GOLF – A NEAR LEGENDARY WIN
Tom Watson the 59 year old professional golfer had captured the imagination of many senior golfers around the world in the recently concluded 2009 edition of the British Open in Turnberry. Professional golfers are deemed to be past their prime in their late 40s. Flexibility, strength, distance and eyesight (?) are on the decline and can no longer compete with the young guns in the regular tours. Come 50, they are mercifully sent to pasture and retired or “relegated” to the senior tours.
For decades, this seems to the excepted order of things in the golfing fraternity. And then, the unexpected happened in Turnberry. While the much touted world no, 1 player embarrassed himself floundering in the bushes of the Scottish links, this veteran player steps in and played near flawless golf for 4 consecutive days in the toughest of tough golf courses. Die hard fans of Tiger Woods switched allegiance by hordes over night. There is suddenly a glimmer of hope for all those old geezers and high handicapped golfers who had longed resigned to their diminishing golfing abilities with each advancing year. Was it my imagination or did I detect a discernable enthusiasm and vigor with which the old golfers were swinging their clubs at the driving range last weekend.
Unfortunately, the fairy tale ending for Tom Watson did not happen and the otherwise legendary win was not to be. It was so near, down to the last putt, and yet everything seems so far away now. Another accidental hero might step in tomorrow or we might have to wait for another few decades - who know?
20 July 2009
For decades, this seems to the excepted order of things in the golfing fraternity. And then, the unexpected happened in Turnberry. While the much touted world no, 1 player embarrassed himself floundering in the bushes of the Scottish links, this veteran player steps in and played near flawless golf for 4 consecutive days in the toughest of tough golf courses. Die hard fans of Tiger Woods switched allegiance by hordes over night. There is suddenly a glimmer of hope for all those old geezers and high handicapped golfers who had longed resigned to their diminishing golfing abilities with each advancing year. Was it my imagination or did I detect a discernable enthusiasm and vigor with which the old golfers were swinging their clubs at the driving range last weekend.
Unfortunately, the fairy tale ending for Tom Watson did not happen and the otherwise legendary win was not to be. It was so near, down to the last putt, and yet everything seems so far away now. Another accidental hero might step in tomorrow or we might have to wait for another few decades - who know?
20 July 2009
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