Tiger hasn't gotten the respect overseas that
Watson has
By HOWARD RICHMAN
Knight-Ridder-Newspapers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Tom Watson can't drive the ball like Tiger
Woods. Nor can he win like the 21-year-old phenom. Still, Watson
will be a huge favorite in the popularity race when the 126th
British Open starts Thursday at Royal Troon in Scotland.
Woods holds the American golf world in the palm of his hand,
but he has yet to convince people overseas that he's Da Man. Numbers
to prove it. Only 3.7 million watched on BBC television the day
Woods won the Masters compared to more than 5 million the previous
year, when Englishman Nick Faldo rallied past Greg Norman.
Watson, winner of five British Opens, including at Royal Troon
in 1982, and one victory from tying Harry Vardon for most British
Open titles, remains the event's hero.
"It's the way he holds himself, the way he behaves, how
he's always a perfect gentleman, how he always does things correctly,"
said Simon Avery, a golf pro at Royal Lytham in England who was
in the crowd behind Watson coming up the 18th fairway in Watson's
last British Open win, at Royal Birkdale in 1983. "I liked
the briskness of his play. He never fussed around. He played aggressive,
just went for it. When he was in his prime, I was an impressionable
teen-ager. He was the man, the best there was, and he still has
a special place in my heart."
That seems to be a familiar theme on the other side of the
pond.
"He's one of ours," said David Begg, sports promotor
for the Royal & Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, Scotland.
"He's one of us, even though he's an American. If it's not
a Scotsman going to win this week, we'd want Tom Watson winning
it.
"Tiger? He has to earn the kind of respect we have for
Tom. The potential is there for him to get the respect like we
have had for Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Tiger
still has to earn that respect. You just don't do it overnight."
Watson's office off State Line Road has several mementos from
his glorious career, but a framed photo hanging on a wall that
depicts his British Open triumph No. 5, in 1983 at Royal Birkdale,
is a collectible that he especially cherishes.
Just as he is cherished. They adore Watson anywhere he goes
in Scotland, England or even Ireland. He has been made an honorary
member at more clubs than he can name. Everybody knows his name,
and Watson even knows some of their names. Such as Ricky Banks.
"He's a hippie character who always bets on me,"
Watson said. "He comes with a milk carton and stands on it
so he can see over people.
"When I play I can hear them saying, 'Come on, Tooom.
People there understand the game. In America, the crowds come
to enjoy the party."
Watson probably never imagined he'd be such a success, on and
off the golf course, as he has been in the British Open. He admitted
before his first British Open - which he just happened to win
in 1975 at Carnoustie, Scotland, - that he was not a fan of links
golf. He fully understood links golfers needed to roll with the
bounces on golf courses where treacherous is the nicest word to
describe the layout.
Rugged terrain is common at Royal Troon. Some spots are worn
from years of impact, including areas used in practice runs for
the Normandy invasion in World War II. In World War I, the links
were an area for grenade practice. Those who avoid grenade holes
still must deal with tricky crosswinds and undulating dunes.
"Links golf courses require you to go through the air
and on the ground," Watson said. "It's not target golf.
But I love playing it now." His victory at Carnoustie at
age 25, a 1-stroke win after an 18-hole playoff against Aussie
Jack Newton, won the hearts of British Open spectators and media.
Watson praised the golf course for its demanding tendencies, and
the folks who watched him praised his effort.
Watson's win two years later at Turnberry, Scotland, considered
one of the classics of all time, ensured his spot in British Open
lore. Watson beat Nicklaus down the stretch for a 1-stroke victory
and posted what then was the lowest 72-hole score in British Open
history, a 12-under 268. Greg Norman broke Watson's record with
267 in 1993.
Now Woods is breaking records, but Avery is convinced he won't
be a quick hit. Avery recalled hearing stories about how long
it took for Nicklaus to become appreciated. Nicklaus unseated
Palmer from golf's highest rung and immediately became a thug
because of it. Nicklaus eventually won respect but never was accepted
like Watson.
"Nobody liked him (Nicklaus) at first," Avery said.
"They called him Fat Jack. I think it will take some time
with Tiger, maybe because of the situation with Fuzzy (Zoeller).
He (Woods) could've taken the heat out of the situation."
Woods, who tied for 22nd in last year's British Open that Tom
Lehman won at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, will play his third
British Open. Watson's string of 21 straight British Opens ended
last year when he withdrew before it began because of a shoulder
injury. As of Friday, Woods was the odds-on favorite at 8-1, probably
a good bet because the 7,079-yard course suits him, particularly
the first three holes, all par-4s, none longer than 391 yards.
Troon assistant pro David Andrews said tangly rough that's as
much as a foot high in spots will make Woods' chore, or anybody's,
tough.
Watson is a long shot at 50-1.
"I think Nick Price is going to win it, but I'm biased
in saying Tom Watson is my favorite," Andrews said. "No
doubt Tiger is awesome, but Tom is a favorite. He's still one
of the best from tee to green. But his putting still lets him
down. You know that. Yet he's a gentleman when he wins, and he
takes the heat when he loses. He just comes across so well with
the people here. He always will."
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