyk's play there.

Miscellany

John Huggan addresses the annual absurdity of all the empty seats on No. 18, the interview room, Dan Jenkins, the ridiculous 9th fairway and the wonderful 16th.

Justin Rose is at +2 over and envisions a scenario where he could make a comeback.

Mark Soltau with the day's best quotes, and Weinman/Johnson file birdies and bogeys including some fun on-site observations.

Ewan Murray on Seve's hoped-for return in 2010 at St. Andrews.