Voices of Turnberry

President Obama has been omnipresent of late. There he was throwing out the first pitch at the All-Star game, exchanging sound bites with Joe Buck in the booth, and presenting awards via satellite at the ESPY’s. We checked to see if he wanted to sit in the Yard box for Manny Bobble Head night on Wednesday at the Ravine but he was already having dinner with Tom Watson. We agreed to try and catch a UCLA game in the fall.

We invited Tom in for dinner this week. He begged off but we agreed to circle back in the afterlife if his schedule frees up by then. Sunday at Turnberry was great theater and just because ABC Television could not figure out the satellite feed does not diminish Tom Watson’s heroic efforts.

Golf is humbling and requires more concentration than any other sport. Many sports enthusiasts might argue this point. If you have ever stood over a short putt with a three skin carry over on the line, you have a small sense of the demons Mr. Watson faced on Sunday. Golf is not about the athleticism. It is about dealing with adversity when the voices in your head want to review your failures while you are lining up that putt. The voices are loud in Yard golf lore and execution always suspect with these dimpled balls.

Professional golf does reward athleticism on Thursday and Friday with the promise of the weekend. It is the grinders who overcome adversity and are in the hunt on Sunday. While Tiger did not make the cut, there was 59 year old Sir Tom, 26 years after winning his fifth British Open and last major, leading in the fourth quarter with two out in the ninth and the goalie pulled while the loyal fans were roaring.

On the 72nd hole, with his 275th shot of The Open, he proved for the world one of the universal axioms of golf that a well placed shot does not always end in a well place. Two shots later, he stubbed a nine foot putt two feet short just like we all have done with less at stake and with fewer people watching.

Watson aged about twenty years while walking down the 18th fairway Sunday under the canopy of adoring cheers from the Scottish faithful. He teed off like a 40 year old pounding a 270 yard drive. He sagged ten years when he realized the aforementioned well placed second shot had rolled off the back of the green. He tacked on five more rings to the fraternal tree when he putted nine feet past the hole on his third shot. Then while standing over a nine foot putt that could earn him a historic 6th British open, he added the last five before our eyes just before putting that stubby. He hopelessly searched for the Benjamin Button secret sauce through four miserable playoff holes and eventually creaked into the clubhouse defeated but not in defeat.

It was tragically historic. In a nation that reveres efforts but remembers results, Watson’s effort will overshadow the result for this fan.


Extra Innings: It was great to see Jason Schmidt pitch in his first game in two years. He won and also homered. It is a nice comeback story. The Yard is not sure he is going to win too many more with that 83 mile an hour fast ball.

What kind of reception did David Beckham expect after he tried to get out of his Galaxy contract? Is he as out of touch as that vapid woman he married?

St. Louis Ram defensive lineman Leonard Little killed a woman with his car with a BAC of .19 in 1998. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and suspended for 9 games by the NFL. It cost him $125,000 in salary. Mr. Little has earned over $35 million since his arrest. Mike Vick committed a heinous crime as well but has lost three prime years of income, $20 million in signing bonus and he is bankrupt. Has he not paid a lot more for his crime than Little has for taking a human life?