Lucky duck hook good enough for Tom Watson

Hugh Macdonald

Chief Sports Writer

Saturday 21 July 2012

FIVE times, Tom Watson has stood over a putt to win the Open and sunk it.

Tom Watson's total was just low enough. Picture: Reuters

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Hugh MacDonald

Last night in the growing dusk, he approached his putt on the 18th at Royal Lytham & St Annes knowing he had to hole out to have any chance in staying in the tournament.

He misread the putt. He struck it wrong. But the ball, of course, disappeared down the hole with the alacrity of a rabbit on a promise. The great man had birdied the last. Having completed rounds of 71 and 72, Watson stayed on the safety mark of three over to make the cut.

"I pushed the putt," he said later. "I was trying to play it just that far outside the hole, and it started about that far outside the hole and then stayed that way. And I said, 'Oh, it's going to miss to the right'. And it just did a duck hook at the end there and went right in the hole. I didn't see that much break at the end. I knew it was going to break left at the end, but I didn't know it would be that much break. Good thing I did misread it."The American emphasised with that brand of Kansan wryness: "I didn't hit it where I was aiming and the putt went in the hole."It was the break Watson both needed and deserved. "I struggled all day," said the 62-year-old who won his Opens at Carnoustie, Turnberry, Muirfield, Troon and Birkdale. "I started off playing pretty well but then my body kind of wore out a little bit, just a little bit. I made a lot of putts this week that I haven't been making for a long, long time, and that excites me. You can't win without making putts, you really can't. And if that continues, life is going to be a lot easier out here on the tour."Watson returns to Turnberry next week for the Seniors Open but believes he can make the most of this weekend, saying: "I'm glad to have put myself in position to still be there for the last two rounds."Lee Westwood, who also finished on the cut mark, was grateful that his level-par 70 not only gave him the opportunity to play the weekend but also signified that his game had improved. "I hit the ball well and gave myself a lot of good chances," he said. "I went on the range yesterday and seemed to sort out my game a little bit. It still needs a bit of work but in should be all right in a couple of weeks."The cut gathered a clutch of famous scalps. Darren Clarke, who won at Royal St George's last year, was one of eight Open champions to miss out. The Northern Irishman, who shot 76 and 71, said: "I played okay. I didn't play that badly. But you can't compete putting the way I'm putting, so I'm frustrated."The others who failed to make it were Tom Lehman, David Duval, Sandy Lyle, Todd Hamilton, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis and Stewart Cink. Winners of other majors were also victims of Royal Lytham, with Phil Mickelson, Martin Kaymer, Lucas Glover, Angel Cabrera and Charl Schwartzel finding the challenge of a tight course with punitive rough too severe. Other significant absentees for the weekend will include Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia.Mickelson, last year's runner-up, said after his 78: "I don't know what to say right now. I hit a bit more solidly today, but I hit into a lot more bunkers. I have some direction for the next week but I have a way to go."The last two months have been pretty poor and a little frustrating. I thought it would be better, but it certainly got away from me those last five holes."And so did the chance of playing this weekend.

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Lucky duck hook good enough for Tom Watson

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