There was an unusual problem for photographers at the British Open Golf Championship that concluded in markedly unsatisfactory fashion at the Ailsa course at Turnberry links in Turnberry, Scotland yesterday. "Location is everything," Golf.com reported:
It's hard to miss it.
That's a problem for photographers, however, because that stretch is among the most popular for pictures. Along with the cliffside beauty, they often capture the image of players with the Ailsa Craig and Turnberry Lighthouse—sometimes both—in the background.
"Why would I want a photo of that?" one photographer said, packing up his gear and looking for a better spot.
Fire the writers!
Speaking of the British Open—if that had been a movie script, you'd fire the writers. Fifty-nine-year-old Tom Watson, a five-time champion who led the field off and on all week, came down to the last hole with the win in hand—a win which would have made him the oldest major champion ever by eleven years. He played into the last hole well enough, but he got just enough of a bad break that he bogeyed the hole, allowing the much younger Stewart Cink, who had played under the radar all four days, to sneak into a playoff with him. The pleasantly surprised Cink then cheerfully outplayed a deflated Watson for the title—an outcome that no one, with the possible exception of Cink and his immediate family, wanted. Seldom has such a perfect story line been so capriciously
sabotaged—even in sports, which is as famous for inexplicable endings
as for dramatic ones.
"It would have been a hell of a story," Watson said. Photo: Robert Beck/SI
Must have been the same story writer who had the bright idea of bringing Michael Jordan out of retirement to play for the Wizards. That's the problem with sports—no one's in charge of the script. Of course no one really wants sports events to be scripted. But as Thomas Boswell wrote about yesterday (Ted Johnson sent me this): "What kind of napping divinity allows such mischief, even in the devil's game?"
Mike
And...where is the E-P1 review?
Posted by: x | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 12:45 PM
Much as it wasn't the fairytale ending, I thought Cink was remarkably gracious in victory, much as his defeated opponent would have been.
Posted by: Martin Doonan | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 01:12 PM
When Watson missed the putt at 18, I turned off the TV and went outside to mow the lawn. I knew that was it.
Posted by: Ted Johnson | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 01:18 PM
And that's what makes sports so interesting -- no one's in charge of the script.
Posted by: Speed | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 01:31 PM
Maybe more pro sports should learn from professional wrestling. It won't be "fake" since it will still be "athletic". Solves the doping problem, too.
Posted by: KeithB | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 01:34 PM
All Americans should be truly proud that their country can produce a sportsman of the quality and integrity and true humility of this great man, he is indeed a very special person.
Posted by: Michael | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 02:44 PM
The placing of a yacht in a prime position emblazoned with a company logo seemed pretty opportune to me (from that companies point of view) but totally unnecessary for the spectators and it did impinge on a fine view. I hope the police/PGA or who-ever find a way of not letting it happen again!
I think most golfers would have cringed at Tom's choice of club at the side of the green at the last. That was a big ask for a putter. No disrespect to Cink but what a sad ending to a spectacular dream. I am sure those of us who grew up with Tom and his genius over the years feel for him very deeply.
Posted by: JohnL | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 02:46 PM
I'm not a golf fanatic, but I sure know who Tom Watson is, and remember pretending to be him when I was a kid, putting in the living room.
That a (nearly) sextagenarian legend outplayed everyone else in the game until the bitter end of this prestigious tournament is an awesome story, and will be long-remembered.
I also like that he basically said "yeah, I screwed it up at the end" and handled this roller-coaster ride gracefully. He would have been within his rights, in my humble opinion, to smash the turf with a putter, or hurl a ball or two!
Posted by: jchristian | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 04:08 PM
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth games, governments here in Australia actually put *laws* in place to stop people doing that sailing boat trick.
That's right - if you tried anything clever like standing at the side of a parade or event with a banner, or dressing up a row of people to spell out you company name, you would be whisked away by police. Established commercial interests vs. guerrilla commercial interests!
Posted by: Steven Pam | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 04:40 PM
I liked this report
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124804424287663471.html#mod=WSJ_myyahoo_module
That old geezer is a year younger than I am.
Posted by: Clayton Lofgren | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 04:50 PM
Tom's one of my sporting heroes and I felt gutted for him. With Alberto Contador stealing a march over Lance in the Tour and Cavendish's unfair disqualification, Sunday represented the worst possible series of outcomes for me. It wasn't very good for those directly involved either...
Posted by: Bruce Robbins | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 05:46 PM
Would it be crass to say "well, there's always next time"?
Posted by: Patrick Dodds | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 05:53 PM
Cink might have won the day, but Watson won the Open in everyone's heart.
Posted by: Noons | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 06:07 PM
It's too bad that we have this win or nothing attitude. Tom finished second in a field of the best golfers at one of the top events in the world - that's a wonderful story in of itself - I'm inspired and moved. I feel the same way about Lance Armstrong. While it looks likely he will finish 2nd this year people will consider it a failure but I consider it a triumphant validation of his 7 other victories and it will hopefully put to rest all the whispering about doping. Seeing men like Watson and Armstrong make me realize that even though I am 46 - I still might have a little game in me yet. maybe...
Posted by: Kurt | Monday, 20 July 2009 at 07:02 PM
looks like he just got off the starship enterprise... and went golfing. ;-)
Posted by: Mike Watson | Tuesday, 21 July 2009 at 12:38 AM
Tom lost to his achilles heel..the 5 to 10 footer.
This is what haunted him in his last years on the regular PGA tour..the heebee geebees over the putter on putts of this length...he did quite well through the tourney but it came back to roost in the end.
Fantastic story though, how hard is it to keep that lead for 4 days in and out?
It's extremely difficult to do this..golf is SO difficult.
Posted by: David | Tuesday, 21 July 2009 at 11:11 AM
Well, well, I could have thought of much worse things to happen in the golf world, but then again, I am a writer, I like a good tragedy :)
Posted by: Peter Hovmand | Friday, 07 August 2009 at 03:09 AM