Troops offer Watson perspective

TOM WATSON says messages of support from American troops he visited in Iraq have helped him put his British Open Championship disappointment into perspective.

Watson admits his feelings “are still bitter-sweet” after his Open Championship heroics at Turnberry.

The 59-year-old American has had two days to dwell on his play-off defeat to Stewart Cink, but insists he has no regrets.

And Watson revealed that a visit to US troops in Iraq back in 2007 has helped him get back in the right frame of mind to compete at this week’s British Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard, a tournament he has won three times in the past.

“The last two days my computer now no longer has enough memory to operate with all the emails I’ve received,” he revealed.

“These people I met at Walter Reed hospital, Bethesda hospital and all over Iraq, and many of them have contacted me and said ‘congratulations. Oh by the way – when you’re in a neck-high bunker and you have a four-footer, just remember – it’s just a game’.

“There was one particular message from a young man by the name of Leroy Petry, who is up for the Congressional Medal of Honour, who saved a bunch of lives by taking a pretty direct hit from a grenade he was trying to throw, and it went right off in his hand. That’s perspective.”

Needing a par at the last to win, Watson’s eight-iron second shot landed on the green but rolled off the putting surface and the five-time Open winner could not get down in two from the fringe to equal Harry Vardon’s record of six Open Championship titles.

“That eight-iron will always live with me and you know what – I hit the shot I wanted to hit, I really did,” said Watson. “It had the whole length of the green to stop, and that’s where I was trying to hit it, it just didn’t stop.

“I’ve lived my life out here on the tour. After the disappointment it’s onwards to the next week – forget what you did in the past except to where it may help you play better.”

Watson’s performance has inspired his fellow competitors at Sunningdale this week, including Sam Torrance.

“To me, it’s right up there with the greatest sporting achievements of all time,” said Torrance.

“It’s unfortunate he didn’t win it – then it would have been the greatest sporting achievement of all time. To get into that position and tie for The Open at 59, it’s extraordinary.”

But Watson was quick to downplay such high praise.

“It’s overblown. I was just trying to win a golf tournament that I thought I could win,” he added.