Tour Insider

A Day in the Sun: The Open 30 Years Ago

By Matt Adams

No one ever doubted the natural talents of Tom Watson. By the time he was in his mid-20s, he was long off the tee, laser accurate with his irons, had the ability to get up and down from anywhere and had a bold and confident putting stroke. Such defined his physical strengths. The initial doubt, however, was his mental fortitude. A perspective that was probably unfair, as his sometimes brilliant play revealed his innate abilities that had not yet been matched by experience of tournament hardened nerve. Probably due to the early success of a young Jack Nicklaus, critics were quick to judge a young golfer with talent if he failed to win majors while still wet behind the ears.
 
Twenty-four years old, Watson held a one-stroke lead heading into the final round of the 1974 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Facing brutal conditions and determined competition, the young golfer would falter, posting a final-round score of 79. He would finish fifth, five strokes behind the winner, Hale Irwin.
 

Afterwards, Watson sat alone in the locker room gathering his thoughts when he heard a voice. “I know how you feel, son. I’ve thrown away tournaments, too. If you ever want to talk about your game, call me.” Watson looked up to see the legendary Byron Nelson at his side. It was an offer that Watson would take advantage of, winning his first tournament, the Western Open, soon after commencing. Just over a year later, Watson would win his first Open Championship at Carnoustie, joining the ranks of major champion (he would go on to win five Open Championships); however, his media-placed reputation for choking when in contention dogged him. Perceived poor play while in contention at the 1975 Masters and U.S. Open did not help to eradicate the moniker.
 
At the 1977 Masters, that perception would change. It was a classic final round that would feature a man-to-man slug-fest between Watson and the most feared man in the game at that time, Jack Nicklaus. Playing just behind Nicklaus, Watson would match the great man birdie for birdie. After making birdie on the 13th hole, Nicklaus would gesture with his arm to the patrons, acknowledging their wild cheering and support. Viewing this from the fairway, Watson misinterpreted the gesture as being intended for him, a pantomimed “So There!”
 
Watson would proceed to chase down Nicklaus, eventually taking the lead with a birdie on the 17th hole. When the 20-foot putt dropped, the roar was so loud, that Nicklaus backed away from his approach shot in the 18th fairway. He would later admit that Watson’s birdie rattled him, and caused him to change his plan of attack on the hole. Instead of firing for the center of the green, he chose to attack the pin, resulting in a shot he caught slightly heavy, that ended up in the front bunker. The ensuing bogey by Nicklaus, and par on the same hole by Watson, would give Watson his first green jacket and a two-stroke victory (he would win again in 1981 and he would finish tied for second in 1978 and 1979, and a solo second in 1984). Nicklaus shot a final-round 66 to Watson’s 67. It would not be the last time that Watson would stand toe-to-toe with Nicklaus, take his best, and persevere.
 
A footnote to this Masters was the lingering effect of the affair at the 13th hole. Watson caught up to Nicklaus outside the scoring tent and confronted him about the gesture at 13. Nicklaus assured Watson that the gesture was not meant for him and he meant him no ill will. Whether the incident had any lasting impact on their relationship is doubtful; however, it did serve to illustrate the fighting spirit of Tom Watson and his steely resolve to stand up to any challenge, perceived or otherwise, regardless of the source.
 
“I proved I could win against the big boys,” Watson would say following the impressive finish.
 
That year’s next major stop would belong to neither Nicklaus nor Watson. The 1977 U.S. Open at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., belonged to Hubert Green, who held or shared the lead in all four rounds, finishing at 2 under par and one stroke in front of Lou Graham.
 
So, the stage was set for a renewal of the burgeoning Nicklaus/Watson rivalry at the Turnberry Ailsa Course at the 1977 Open Championship, the first time the course would host the Championship. This was a tournament that would feature what has been called the greatest final round in major tournament history.
 
The Ailsa Course at Turnberry is one of the finest layouts in the entire world. As is often the case with classic golf courses, it has a fascinating history. Used as an airfield during the Second World War, as recently as a few years ago while digging out a bunker on the second hole, an unexploded bomb was discovered buried deep under ground.
 
In 1977, like many of the great links courses of the British Isles, it did not have an irrigation system, so if the weather was hot and dry, the course would run like a ball on a runway. At its best, links courses, the quintessential test of golf, are unpredictable. When they get hard and dry, ball control can become very, very challenging, to say the least. Such was the case in July, 1977. Conditions were uncharacteristically oppressive.
 
Prior to the start of the tournament, some thought the lack of wind and rain would actually make the course easier to play. Playing in his first Open Championship, Greg Norman speculated, during the practice rounds, that someone might shoot a 60 that week (Norman would miss the cut but would get revenge by winning the 1986 Open Championship at Turnberry). By the end of the week, the scoring average for the field over 72 holes would be near 10 over par.
 
Through the first two rounds, Watson and Nicklaus would post identical scores of 68 and 70, to sit one stroke off the lead, held by Roger Maltbie, after 36 holes. Maltbie had fired a second-round 66, after a first-round 71, to vault him into the lead. Also tied for second place were Green and Lee Trevino. Surely, it must be hard to get a good night’s sleep when nursing a slim lead in front of that foursome?