Fred Funk

The 59-year-old American was brilliant throughout the week but just when it looked like the golfing gods were going to let Watson score one of the most memorable victories of all time, they took it all away again when his picture-perfect 8-iron into the 72nd hole bounced through the green.

Unfortunately after that Watson lost his nerve around the final green, then his legs went in the four-hole playoff and Stewart Cink captured the coveted title.

As something of a traditionalist and someone old enough to have watched Watson at his prime, then to have the good fortune to play a round with him at the Australian Masters back in 1996, I would have loved Tom to have claimed an historic sixth British Open title.

History will show the Claret Jug has the name of Cink engraved next to the year of 2009 but all those who rode every shot that last day with Watson certainly got their money’s worth, even if not quite the result they might have hoped for.

But what Watson’s performance did achieve was to highlight the abilities of the old boys.

It wasn’t all that long ago that I couldn’t bring myself to watch the senior tour on television. I was always of the belief that it was only about old men collecting inflated pension cheques by beating other old men, usually in tournaments that had no real significance.

Jack didn’t play that often, Lee Trevino, a childhood hero of mine unfortunately got old and lost his touch and Arnold Palmer never really did it for me anyway. I think I overdosed on seeing him play the Masters for the last time on 12 separate occasions, and never breaking 85 in doing so.

However for some reason, all that changed in just an hour or so watching a senior tour event on Fox Sports earlier this year, with my opinion then backed up when Watson was able to go all the way to the finishing line at the Open Championship.

I can trace my change of attitude back to about February. I had only just finished watching an unremarkable finish on the PGA Tour when at the conclusion a delayed telecast of the seniors came on Fox Sports.

Yes, I was a little apprehensive at first but there was something about it which immediately caught my attention.

In contrast to the young pros playing on the PGA Tour, I’m sure who are nice fellows and are certainly strong players, the old stagers had some personality. They had personality back when I was getting up at 5.00am to watch them compete in major championships during their heyday, and they’ve still got it now as they grow old gracefully on the Senior Tour.

The golf was serious, the competition intense, but the difference was these guys gave you the impression that they still saw golf as a game. In contrast the PGA Tour event which aired prior to the senior tournament appeared to be life and death. The money they earn on the PGA Tour is fun, but that seems to be where it starts and finishes.

In the Champions Tour event Fred Funk was making birdies all over the place, Allen Doyle, a bloke with a ‘funky’ golf swing, (sorry Fred), was in contention and blokes like John Cook, Jay Haas, Bernhard Langer, Craig Stadler, Ben Crenshaw and that man Watson showed they still had plenty to offer.

And also somewhere in the field was Scott Hoch, Curtis Strange, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, Peter Jacobsen and Bruce Leitzke. I’m probably showing my age, but these were guys who made golf exciting and fun. They had a bit of charisma back in the days when woods were actually made from trees and only the irons were metal.

Trevino was still there too. Sure, he finishes amongst the also-rans these days but watching him shoot 75 is somehow still entertaining.

Down the track and post the Watson show at the Open Championship, the Senior British Open was played, and again the golf was of a high standard and the viewing compulsive, with Loren Roberts winning in a playoff. The US Senior Open Championship followed the week after and once more the over-50’s impressed.

I’m not sure of the length or difficulty of the golf course, but Funk made a bunch of birdies on the last day, blowing the field away with a last day 65 in shooting a tournament record 20-under par total.

So after an hour or so of seeing these guys enjoy themselves back in February, then getting another dose of the senior tour during July and August, it got me to thinking about what golf I would go out of my way to watch and I came up with a theory about watching guys I would like to spend five hours on a golf course with.

No question, I would play with Tiger anywhere and at any time if I had the chance. As good as the old timers were, if he isn’t there already, I honestly believe Tiger will one day surpass Nicklaus, Hogan, Palmer and whoever else you throw into the mix and be regarded as the best of all time.

In stating the obvious Tiger is the biggest box-office attraction golf has going for it, and by some distance. Backing up my theory, if Tiger is playing a tournament, I’ll always watch, and seemingly so will everyone else. The size of his gallery is amazing and the TV ratings when he is in contention, doubles, triples, quadruples on when he’s not. My tip is he will be ‘gold’ for the Australian Masters this year in November and worth every cent of his exorbitant appearance fee.

There’s no doubt Phil Mickelson can play, Jim Furyk seems like a nice bloke and I’d like to see how that weird swing works up close, but you can throw in Ernie, Vijay, Sergio, Steve Stricker, Paddy Harrington, and the list could go on, all nice enough guys I’m sure, all exceptional players as well, with possibly Sergio aside, they aren’t necessarily great television.

Give me a grumbling, mumbling Stadler, a scowling Hale Irwin, or that embarrassed smile Crenshaw offers after stroking in another 40-footer, anytime. Funk looks like a decent fellow to share a round, then a beer with afterwards, while Freddy Couples is about to turn 50 and he has always been a favourite of mine. Not sure I would want to watch his jerky putting stroke if I was ever lucky enough to be paired with him on the course, but I’d love that sweet rhythm to rub off on me.

And I never did manage to draw The Shark when I was competing on the Australasian Tour, but playing with Norman would still be something to tell the grandkids about, even though by then they might have to be educated on exactly who he is and what he achieved.

A couple of years to go for me until the big 5-0, and while my game is in a state of disrepair after years of sitting behind a desk and punching the keys of a computer, I’m about to dust the clubs off and can still dream of one day in the future trading shots with some of my golfing heroes in a senior event somewhere or other.

But until then, if Tiger’s not competing and the Aussies aren’t in contention, major’s aside, I might give the PGA Tour a bit of a miss on the television and wait for the seniors to come on. Maybe it’s the fact that I am now officially getting old, but what Tom showed us all the seniors can definitely play and that they also know how to have fun while they’re doing it.

 Photo courtesy USPGA Tour/Getty Images