Same old story as Turnberry hero Tom turns clock back again

WE came to watch the Masters and the Open Championship appeared instead.

Well, not quite, but it serves as good a way as any to introduce the story of Round 1 of the season’s first major. It is the same one that captivated us at last summer’s Open Championship at Turnberry.

Tom Watson.

An initial reaction would be to suggest that he turned the clock back 33 years, to 1977, which is when he first won the green jacket and last shot 5-under 67 at Augusta National Golf Club. The only thing is, you only have to turn it back nine months, to last summer’s visit to the southwest coast of Scotland, because he was an ageless wonder then, just as he was yesterday.

Is there another epic script ready to be written?

Watson smiled, but threw down a blanket of perspective that you’d expect of a 60-year-old legend.

“It doesn’t matter what it is right now,” Watson said, after matching three others (Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, and YE Yang) to seize a share of the lead midway through the first round. “It matters on Sunday.”

Of course, the last time a Sunday truly mattered to Watson was mid-July last summer, a beautiful day at Turnberry when arguably the greatest victory in golf history awaited only Watson’s finishing touch. But his approach went long into the 72nd green, his pitch was strong and his putt to win was short. The playoff against Stewart Cink was never close and the dream to end all dreams fell cruelly short.

“I had a good run at Turnberry,” Watson said in a classic understatement. “I would have to say that there’s been a certain glow about the whole situation, even though I finished second.”

Having won one of his five Claret Jugs at Turnberry in 1977, there was obviously a good feel for the seaside links when Watson at 59 teed it up last summer. But that holds true here at Augusta National, too, where Watson earned green jackets with wins here in 1977 and 1981.

The only thing is, unlike a links course that is on the short side, Augusta National at 7,435 yards of rolling fairways is admittedly a bit too much for a 60-year-old, even if he does own residence in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

“There are certain holes that I can’t hit the right shots into the greens,” Watson said, and to support his statement the eight-time major winner pointed to holes 10 through 14. “I missed five greens in a row.”

That was the bad news. But the good news? Watson saved par on four holes to keep his round together and when he birdied Nos. 15, 17, and 18 to match his lowest score in 119 rounds of Masters competition, the roars that cascaded down the tree-lined fairways were reminiscent of those that bounced off the sand dunes of Turnberry.

True, it is only one-quarter of the way home, but Watson’s best-ever start at Augusta National helped steal much of the thunder away from a story that appears stale as eight-day bread: the return of Tiger Woods.

At a place where the golf is treated with the greatest of respect and those who attend are called “patrons” and not “spectators” or “fans,” it was no surprise that Woods – even with a shameful lifestyle dogging him – was extended courteous and warm receptions.

But he was not given the stage to himself, not with Watson spinning his magic, or Westwood posting an inward 32, or Yang reminding one and all that he did not back down in the face of Woods pressure, or Mickelson coming to life.

Ah, Mickelson, a man who comes into this Masters with a situation similar to that of Woods. The only thing is, whereas Woods’ family woes are self-inflicted by selfish behaviour, Mickelson had no control over the breast cancer that invaded his wife, Amy.

Struggling most of this season, the lefthander turned in a quiet 1-under 35 and was stuck there through 12. He then went eagle, birdie, birdie, and settled in that group atop the leaderboard.

On any other day, Mickelson would have cornered the feel-good storyline, but that had already been spoken for – by an old story in these major championships.

“It’s a long shot for somebody, honestly, our age to (win a major),” Watson said. “But still, they can do it.”

He has, after all, been within a stroke of proving that.