The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Watson: Nicklaus and I had our day in the sun Golf: American lauds Sunday’s Open shootout as the best ever
The man who won golf’s previous Greatest Duel – that one in the Sun – has no doubts.
“You’re going to ask me, how does it compare to Duel in the Sun?” said Tom Watson of Sunday’s Open finale as he arrived at Carnoustie for this week’s Senior Open.
“It was better. It was better. You just look at the facts, the facts of the matter – Henrik shot eight under par in the last round of a very tough golf course; Phil shot five under, no bogeys.
“It was a shootout right from the start. Great shot after great shot. Great putt after great putt.
“It was one for the ages. It was really something special and we live for that.”
The legend will live as long as his tussle with Jack Nicklaus, Watson believes.
“The aura of this championship won’t wear off, “he continued. “People, when they talk about the Open, they will say, ‘yes, Stenson and Mickelson at Troon.’
“Henrik was overdue to win a major championship. Mickelson is not over the hill. He’s obviously playing very well.
“Jack and I, we had a pretty good contest. But
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look at the facts – they were 13 under and Jack and I were nine under. If I had to rank it, I’d have to rank it above ours.”
Back at Carnoustie, where he won the first of his five Opens, Watson is struck by how little has changed.
“The first description I had of Carnoustie was ‘it’s the toughest course in the rotation’ and it still is,” he said. “It makes me play every hole, there is no letup anywhere.
“Every hole and every shot has an issue to it, and we have to deal with those when we play this course.
“It’s unchanged. I look at the tees and think ‘did I play these back in 1975 or did they add a few yards?’ I can’t see the difference.
“The 18th played a little bit longer. The tees have been moved back a little bit but the rest of the courses remain the same here.”
At 66, Watson still feels competitive in the senior game, although he concedes that he sensed the length and the speed go four years ago.
He is more accepting of the honorary role he has, like accepting life membership of Monifieth Links last night, where he hit his first shot in links golf 41 years ago. But he wouldn’t be here if he thought he could not compete.
“At Carnoustie, I’d better drive the ball well, it’s imperative here,” he said.
“That’s what I’m going to do right after I leave here, I’m going to go to the practice range and make sure tha tmy driver is the best it can possibly be, because I have to have the trust in it that I can do what I need to do with the driver to put it in play.”