He's Still Hungry

Constellation: Ex-terps Coach Funk Longs For First Win In Home State

If Funk isn't the winner, there is still a good chance the trophy could go to a member of his first-round threesome, which tees off at 10:56 a.m. today. That's because it includes Tom Watson and Nick Price, two of the best ball-strikers on the Champions Tour. Watson missed this tournament last year when he was having hip-replacement surgery, but his second-place finish in this year's British Open at Turnberry proved he's still as good as anyone - regardless of age - when he's playing well.

The Kansas native, who turned 60 on Sept. 4, said he has received such an outpouring of support since he lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink, he's still responding to e-mails and notes that people send him saying they were inspired by his performance.

"I don't think it changed my life," Watson said. "I'm doing everything pretty much the same. But the wonderful thing has been the response from people. It's been overwhelming and humbling. I would have never have foreseen that for a guy finishing second in a golf tournament. I'm trying to contact everybody who has contacted me. The theme of it has been, 'You've given me hope. You've given me a second charge in my life. If you're doing this at 60 years old, maybe I can still do what I thought I couldn't do anymore.' That's the wonderful thing that's come of this."

Watson knows his chances will have as much to do with his putter as anything. Although he had a great week at Turnberry with the flat stick, two nervous strokes on the 18th green Sunday ultimately cost him the Open championship.

"I just haven't been very consistent with the putter for a decade, or a couple decades probably," Watson said. "That's the old golfer's lament."

Bernhard Langer had had his share of putting woes early in his career, but a switch to a long putter in the mid-1990s revived his game and now he's one of the best putters on the Champions Tour. He has won three times this year, and if he hits the ball straight this week, he's likely to be in contention.

"The greens here are so severe back to front," Langer said. "It's very hard to get the ball close to the hole. If you can't do that, it's very tough to make putts. Every downhill putt is lightning fast, and every side-hill putt has a huge amount of break to it."