Watson Returning To Constellation Tourney

Tom Watson, who came within one putt of making history at the British Open last month, will return to the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship at Baltimore Country Club's Five Farms course Sept. 28-Oct. 4 after a year's absence.

Had Watson made his par putt on the 72nd hole on the Aisla Course of the Westin Turnberry Resort last month, he would have become golf's oldest major champion at age 59. Instead, he missed the putt and his bogey forced a playoff that ultimately was won by Stewart Cink.

"Anyone who follows golf, both casually and closely, will remember Tom Watson's performance at the 2009 British Open and what a special four days we were all treated to," said Steve Schoenfeld, executive director of the Constellation tournament. "We missed Tom in Baltimore last year and couldn't be more thrilled to have him competing this year."

Watson was forced out of the 2008 Constellation when he underwent hip-replacement surgery in early October.

The tournament is the final major championship of the Champions Tour season.

Watson was runner-up to Loren Roberts when the Constellation debuted in Baltimore in 2007. He has posted top-10 finishes in four of his previous six appearances in the tournament, and he has won 12 times on the Champions Tour since turning 50 in September 1999.

A week after losing at Turnberry, Watson shot a final-round 3-under-par 67 to finish tied for eighth in the Senior British Open. To complete a difficult three-week stretch, Watson finished tied for 43rd at the U.S. Senior Open in Indianapolis.

He finished in a tie for fourth in the season's first major at the Senior PGA Championship.