NEWS
By Don Markus | September 29, 2009
Tom Watson has won more than 60 golf tournaments around the world, including eight majors as a member of the PGA Tour. But it was a loss this summer on the Scottish coast during the British Open's final round that has touched thousands around the world. It's one reason he'll be the top attraction this week when the final major of the Champions Tour, the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, comes to Baltimore Country Club's Five Farms course in Timonium. Longtime area fans such as Sandy Clark said many of his friends who don't even play the game paid attention to what Watson did at Turnberry and will go to Five Farms to watch him play.
NEWS
By From Sun staff reports | August 20, 2009
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.
NEWS
By Chuck Culpepper | July 20, 2009
TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND - That pristine ogre known as golf has struck again, choosing a gorgeous setting by the Irish Sea to unleash its full and singular meanness upon a cherished 59-year-old man. It enticed him for four days of enchantment. It ushered him to the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead in a British Open and a chance to broaden earthly possibility. It brought Tom Watson down that No. 18 fairway to deeply felt applause, and then it threw in a blaring roar when his well-struck 8-iron approach on an 8-foot putt smacked down and bounded onto the green.
NEWS
By Chuck Culpepper | July 17, 2009
TURNBERRY, Scotland - -In a stunning development at the British Open, a 59-year-old man on the verge of 60 has revealed that he actually read a text message and then successfully completed a reply. This improbable scenario has helped illustrate the awesome span of the career of one Tom Watson, who has shot a glowing 65 at Turnberry while dredging mysticism from floating dirt in the prehistoric era of 1977, and has shot a glowing 65 at Turnberry while gaining "serenity" from a sitting message on a sleek gadget in the digital era of 2009.
NEWS
By Chuck Culpepper | July 16, 2009
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- You wake one day on a golfing planet gone completely merciless and Sergio Garcia seems middle-aged, Adam Scott winds up dumped to No. 43 and the rankings teem with those who arrived young but ready to rumble. Nine of the top 26 players have the audacity not to have reached age 30, the same goes for 16 of the top 50, and one theme of this 138th British Open entails whether golf's largest wave of precocity to date might deposit one of its 20-somethings somewhere well up the Sunday leader board.
NEWS
By Chuck Culpepper | July 22, 2007
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- The name of Sergio Garcia, familiar to the world's golf fans for eight years and 36 major tournaments seems ripe for new recognition. Sometime today, here on the east coast of Scotland, the Spaniard could fulfill his huge promise by commanding this 136th British Open and claiming his first major title at age 27. British Open Final round today, Carnoustie, Scotland TV: 6 a.m., TNT; 8 a.m., chs. 2, 7
NEWS
By Chuck Culpepper | July 20, 2007
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- That old beast Carnoustie must have snickered yesterday when it saw Sergio Garcia ambling toward the first hole with his caddie and his bag and his new belly putter. That's funny, because when Garcia and the caddie and the bag and the belly putter ambled back down from No. 18 in the evening, the beast lay conquered in the first round by Garcia's 6-under-par 65, and the 136th British Open had another theme. Not only had Garcia, who had shot an 89 in the first round here in 1999, shaved 24 shots off that horror to lead the field by two strokes, but Garcia might just spend the weekend trying to defend the honor of the belly putter.
NEWS
By THOMAS BONK | August 21, 2006
MEDINAH, Ill. -- The late-afternoon sun filtered through the trees yesterday at Medinah Country Club as Tiger Woods removed his cap to salute the fans who cheered each footstep of his leisurely stroll up the 18th fairway and straight into legend once again. Woods left Medinah with the $1.224 million winner's check, his 12th major championship and his streak intact of nine straight rounds in the 60s. The numbers are more than impressive; they are dominating. He made only three bogeys in 72 holes, played the par-5 holes in a combined 8-under par, made 21 birdies and, for good measure, became only the fifth player to win the PGA Championship at least three times.
NEWS
By THOMAS BONK | August 17, 2006
MEDINAH, Ill. -- Just to prove it's a numbers game, here comes the 88th PGA Championship, starting today, worth at least $6.5 million, with at least $1.17 million to the winner. The top 10 players in the world are at Medinah Country Club, the suburban Chicago layout, hosting its fifth major championship. And the one to watch is still Tiger Woods. His numbers are off the charts: $5.1 million, No. 1 ranked for the 404th week, four victories this year, 50 for his career, two wins and a tie for second in his past three tournaments, PGA Tour leader this year in earnings, scoring, greens in regulation, birdie average and closest to the hole.
NEWS
By Don Markus | August 10, 2005
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. - When Tiger Woods arrived at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., for the 2000 PGA Championship, the hoopla surrounding the world's best player had reached hysterical proportions. At the time, Woods was trying to duplicate what the legendary Ben Hogan had done nearly a half-century before by winning three major championships in the same year. Woods, then 24, accomplished the feat by beating Bob May in a playoff. When Woods tees off tomorrow in the 87th PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club, he will be trying to do pretty much the same thing.