Open Championship

[Peter_Spaeth]

Yeah it's up there with the Sands of Nakajima. Just epic. I cannot imagine many guys have lost a tournament on the 18th hole with a triple bogey. I suppose it would have been a real miracle if despite that he pulled himself together and won the playoff. But that wasn't going to happen any more than Watson was going to win a playoff after blowing a two stroke lead on 18. Still a pretty amazing final round by Lawrie considering where he started the day.

[2dueces]

Norman had a 6 shot lead in the final round of the 1996 Masters and lost to Faldo. That was painful to watch.

[stlcardsfan]

Yeah and Norman lost to Faldo by 5 shots. Faldo shot 67 and Norman 78.

[stlcardsfan]

Watson needed a par 4 to win at Turnberry in 2009 and made a bogey 5.

Michelson had the US Open at Winged Foot won but made a 6 on 18 to hand it to Geoff Ogilvy. That was painful.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by stlcardsfan

Watson needed a par 4 to win at Turnberry in 2009 and made a bogey 5.

Michelson had the US Open at Winged Foot won but made a 6 on 18 to hand it to Geoff Ogilvy. That was painful.

Watson had a very makeable birdie putt, and a relatively easy comebacker for par, either of which would have given him perhaps the most remarkable golf victory of all time, a major at age 59. It's almost unfathomable that he was where he was. But in the end, he could not defeat time, just make it stand still for a little while I guess.

[stlcardsfan]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Watson had a very makeable birdie putt, and a relatively easy comebacker for par, either of which would have given him perhaps the most remarkable golf victory of all time, a major at age 59. It's almost unfathomable that he was where he was. But in the end, he could not defeat time, just make it stand still for a little while I guess.

It would have been awesome had he won. His second shot on 18 was struck perfectly, and according to many (including Tom) landed about one yard too far or it would have ended up right next to the flag - easy two putt par for the win. Instead it just had a little too much roll and rolled just off the slope at the back of the green, making it a difficult up and down that unfortunately he couldn't pull off.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I could be wrong but I don't recall it being a particularly difficult up and down, except perhaps for the circumstances. But even so it was a remarkable and mind-boggling thing, at age 59 -- an absurd 32 years after the duel in the sun with Nicklaus -- he had absolutely no business putting to win the British Open. Nicklaus had finished 5th in the 1998 (?) Masters at age 56 and that was pretty amazing too, although I don't recall him being in serious contention to win it on the back nine.