Tom Watson

Tom Watson is the only top tournament golfer I have met. Eleven years ago, the night after he won his last PGA tournament, the Colonial, I happened to be seated next to him at a dinner at the Links Club in New York at which he was the guest of honor. It was considered a remarkable feat for him to have won a PGA tournament at the age of 48. I found him to be a good dinner companion-- dignified, personable, and interested in more than just himself and golf. Thus, I was not surprised that he conducted himself so well today after his crushing failure to maintain his lead-- at age 59, with a recent hip replacement-- on the final hole of the British Open. One could not help comparing and contrasting his demeanor with Tiger Woods' swearing and pounding the tee box with his club after hitting a bad shot in the same tournament.