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Articles by Tom Watson
Tom Watson’s best golf tips for playing in the rain, wind and cold
Editor’s Note — With five wins at the Open Championship among his eight major titles and 39 PGA Tour victories, Tom Watson knows from playing when the weather isn’t sunny and 80 degrees. It’s only natural then that Golf Digest asked him to write this instruction article that ran in our March 2004 issue about how to play your best golf in the rain, wind and cold. Watson’s lessons from this article remain just as creative and helpful today as they did back then.
Newton, who lost a British Open playoff, dies at 72 - TSN.ca
The Canadian Press Tom Watson and Jack Newton , The Canadian Press BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Jack Newton, who lost to Tom Watson in a 1975 British Open playoff and tied for second behind Seve Ballesteros at the 1980 Masters before his professional golf career ended in a near-fatal aircraft propeller accident, has died. He was 72. Newton, who had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, died early Friday due to “health complications,” his family said in a statement.
Watson to be honorary Masters starter with Nicklaus, Player
17h ago The Canadian Press Tom Watson , The Canadian Press Six years after Tom Watson played the Masters for the 43rd time, the two-time champion returns in April to hit the ceremonial tee shot alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Watson, who held off Nicklaus in his Masters victories in 1977 and 1981, becomes the 11th player to be an honorary starter dating to 1963. All but four of them were Masters champions, including Lee Elder, the first Black golfer to complete in the Masters in 1975.
Monbulk 3rds fall short on the big stage
By Tom Watson With all senior teams out of the finals except for the 3rds, it was an away grand final against Rowville for the grand prize in division 6. Losing the toss and being sent into the field, early inroads were made by Rab Noonan and Craig Heppell to have Rowville 2/40. From there a partnership took over to take them through to the close of their 35 overs, with the score on 2/107.
Monbulk book grand final spot
By Tom Watson Monbulk travelled to Rowville for the final game of the home and away season. Rowville needed to win to confirm their spot for the finals. Monbulk bowled first and made early inroads to have their opposition 2/36 with wickets to Braden Taeuber and Duncan Maher. A 110 run partnership followed at four an over, before Craig Broekhof spun his magic to claim four wickets in a three over stretch. Rowville finished their 40 overs at 8/188.
Hawks’ talons take down Saints
By Tom Watson With week one washed out, the Monbulk ones hosted St Johns/Tecoma in a one day game at Silvan in a bid to reclaim second spot on the ladder. Batting first, after several crisp boundaries to Shane Cosstick and Tom Watson, the latter was undone after a pad-smashing caught behind. Braden Taeuber and the skipper set about plundering boundaries, with plenty of freebies to dispatch. After putting on 63, Braden (41) shelled a catch and brought Jason Fraser to the crease.
Rain washes away most games
By Tom Watson The day dawned cloudy and overcast and by 10am was raining enough for Monbulk Cricket Club games across the ones, thirds and fourths to be washed out for one-dayers next week. In the seniors, only the twos managed to get a game started, against St Johns/Tecoma away. With plenty of dot-ball pressure, Joel Wensley and Josh Spencer struck early to have the Saints 2/16. A few partnerships followed before Tam Noonan showed everyone why training is for suckers by snagging two quick wickets.
Monbulk falls to third place
By Tom Watson Chasing 221 on a warm day against Olinda, Monbulk Cricket Club’s top side was going to have to bat the 80 overs with patience to get the job done. With regular opener Aaron Birmingham late, Shane Cosstick and TJ Utting opened the batting. Utting didn’t last too long, getting a cracker that snuck through his defenses, while Cosstick gloved one trying to punish a bad ball.
Battle of the hill evenly poised
By Tom Watson With three games left before finals, Monbulk Cricket Club was looking to have a big first day against Olinda to hold onto second spot on the ladder. Electing to bat first, Chris Martin made the early breakthroughs, snagging the first two wickets with patient bowling. