GolfPlayerMania

Like most tournaments, the odds are stacked in Tigers favor and everyone wants to know what Tiger thinks of the course and the cameras follow Tiger on every shot.  After two rounds the world number one bowed out and the cameras started looking for a new story.  The new story was right there waiting for them.  Tom Watson, the 59 year old veteran was showing signs of his past and demonstrating to many youngsters the proper way to play links golf.  Although there were many stories to distract from the absence of Tiger Woods, I was only interested in the story about the golf.

A youngster named Ross Fisher would challenge all week and even take the lead in the final round.  Fisher was on stand by and would leave the tournament at anytime if his wife called and said the baby was coming.  Fisher was very distracted from golf and perhaps did not realize the position that he was in or perhaps he felt like he had nothing to loose because he would be leaving at a moments notice.  FIsher would take the lead in the final round and then he hit a quadruple bogey that would take him out of the tournament.  He finished the tournament at +2, four shots back.  Lee Westwood would come out and challenge but a bogey on the last would take him out of contention.

The story of the tournament was coming to and end.  Tom Watson was marching up the 18th fairway to a very appreciative crowd.  The fans at Turnberry had definitely chosen Watson as their hero of the week and they had already given Watson the crown, everyone waited in anticipation for him to finish as he did in 1977, the Open Champion at Turnberry.  Tom had hit a perfect drive off the tee after his birdie at 17.  This looked promising as only a past champion could charge forward with such confidence.  Tom hit his second with authority and exactly on line with where it needed to be.  When all the cheering settled down and he found his ball, there was a difficult up and down to tackle before he could claim his title.

All day there was challenges from several contenders.  Tom would continue hitting fairways and keeping the ball in play.  With three birdies during the day he was still able to find ways to get the best results on this difficult course.  While Tom was finishing up his 3rd birdie on the 17th and surprise attack from and unsuspecting challenger.  Stewart Cink was taking his final shot of the tournament.  Stewart Cink hit an incredible birdie on the 18th to finish the round and the tournament at -2, one behind the leader Tom Watson.  The unfortunate thing is that Tom had also hit 3 bogies for the day and after his third stroke, where he putted from the fringe, he had a difficult par to finish the round.  A put from a distance that had proven difficult on more than one occasion during the week.  With a weak stroke, a harsh sigh from the crowd, Tom Watson hung his head in disappointment.

Stewart Cink had not given up and had not stopped playing his best.  He was -1 for the day while the leaders had all come back to him.  Stewart Cink would now have the chance in a play off to win his first major championship and do it in style.  Having been the only one of the top players to make a birdie on the 18th hole Stewart was playing on a positive note but a bogey for Tom Watson had him looking more than a little disappointed.  The 4 hole aggregate play off would seem to be a fair challenge as the players seemed to have played the chosen holes some what equally over the course of the week.

The first hole was not a good sign as Tom looked to have lost some of his nerve and his control seemed to have left him.  Stewart was able to take the lead on the first hole.  On the second hole Tom once again looked to be out of control on the tee shot to the challenging three par.  Hitting it well right of the green and watching Stewart hit it on the green seemed to say the advantage was in Cink's court.  Watson made a great up and down to par the hole and Cink missed his put so Watson remained 1 back.  The 3rd hole was the par 5.  Once again Watson would send his tee shot into the rough but this time there was no easy recovery, while Stewart Cink would hit a perfect shot right down the middle of the fairway.  And on this hole Cink would take a 4 shot lead into the final hole.  Turnberry would not surrender to Tom Watson and Stewart Cink was able to calm the beast.  Tom Watson would once again find trouble on the final playoff hole only to yield to Stewart Cink.

Stewart Cink played a wonderful game of golf on a day where no one was able to challenge the course like he did and put themselves in contention.  A birdie on the 18th to come within one stroke of the leader.  The ability to bring out your a game when you are playing against a legend and a proven champion.  Stewart Cink, the 2009 Open Champion at Turnberry.