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21 years later, Watson gets a shot at US Open
Olympia Fields (Illinois), June 13: Tom Watson, 21 years removed from his one and only US Open triumph, fired a five-under par 65 on the Olympia Fields north course yesterday to grab a share of the first-round lead.
Olympia Fields (Illinois), June 13: Tom Watson, 21 years removed from his one and only US Open triumph, fired a five-under par 65 on the Olympia Fields north course yesterday to grab a share of the first-round lead.
With defending champion Tiger Woods settling for an even-par 70, five strokes behind the leaders, it was five-time British Open champion Watson who injected some major cachet into the day when he joined freewheeling unknown Brett Quigley atop the leaderboard.
Watson, 53, opened his round on the 10th, and promptly bogeyed 11. But he jumpstarted his round with an eagle at the par-four 12th, where his six-iron approach from the middle of the fairway bounced into the cup.
"That completely changed my round around," Watson said.
Watson, playing by special invitation after missing the last two US Opens, also picked up shots at the par-four 16th, the par-five first and the par-three seventh, where his birdie putt hung on the lip for agonizing seconds before dropping in.
"When that ball fell in, it was something really special," he said. "I'm walking up and saying that's so close, how can it not go in?"
He added one more birdie at the eighth, and saved par from the sand with an eight-foot putt at nine to preserve his five-under.
Bureau Report
With defending champion Tiger Woods settling for an even-par 70, five strokes behind the leaders, it was five-time British Open champion Watson who injected some major cachet into the day when he joined freewheeling unknown Brett Quigley atop the leaderboard.
Watson, 53, opened his round on the 10th, and promptly bogeyed 11. But he jumpstarted his round with an eagle at the par-four 12th, where his six-iron approach from the middle of the fairway bounced into the cup.
"That completely changed my round around," Watson said.
Watson, playing by special invitation after missing the last two US Opens, also picked up shots at the par-four 16th, the par-five first and the par-three seventh, where his birdie putt hung on the lip for agonizing seconds before dropping in.
"When that ball fell in, it was something really special," he said. "I'm walking up and saying that's so close, how can it not go in?"
He added one more birdie at the eighth, and saved par from the sand with an eight-foot putt at nine to preserve his five-under.
Bureau Report