Dr Alan Howard

Tom Watson’s failure to get down in three from the centre of the 18th fairway to win his 6th Open Golf Championship today at the age of 59 must rank as one of sport’s greatest tragedies. I remember his last Open victoryin 1983 when Peter Allis described Watson’s 2-iron approach to the centre of the 18th green at Royal Birkdale as ‘the shot champions are made of’. On that day I had urged Nick Faldo to go on to victory but today there must have been very few home fans who would have preferred a British (or any other) victor in preference to a Tom Watson triumph.