July30 Watsonwins
Last updated:
Tom Watson is the King of Scotland again, but only by the narrowest of margins.
The five-times Open Champion triumphed in the British Senior Open at Muirfield yesterday but only after a tense, nailbiting finale at the last hole which almost saw him throw it away – Watson eventually survived a double bogey at the 18th to win his third Senior British Open title by a single stroke.
Watson’s final round of 73 saw him finish on level par, one shot ahead of third round leader Stewart Ginn and Mark O’Meara.
Overnight, Watson trailed Aussiie Ginn by one shot but the American always seemed in the driving seat on the final day until his last-hole lapses. But Watson reckoned the turning point came at the short par-four 11th, saying: “Making birdie there to Stewart’s bogey turned the tide and gave me a little cushion.”
Three birdies allowed Watson to drop shots at the 10th, 14th and last holes and win again at Muirfield where he won The Open in 1980.
But there was no fairytale start to Nick Faldo’s seniors career – he hit a second successive round of 75 to finish in joint 14th place and behind Sam Torrance and Gordon Brand who both fired final rounds of 76 to finish joint 10th on +7.
