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Sam Morrow

Tom Watson
« on: July 20, 2012, 12:08:18 PM »
Watching Tom Watson got me to thinking about his age and the longevity he is showing. He still has 9 holes but right now he is inside the cut line and I believe 63 now. Since I'm a young pup I never got to see Snead in his advanced age, was it like watching Watson now? I think Snead made his final cut on tour when he was 67 or something crazy like that. I think the exemption for past champs stops at 65, if Watson continues to play like that is there precedent for the R&A to give him a special exemption after that age?

jeffwarne

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2012, 12:18:01 PM »
Watching Tom Watson got me to thinking about his age and the longevity he is showing. He still has 9 holes but right now he is inside the cut line and I believe 63 now. Since I'm a young pup I never got to see Snead in his advanced age, was it like watching Watson now? I think Snead made his final cut on tour when he was 67 or something crazy like that. I think the exemption for past champs stops at 65, if Watson continues to play like that is there precedent for the R&A to give him a special exemption after that age?

Sam,
Snead didn't just make his final cut at 67-he shot 66-67 in consecutive rounds in a tour event!
Watson is amazing
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2012, 12:23:26 PM »
Sam -

I think at least one of the keys to Snead's and Watson's longevity was/is that they both kept almost all of the length of their backswings' intact. You could say the same for Fred Couples. His backswing is not much shorter now than when he was 25 years old.

DT

  

Sam Morrow

Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2012, 12:24:36 PM »
Sam -

I think at least one of the keys to Snead's and Watson's longevity was/is that they both kept almost all of the length of their backswings' intact. You could say the same for Fred Couples. His backswing is not much shorter now than when he was 25 years old.

DT

  


They just mentioned that Watson had been fighting a neck injury, does anyone know the extent of it? I've always been amazed that Couples swing still looks the same after the years of back problems.

Phil McDade

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2012, 12:27:42 PM »
Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open when he was 52 -- still the oldest player to win a regular Tour stop tournament. Remarkably, 10 years later, he finished T-3rd at the PGA, behind only two guys named Trevino and Nicklaus. He had three consecutive top 10 finishes in his 60s in the PGA.

Watson's playing in his 34th Open Championship this week. He looks like he'll make the cut -- again. Maybe the greatest links player in the history of the game.

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2012, 12:28:57 PM »
Why exactly would you not expect Watson to be playing at this no better than mediocre level compared to his earlier years.  Injury, injury, injury are the only excuses.

Don't any of you guys play with fit 60 year olds?

Howard Riefs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2012, 12:34:59 PM »

They just mentioned that Watson had been fighting a neck injury, does anyone know the extent of it? I've always been amazed that Couples swing still looks the same after the years of back problems.


Quote
That he is here to contest his 35th Open is a miracle given the damage to two back vertebrae he suffered on his farm three months ago.

‘I’m driving the ball well but my iron play is not very good,’ he said. ‘I’m not making excuses but I lost strength in my right hand from a nerve disorder three months ago.

‘I was working on my farm. It was I was mowing a lot of grass, about six hours’ worth. I like to mow. I like the neatness of it. You look at a golf course and how neatly it’s mowed. I like my farm the same way.

‘I was hitting the ball pretty well before it happened and couldn’t hit it at all afterwards. It was a nerve that comes out of the back of your neck where it meets your spine. It’s classic nerve compression and you lose strength. It’s in the last two fingers on my right hand.
‘But the doc gave me a shot in the neck to reduce the inflammation and my hand is getting better.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/golf/article-2175689/The-Open-2012-Tom-Watson-says-rough-tough-fair.html?ito=feeds-newsxml


Pinched nerve ... herniated disc ... call it what you will.  It's simply painful.  
"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

Sam Morrow

Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2012, 12:36:46 PM »
I've had pinched nerves in my neck and it hurts to wipe your butt let alone hit a golf ball.

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2012, 12:40:30 PM »
I've had pinched nerves in my neck and it hurts to wipe your butt let alone hit a golf ball.

Sam,

We are kind of built the same and it's not our neck that makes wiping difficult.

May I suggest: http://www.jest.com/video/1446/terrible-wiping-stick-commercial
« Last Edit: July 20, 2012, 12:42:10 PM by John Kavanaugh »

Sam Morrow

Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2012, 12:43:32 PM »
Thanks John, I'm lazy so I usually just hose myself off but I like this.

Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2012, 12:46:48 PM »
Sam He is an amazing man. I do hope he makes the cut.

