Special Watson bids farewell to Augusta with usual class
IT is an enormous privilege simply to walk this great golf course. But it was very special indeed to follow Tom Watson on his final journey up the 18th fairway for what was probably his last hole in Majors golf on Friday evening.
The 66-year-old two-time winner at Augusta National — and a winner of eight majors in all — received a standing ovation as he walked on to the green one last time, reducing hulking southern men with ill-fitting golf shirts to tears as he knocked in his putt for par.
Watson was in tears too. But by his own admission the course is simply too long for him these days. Lee Westwood remarked on Thursday that his playing partner was hitting woods when he and Charley Hoffman were taking eight and nine irons and, after an impressive 74 in his opening round, Watson slipped to eight over to miss the cut. His caddie said he was desperately trying to make the cut, but the putts just wouldn’t drop this time.
It has been an emotional week for Watson, starting with what marked the end of one particular ritual. Watson’s late caddie, Bruce Edwards, always had an egg-salad sandwich ready for him at the 13th tee, and since his death on the morning of the first round in 2004, Watson has laid a sandwich in his memory at the par five.
On the 18th on Friday his current caddie, Neil Oxman, started to walk ahead to let Watson soak up the glory only for the great champion to call him back. Watson said: ‘I told him, “You’re walking up the last hole with me. I really appreciate what you’ve done for me,” and I started to tear up. It was special to be able to walk up there with him.’
As Oxman said, Watson has spent ‘43 weeks of his life’ playing this tournament. ‘I’ve been blessed to be able to play here,’ added Watson. ‘I hope I entertained some fans here. I appreciate the way they treated me. It was really pretty special.’ That it most certainly was.