The 60-year-old five-time Open champion who wowed the golfing world a year ago by nearly winning the Open Championship at Turnberry closed with three bogeys for a 74 and a six-over aggregate of 290 but assured that he would return, though ultimately it would be dependent on form.
When and where that is in Scotland is open to question. The Senior Open goes to Walton Heath next year, and while it could return north of the Border in 2012 it has yet to be announced. A special exemption by the R&A, however, means he will be eligible to play in the Open Championship at Muirfield in 2013.
Watson, who had won both the Open and Senior Open at Turnberry and Muirfield, was bidding for the “treble-double” this week at Carnoustie where he won the first of his five Open crowns 35 years ago.
“It was a walk down memory lane. I remembered a lot of the shots and just wish I could have recreated some of them. I leave with frustration but there’s always next week at the US Senior Open to try to figure it out,” said Watson who missed the cut by two shots in the Open championship at St Andrews last week.
“I don’t know how long I’ll play in this event but I will play again. I can see in the future where the level of my game might not be good enough to come over and play. Frankly that’s when you have to make a decision whether to do it or not. I’m not quite there yet although my level of play the last two weeks was not good.”
Andy Stubbs, managing director of the European Tour, said: “I’ll push the chair as long as he’s willing to get out and hit the shots.”
