Tom Watson – The Greatest American Links Golfer Ever

Tom Watson, arguably the greatest American links golfer in history, quietly hung up the spikes at the Senior British Open this past week.

Tom Watson will no longer compete at either The British Open nor the Senior British Open. And just like the man himself, it was done with grace, humility, and understatement.

Golf is a game of eras. In the decade bridging the 1970s and the 1980s, Tom Watson was the undisputed greatest golfer on the planet.

In 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, and 1984, he was the PGA Player of the Year. Only Tiger has more Player of the Year awards. He won the Vardon Trophy in 1977, 1978, and 1979 for the lowest scoring average on Tour. And between 1975 and 1983, he won eight Majors among his 32 Tour victories over that span.

More from Pro Golf Now

• Golf Rumors: LIV set to sign Masters Champion in stunning deal
• Fantasy Golf: Grant Thornton Invitational DFS Player Selections
• Brutal return leaves Will Zalatoris looking towards 2024
• Stars You Know at World Champions Cup Starts Thursday at Concession
• Fantasy Golf: An Early Look at the 2024 Masters Tournament

No player, save Tiger in the late 1990s and early 2000s, can boast this type of dominance over a similar stretch of years – not even the Golden Bear himself.

Tom won more Majors than Arnold Palmer. He won more than Hogan, Snead, Nelson, Ballesteros, Jones, Sarazen, Vardon, Trevino, and Faldo, too.

So why does Tom Watson’s name seem to fall behind so many of these other greats of the game?

Certainly, books can be written about such things. Some players spent more time burnishing their own legends. Others with more savvy had the media do it for them.

Tom Watson neither boasted about his accomplishments nor basked the hosannas heaped upon players with lesser records. And that always seemed just fine with him.

I think I know why. Tom Watson has forever been keenly aware – and his retirement at the Senior British Open this year reinforces it – that the sport was always bigger than him.

We don’t see that very often these days, do we? Athletes, particularly those that can rightfully be called legends, are reluctant to step from the spotlight. Who can blame them? It’s human nature to crave the roar of the crowd.

And at the age of 70, his game, like all of ours, declines with age. Though how many 70-year olds make the cut at the Senior British Open? Add to that, his beloved wife is battling pancreatic cancer, a particularly insidious form of the disease that requires a family to circle the wagons and fight together.

These are reasons enough for any man to take leave. But there is another reason that deserves our equal attention.

Tom’s deep respect for the integrity of the game compels him to set an example of how a true craftsman sets down his tools. He does it quietly, without fanfare. He leaves the sport better than he found it and makes sure the next generation has it even better than he did.

These gestures have lost its meaning in today’s sports world. It is a place of soundbites, platitudes, and PR. The modern athlete has been meticulously trained to say and do the right things. And lucky for them, there is always a cell phone or cable network to catch them doing it.

Tom Watson never outgrew the old-school approach. He was a tough competitor. He called them as he saw them. He may have ruffled a few feathers along the way, but it was never in an effort to aggrandized Tom Watson. It was always about respecting the game, above all else,  and competing at your best.

It takes a special kind of humility to know when to pass the torch. Seeing Watson do that with such appreciation for the game tells you everything you need to know about the man, much less the golfer.

Will another American ever win five British Opens (not to mention three Senior British Opens)? Maybe. But even Tiger is two away from matching it. No other current American player has more than one. If it didn’t happen for another 100 years would any of us be surprised?

Seeing this five-time winner take his final bow is something the game should rightfully pause for, and tip its cap.

I’m lucky enough to be a Kansas Citian and belong to Tom’s home club. Our clubhouse is a museum of Tom Watson memorabilia and awards. It’s staggering to see it all and humbling to think it provides merely a glimpse of his 50 years in professional golf.

But here’s a little local knowledge. If you want to see Tom, don’t go to the Kansas City Country Club. He doesn’t hang-out in the Men’s Grill telling golf stories. (And definitely, don’t go there with ankle socks. They are verboten. That’s another column.)

Instead, find the next First Tee event at a local KC municipal course. That’s a much more likely place to see the greatest American links golfer of all-time. He’ll be the guy with the gap-toothed smile, grand-fatherly demeanor, and unwavering focus helping some kid – who doesn’t even know his name – learn the lessons of the game.