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It is not often a 64-year-old eclipses his much younger playing partner in a major championship but it happened on Sunday when the seemingly ageless Tom Watson put one over on Australian John Senden.
The five-times champion finished his British Open campaign with a real flourish, recovering in style from a first-hole bogey to squeeze five birdies in a 4-under 68 and earn a highly creditable total of 289, 1-over.
Watson hardly missed a fairway all day as he outshot 43-year-old US PGA Tour regular Senden (71) by three strokes.
“It was a fun day today,” the veteran American told reporters under blue skies and bright sunshine at Royal Liverpool.
“I put the ball in play off the tee. On the first day I missed six fairways but I’m not sure I missed one today.
“I think the golf course is there for the taking. The par-5 16th and 18th are playing slightly downwind, left to right, so they’re pretty easy birdie holes,” said Watson.
“I wasn’t worried about Senden. I was just trying to get back to even-par.”
Watson took advantage of both the 16th and 18th holes and also made inroads on par at the second, fifth and seventh.
“It’s fun to finish the way I did and get ready to go to the next tournament. You feel lighter, you don’t feel heavy,” said the captain of the United States team that will take on holders Europe at the Ryder Cup in Scotland in September.
“You don’t feel like you have a burden that you’re taking with you. Keep the engine running if you can, wake up every morning not in too much pain and go from there.”
Watson said he felt he could have posted an even better round than 68.
“It was a very good day from tee to green but it wasn’t a particularly good day of putting,” he added.
“I had a lot of 15, 20, 25-footers where I really didn’t make a very good attempt. It never looked like they were going to go in.”
Watson said he would leave for his next assignment at the Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Wales with an extra spring in his step.
“It gives me encouragement for the Senior British Open,” he added of the July 24-27 event. “I don’t know anything about the golf course but it’s fun to finish here the way I did and get ready to go to the next tournament.”
Tiger Woods, meanwhile, completed his worst ever campaign at the British Open with a final round of 75 to finish the tournament towards the bottom of the weekend field on 6-over.
While it was not the American’s career worst performance at a major, the 14-time major winner will know he has a lot of work to do if he wants to return to the top.
“I got four rounds in but unfortunately I didn’t play very well today,” said Woods.
“It was a little different than it was on the first day, obviously. But, again, I just made too many mistakes. I had two triples, two doubles. Two or three three-putts this week, just way too many mistakes.”
On his chances of being included in Watson’s American Ryder Cup team, Woods thinks he deserves to be in the team when asked if the captain should pick him.
“I would say yes, but that’s my position, my take on it. Well, he’s the captain.
“Obviously it’s his decision, he’s going to field the best 12 players that he thinks will win the Cup back and I hope I’m on that team.”
As Rory McIlroy arrived at the course looking confident in aviator-style sunglasses, the Florida native was heading in the opposite direction and likely to have departed the course before the six-shot leader had even struck a ball.
A promising opening round of 69 left him three shots off the lead, but after narrolwy avoiding the cut with an 18th-hole birdie on Day 2 for a 77, his form failed to improve during the final two rounds.
The 38-year-old was blown out of contention after a third-round 73, when scoring conditions were perfect, and Sunday again saw the former world No 1 pick up four bogeys and a double against three birdies.
While it was a bad week for Woods, he remains satisfied in getting in valuable tournament experience and testing his back after recent surgery.
“The fact I was able to play a few weeks ahead of time, and I’m only getting stronger and faster, which is great.
“I just had to get more game time. I think we did the smart thing by not playing too much leading into this event, just want to assess how my back was and where I need to strengthen, how I need to go about it, how to gain my explosiveness again, and all that’s come along.
“I’m still building, I’m still working on my game and I’m still getting stronger and faster.
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