Turnberry is still a venue Tom Watson holds close to his heart

TOM Watson relived both joy and pain as he took a trip down memory lane yesterday, when his passion for Turnberry still managed to shine through like a beam from its iconic lighthouse even though he wasn’t there in person but, instead, was at the other end of a phone conducting a conference call to the Scottish golf media.

An audience with Watson is worth its weight in gold, even more so when the five-time Open champion is talking about a venue that holds a special place in his heart, having experienced mainly highs at the Ayrshire resort over the years but also one gut-wrenching disappointment.

It’s where he triumphed in his infamous ‘Duel in the Sun’ with long-time foe Jack Nicklaus to claim the Claret Jug for a second time in 1977. It’s also where he won the first of three Senior Open Championships in 2003, beating Englishman Carl Mason in a play-off.

More recently, it’s where Watson came agonisingly close three years ago to becoming the oldest Open champion when, at the age of 59, he took five at the 72nd hole before losing in a play-off to his fellow American, Stewart Cink, over the Ailsa Course.

Watson is heading back to Turnberry again in July for this year’s Senior Open Championship and, though that last visit may still provoke painful memories, it certainly hasn’t diluted his feelings for the place. Far from it, in fact.

“That week only increased my love for the place,” insisted the 62-year-old before going on to describe the emotions he felt after sharing the lead at the halfway stage, leading on his own with a round to go and still being out in front coming up the last only to go through the back of the green with his approach and fail to get up and down before losing in a four-hole play-off.

“I was distraught, it tears your guts out when something like that happens,” he added. “I remember on 18 when the ball was in the air I said ‘just like ‘77’. It was going right at the flag but, with the uncertainty of links golf, maybe a gust of wind took it a bit further than it was supposed to.

“I felt extreme disappointment that night, but the one good thing that came of that was the response of people around the world. I had thousands of people writing to me and the common theme was along the lines of ‘I too am older and had given up playing golf or quit do something that I felt I was too old to do. But you have given me so much hope that I’m going back to work at it and try to do it again’.”

Watson’s chances of winning at Turnberry again in the over-50s major on 26-29 July could well depend on how quick he recovers from a hand injury. “I’m not in very good stead at the moment because I have a nerve strength problem in my right hand - it was caused by mowing for a number of hours at my farm in Kansas,” he revealed.

“I woke up the next day with a little bit of soreness in my neck and three days later my strength in my right hand was diminished greatly. I can’t grip the golf club properly, but the doctors say the strength will come back in time.

“I assume that I’ll be ready and able to play in July and Turnberry will give me another one of those great challenges to win again.”

One of his greatest challenges was undoubtedly going toe-to-toe with Nicklaus on the Ayrshire coast in 1977, when the pair shot matching 65s in the third round then fought out an epic final-day duel. Watson shot 65 again, pipping Nicklaus by a shot with birdies at the last two holes.

“That was the start of a few contests with Jack and created a level of respect from him, where he thought ‘maybe this kid can play a little bit’,” recalled Watson.

“The most poignant memory I have of Turnberry is walking off the green after I had sunk the [winning] putt when Jack grabbed me around the neck real hard. I mean it wasn’t just a pat or an arm on the shoulder - he grabbed me and screwed my neck and said ‘Tom, I gave you my best shot but it wasn’t good enough. Congratulations’.

“Coming from the greatest player, that meant more to me than probably winning the Championship itself. It was the culmination of a long journey to get there and, after that moment, I felt I could play with anybody.”

Asked about the new generation of players, Watson said: “Rory [McIlroy] said recently that he’s more comfortable each time he’s leading or near to the lead in a tournament and I can relate 100 per cent to that when I was a kid trying to win my first event.

“I choked a bunch of them away, but I at least I kept putting myself in a position to learn what the pressure is like and how I could deal with it. That’s what the new generation has to do.”