The 2009 British Open at Turnberry is a story more about what almost happened than what did happen. What did happen is that Stewart Cink won his first major championship in a four-hole playoff. What almost happened is that Tom Watson nearly pulled off what would have arguably been the greatest win in golf history.
Watson, age 59, was 22 years removed from his last major; 11 years removed from his last PGA Tour victory.
He was 11 years older than the recordholder (Julius Boros) as oldest major champion. Yet, Watson made a strong run at the Open Championship.
Watson opened with a 65. Followed that with a 70 and was tied for the lead. Shot 71 in the third round to take the lead. And held or shared the lead much of the day in the final round.
Playing several groups ahead of Watson, Cink sank a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to get to 2-under, leader in the clubhouse. Watson stood on the 18th tee at 3-under with a one-stroke lead. His approach to the last green was long, and his putt up an embankment rolled about eight feet past the cup. His par putt was too weak, Watson bogied, and a four-hole playoff between Watson and Cink ensued.
The playoff was anticlimactic. Cink was elated to be in the playoff; Watson was completely deflated; and their playoff golf reflected that. Cink won the playoff by six strokes, denying Watson a fairytale week, but capturing for himself his first major.
A Watson win would have been his sixth Open Championship title, tying Harry Vardon for the tournament record.
And, of course, he would have smashed Boros' record as oldest major champion. The fact Watson was making this run at Turnberry, site of his fabled "Duel in the Sun" battle with Jack Nicklaus in the 1977 British Open, made it all the more remarkable.
But that poor putt on the final green prevented such history from being made. (But Watson is still No. 1 on our ranking of the best golfers ever in the British Open.)
2009 British Open Scores
Results from the 2009 British Open played on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry (par 70) in Ayshire, Scotland (p-won aggregate four-hole playoff; a-amateur):
| p-Stewart Cink | 66-72-71-69--278 | $1,221,005 |
| Tom Watson | 65-70-71-72--278 | $732,603 |
| Chris Wood | 70-70-72-67--279 | $415,142 |
| Lee Westwood | 68-70-70-71--279 | $415,142 |
| Luke Donald | 71-72-70-67--280 | $255,597 |
| Retief Goosen | 67-70-71-72--280 | $255,597 |
| Mathew Goggin | 66-72-69-73--280 | $255,597 |
| Soren Hansen | 68-72-74-67--281 | $147,172 |
| Ernie Els | 69-72-72-68--281 | $147,172 |
| Justin Leonard | 70-70-73-68--281 | $147,172 |
| Thomas Aiken | 71-72-69-69--281 | $147,172 |
| Richard S. Johnson | 70-72-69-70--281 | $147,172 |
| Jeff Overton | 70-69-76-67--282 | $82,866 |
| Andres Romero | 68-74-73-67--282 | $82,866 |
| Miguel Angel Jimenez | 64-73-76-69--282 | $82,866 |
| a-Matteo Manassero | 71-70-72-69--282 | Â |
| Camilo Villegas | 66-73-73-70--282 | $82,866 |
| Justin Rose | 69-72-71-70--282 | $82,866 |
| Francesco Molinari | 71-70-71-70--282 | $82,866 |
| Henrik Stenson | 71-70-71-70--282 | $82,866 |
| Boo Weekley | 67-72-72-71--282 | $82,866 |
| Thongchai Jaidee | 69-72-69-72--282 | $82,866 |
| Ross Fisher | 69-68-70-75--282 | $82,866 |
| Peter Hanson | 70-71-72-70--283 | $59,151 |
| Oliver Wilson | 72-70-71-70--283 | $59,151 |
| Angel Cabrera | 69-70-72-72--283 | $59,151 |
| Davis Love III | 69-73-73-69--284 | $47,794 |
| Soren Kjeldsen | 68-76-71-69--284 | $47,794 |
| Mark Calcavecchia | 67-69-77-71--284 | $47,794 |
| Nick Watney | 71-72-71-70--284 | $47,794 |
| Kenichi Kuboya | 65-72-75-72--284 | $47,794 |
| James Kingston | 67-71-74-72--284 | $47,794 |
| John Daly | 68-72-72-72--284 | $47,794 |
| Richard Sterne | 67-73-75-70--285 | $38,258 |
| Martin Kaymer | 69-70-74-72--285 | $38,258 |
| Graeme McDowell | 68-73-71-73--285 | $38,258 |
| Jim Furyk | 67-72-70-76--285 | $38,258 |
| Sergio Garcia | 70-69-76-71--286 | $31,176 |
| Thomas Levet | 71-73-71-71--286 | $31,176 |
| Nick Dougherty | 70-70-73-73--286 | $31,176 |
| Vijay Singh | 67-70-75-74--286 | $31,176 |
| Steve Marino | 67-68-76-75--286 | $31,176 |
| Anthony Wall | 68-72-75-72--287 | $25,539 |
| Branden Grace | 67-72-73-75--287 | $25,539 |
| Paul McGinley | 71-71-70-75--287 | $25,539 |
| Bryce Molder | 70-73-67-77--287 | $25,539 |
| Paul Lawrie | 71-73-76-68--288 | $21,571 |
| Zach Johnson | 70-71-77-70--288 | $21,571 |
| Paul Casey | 68-76-74-70--288 | $21,571 |
| Rory McIlroy | 69-74-74-71--288 | $21,571 |
| Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano | 69-72-73-74--288 | $21,571 |
| Darren Clarke | 71-71-78-69--289 | $18,295 |
| Kenny Perry | 71-72-75-71--289 | $18,295 |
| Graeme Storm | 72-72-74-71--289 | $18,295 |
| Robert Allenby | 70-74-73-72--289 | $18,295 |
| Johan Edfors | 71-73-72-73--289 | $18,295 |
| Billy Mayfair | 69-73-73-74--289 | $18,295 |
| David Howell | 68-73-72-76--289 | $18,295 |
| Steve Stricker | 66-77-70-76--289 | $18,295 |
| David Drysdale | 69-73-75-73--290 | $17,013 |
| Tom Lehman | 68-74-74-74--290 | $17,013 |
| Paul Broadhurst | 70-72-74-74--290 | $17,013 |
| Kevin Sutherland | 69-73-73-75--290 | $17,013 |
| Ryuji Imada | 74-69-79-69--291 | $16,606 |
| Fredrik Andersson Hed | 71-70-78-73--292 | $16,199 |
| Padraig Harrington | 69-74-76-73--292 | $16,199 |
| Stuart Appleby | 71-72-76-73--292 | $16,199 |
| Sean O'Hair | 68-75-75-74--292 | $16,199 |
| J.B. Holmes | 68-70-75-80--293 | $15,792 |
| Mark O'Meara | 67-77-77-74--295 | $15,547 |
| Fredrik Jacobson | 70-72-77-76--295 | $15,547 |
| Paul Goydos | 72-72-77-82--303 | $15,303 |
| Daniel Gaunt | 76-67-79-82--304 | $15,140 |
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 with the runner-up, 59-year-old Tom Watson.){kind=link}