Sven Nilsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2012, 01:04:58 PM »
In 1998, before my interest in GCA had been peaked, I had the honor of meeting Tom Watson during a trip to Kiawah.  He was giving a presentation at the River Course on the plans for Cassique.  The man obviously enjoys the golf world and the people in it.  During the cocktail hour that preceded the presentation, we had the chance to talk to him for a bit.  Mind you, we had been off the course for about two hours at this point but still had our golf shoes on and golf gloves visibly stuck in back pockets.  The interim had been focused on consuming mass quantities of bourbon from the open bar.  His first comment, boldly asked with a wry smile, was "You guys just get off the course?"

He also gave a brief demo on the range and fielded questions about his game and various shots, including a dead on impersonation of Calc's adventures at the Ocean Course.  He was asked if he does anything different when playing into a strong wind.  His answer was he hits it harder, not much harder, but just enough to feel like he had committed to the shot.

"As much as we have learned about the history of golf architecture in the last ten plus years, I'm convinced we have only scratched the surface."  A GCA Poster

"There's the golf hole; play it any way you please." Donald Ross

jeffwarne

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2012, 02:06:47 PM »
unbelieveable shot on 17
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #13 on: July 20, 2012, 02:23:28 PM »
What a putt, the good one on 18. I sure hope that gets Tom in for the weekend.

jeffwarne

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #14 on: July 20, 2012, 02:26:16 PM »
What a putt, the good one on 18. I sure hope that gets Tom in for the weekend.

I was sure he wasn't going to make on 17(no mark-rush) ::) and equally sure he would make on 18 ;D
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

Chris DeNigris

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #15 on: July 20, 2012, 02:26:25 PM »
How cool is that!  ;D

The athleticism on the bunker shot at 17 for a 63 year old injured guy...pretty amazing..

Then the intentional short putt miss to set up the dramatic 20 footer for birdie on 18 to make the cut is pure genius.

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #16 on: July 20, 2012, 03:24:28 PM »
unbelieveable shot on 17

unbelievable putt on 17. Reminded me of MW
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #17 on: July 20, 2012, 04:10:25 PM »
What a putt, the good one on 18. I sure hope that gets Tom in for the weekend.

It's official. He's in for the weekend.
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Patrick_Mucci

Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #18 on: July 20, 2012, 08:08:03 PM »
Sam -

I think at least one of the keys to Snead's and Watson's longevity was/is that they both kept almost all of the length of their backswings' intact. You could say the same for Fred Couples. His backswing is not much shorter now than when he was 25 years old.

David,

Interestingly, there was a study done some years ago on the Senior PGA Tour.
Those who retained long swings did well, those whose swings shortened, had a very limited shelf life.

My dad used to play with Snead frequently at the Greenbriar and Boca Raton Hotel & Resort.
I used to follow them around when I was a kid.

I played with Sam when he was in his late 80"s.
He still drove it very well, but problems with his eyes caused him to have a difficult time with his irons.
Like my dad, when he would play well, he thought his "game" had returned.
Unfortunately, as we age, the return is fleeting, but the quest to regain it is....eternal.

Watson is incredible.
Had it not been for an unfortunate bounce and a putt that's significance was unknown at the time of the stroke, he would have added another Open to his record.


  

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #19 on: July 20, 2012, 08:26:49 PM »
Mark Calcavecchia deserves a tip of the hat as well for making the cut. He is -1, tied for 15th after 2 rounds.

Sven Nilsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #20 on: July 20, 2012, 08:38:02 PM »
The list of those who did and didn't make the cut at The Open is always an interesting examination.  You can pretty much tell exactly why for each guy.  There are always a couple of head scratchers, but in general it makes sense.  Contrast that with a US Open or PGA.
"As much as we have learned about the history of golf architecture in the last ten plus years, I'm convinced we have only scratched the surface."  A GCA Poster

"There's the golf hole; play it any way you please." Donald Ross

Tiger_Bernhardt

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #21 on: July 20, 2012, 09:02:38 PM »
I find Watson's record in the Open Championship nothing short of amazing. I am proud he was able to make it in for the weekend. Pat I am going to study that long backswing thought. It does seem to hold true as far as I can tell.

Wayne_Kozun

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #22 on: July 20, 2012, 09:09:15 PM »
Thinking of what happened at Turnberry a few years ago still breaks my heart thinking about how close he came to the greatest victory ever.

Geoffrey_Walsh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #23 on: July 20, 2012, 11:33:21 PM »
Wayne,

It still bothers me to this day.

Howard Riefs

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tom Watson
« Reply #24 on: July 20, 2012, 11:50:04 PM »

It's official. He's in for the weekend.

Amazing. Watson's 25th cut out of 35 Open Championship tournaments.

Plus, he's made the cut in 7 of 11 since turning 50.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golftalkcentral/tom-watson-makes-25th-british-open-cut/

"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

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