TOM PLANS A PROPER BOW NOW
ANDO’S WARY OF A GIANT-CULLEN EUAN McLEAN
TOM WATSON is desperate to seize a second chance to say farewell to St Andrews properly after blowing his final bow at The Open three years ago.
There were plenty of circumstances surrounding Watson’s emotional last walk down the 18th at the rain-delayed Open of 2015 that made it far from ideal.
With darkness descending on that chaotic Friday there was a big risk Watson’s group, including Ernie Els and Brandt Snedeker, would have to return the next morning at the crack of dawn to complete that last hole.
But even when they chose to press on in the murky fading light, Watson couldn’t muster a fitting finale with a closing bogey to complete a 12-over round of 80 that still grates with him to this day.
So this week’s first Senior Open at the home of golf has given the five-time Claret Jug winner a mulligan to cross the Swilcan Bridge one more time with head held high.
Watson said: “St Andrews is my favourite venue because the town is right here on the 18th hole.
“And of course at 10 o’clock at night in 2015 they all came out of the pubs to see some old has-been finish up his Open Championship career here.
“But the way I finished – my last four shots were a BY EUAN McLEAN shank and three putts. I want to make good of that this week. Hope I do a little bit better.
“I always remember Jack Nicklaus said, ‘Your career is not complete unless you’ve won an Open at St Andrews.’
“In a sense he’s right. This is the oldest venue in golf. It would have been nice to have that feather in my cap. But I can’t complain, I have a few others.”
At 68, don’t rule him out of plucking one more feather come Sunday night, having already played well this week to win the pre-championship pro-am.
But win or lose, he and his peers have the air of excited schoolboys to be back teeing it up on this hallowed patch.
He said: “Without a doubt I’ve seen an excitement level here. It’s palpable.
“You can feel the players loving to be here at the Old Course and we’re grateful they decided to have the tournament here for the first time.
“I’ve seen the town change since I first started here in 1978. Back then there wasn’t much here, it was pretty closed down at night. Now there’s a lot going on here and it’s fun.
“My stepdaughter got to sing in one of the pubs. She has a couple songs she can belt out. She’s on the verge. You may hear her name, Kelly Paige, here soon.” sport@dailyrecord.co.uk
AT ST ANDREWS
Molinari’s win, Thomas is probably looking at the best team we’ve had assembled for, well, almost ever.
“When you add up the new boys coming through they are not rookies any more, the way we were in ’91. It’s very much world players now.
“Alex Noren hasn’t played the Ryder Cup before but he’s a world player. Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood – world players.
“We haven’t had that before. Our rookies in the past were proper rookies and had to be hidden and protected – fathered, really, through that.
“Now it’s very different. We’ve got a great strength and depth and it’s looking extremely good for Thomas.
“The mentality of a European breaking the American run as well – we’ve had five American winners so it was about time Europe came in and broke that duck. We have now.
“That will give confidence to the rest of the lot as well.”
The other by-product of Molinari’s win is he’ll be the man in demand from the rest of the team when it comes to the fourball and foursomes pairings.
Monty, who captained Europe to a one-point victory at Celtic Manor in 2010, said: “Francesco was flawless.
“Not to drop a shot on that course in the last 37 holes, that’s incredible golf.
“It’s probably one of the great displays because with an hour-and-a-half to go 10 people could have won that Open.
“He played Faldo-esque golf, which is