Cink, a top-ten ranked golfer from 2004-2008, finally breaks through to capture his first major championship, and everyone at Turnberry is acting like he just killed Santa Claus. I, along with everyone else in the world, would loved to have seen the 59-year old Watson pull the ultimate Cinderella story - but I'm also not going to blame Cink for playing to win.
Let's remember that just because Watson blew that eight-foot putt on 18 and ran out of gas in the four-hole playoff doesn't diminish what he accomplished during the Open Championship. His story was 1,000,000 times better than any drama or storyline that the absent Tiger Woods could have given us. It may be hard to fully grasp the thought, but a Watson victory surely would've equaled any of the biggest surprises in sports history, and that includes the untouchable Miracle on Ice.
Watson's performance won't soon be forgotten
Watson's performance is why we watch sports. Overcoming injury, defying insurmountable odds, and even turning back the hands of time - every once in awhile, we see it happen. However, fairy tales don't always finish with a happy ending. George Mason made it all the way here to Indianapolis for the Final Four before their clock struck midnight against Florida. The Arizona Cardinals couldn't get that final stop against Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. James Braddock (the actual "Cinderella Man") lost his title defense to Joe Louis following his epic upset of Max Baer. It wasn't until the final eight feet of the 72nd hole at Turnberry that the magic ran out for Tom Watson.
A 59-year old all-time great that was 26 years removed from his last major championship captivated sports fans for four unbelievable days that we'll never forget. I heard on SportsCenter that Watson missed his chance at making history. That's funny because I won't watch another British Open for the rest of my life and not think about Tom Watson and 2009.He didn't need a stupid jug to make history.
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