Golf's Game Of Inches: Tom Watson's Wild Ride at Turnberry

Tom Watson's wild weekend at Turnberry will go down in history.  He had the potential to become the oldest major champion by 11 years, but it wasn't meant to be.  Needing to make an eight-foot par putt on 18, Watson never hit the put on line—and his facial expression told it all.

A four-hole playoff was dominated by the eventual Open winner, Stewart Cink, and the 59-year-old Watson had run out of gas.  He grinded all week long after an opening round 65, and with big names dropping around him, Watson was always around the top of the leaderboard.

This was familiar territory for Watson.  He was trying to become only the second player to win six Open titles.  He defeated Jack Nicklaus at the battle in the sun in 1977, and this was the one major Watson knew he could compete in because of the links' style of golf.

Watson made some terrific putts over the course of the tournament.  There were also a couple that he struggled on.  Nevertheless, it was glimpses of old Tom Watson. 

The man who won 39 PGA tournaments and eight Majors, including five Open Championships.

It was an 8 iron from 164 yards that just missed a part of the green that would have held instead of running over the back.  It can be called a bad break, or just a part of the game.  There's nothing that can change his shot selection from the middle of the 18th fairway.  Watson knew what he needed to do and failed to make par.

The majority of the crowd and players were pulling for Watson.  What a story it was to see a man of his age hit the ball so straight and far in the rough weather conditions.  He was steady in making pars and putting himself in position to make bogey, at worst, when in trouble.

Not to be forgotten, Cink was a tremendous competitor.  A deserving champion who was rookie of the year back in 1997.  He rightfully won this tournament making big putts down the stretch and in the playoff.  People call him the villain, but actually this was his first major and it couldn't have gone to a nicer guy.

Still, this was Watson's tournament to win.  Whenever he stumbled a little bit he came charging right back which showed his true mentality.  When the Open Championship was finally over, it was hard to see his name not at the top.

Then again Watson hit that shot on 18 exactly how he envisioned it in his head.  Golf is a game of bad breaks and misfortunes.  Watson has nothing to be sorry about. 

Sure, it would have been great to see a 59-year-old legend win another major, but it wasn't meant to be.  That's how the game of golf can be: so rewarding one minute, so cruel the next.