Stewart Cink Wins the Open in a Play-off
Tom Watson Misses Out on Creating Sporting History
Jul 19, 2009
Can Tom Watson put together a final round of the same quality, nerve and inspiration that has taken him to the cusp of the most extraordinary sporting story of the year? Conditions for the conclusion of the 138th Open from Turnberry are similar to the last two days.
The two stand out early performances again show the delightful nuances of the sport as Open warhorse Els comes out of the traps to get to-3 and even for the championship after 12 holes, whilst the 16 year old Italian amateur Matteo Manassero equals Els score to join him in the top ten.
The two pairings before Watson and Goggin go off in the final group will surely put the pressure on the leaders. Ross Fisher is already equal with Goggin on -3, partnered by Lee Westwood and Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk go out before them.
Matteo Manassero Wins the Silver Medal
Fisher drops a shot on four, -4 and then hits trouble on five in the rough and his strike out compounds the problem and ends up in a worse lie and he flies it over to the opposite rough and finally makes an eight, back to level. Els hits a beauty into 17 for an eagle chance which he misses but makes birdie and bogeys the last to finish +1. Matteo Manassero wins the silver medal after a fine 69 to finish on +2. Sweden’s Richard Johnson birdies ten to get to Par.
Lee Westwood eagles the seventh to take a two shot lead at -4 as Fisher bogeys going back to +1 . Goggin birdies seven to reach -2, one behind Watson who also birdies the hole. Watson bogeys nine to drop to -2.
Luke Donald birdies fifteen and seventeen to reach par and par on the last means a 67 and a new clubhouse leader. Goggin birdies the tenth to reach -3 but Goosen drops back to level after a bogey on twelve. Chris Wood birdies seventeen and reaches -2, just one shot off the lead, bogeys the last but a brave effort of 67 and he takes over the clubhouse lead at -1. Birdies on 11 and 13 enable Stewart Cink to hit -2. Tom Watson birdies eleven to join Westwood at the top on -3.
Westwood holes a vital par -saving putt on eleven to remain in a tie for the lead with Goggin and Watson. Goosen double bogeys fifteen and surely his run at The Open is over. Watson and Goggin both bogey fourteen to drop to -2 and Westwood does the same on fifteen and it’s back to a three way tie on -2, until Goggin bogeys fifteen and sixteen , back to par. Westwood does the same on sixteen to leave Watson sole leader.
Stewart Cink Sets the Target
Stewart Cink birdies the last to set the new clubhouse target at -2. Goosen in at 72 after an eagle on the seventeenth. Westwood hit’s a fantastic shot out of the bunker on the last to leave a chance for par which he misses and finishes just short at +1. Three bogeys in the last four holes cost him. Ross Fisher finishes with a 75 and +2.
Tom Watson fractionally goes over the green on eighteen, so close to sealing the title, putts to six feet and leaves himself a putt for the title to pip Stewart Cink. He misses it with a poor putt but forces a four hole play-off.
Cink bidies the first hole to establish a one shot advantage. A fine up and down from Watson to share the honours at the sixth, the 2nd play-off hole. A fine drive on the seventeenth gives Cink the advantage as Watson finds the rough. and makes double bogey, Cink holes his putt for a birdie and takes a four shot lead into the last.
Stewart Cink Wins the Play-off
A superb tee shot sets up Cink as Watson misses the fairway and finishes poorly as it has just proved a little too much and Cink defies the fans favourite and birdies the last. Stewart Cink wins the the play-off.
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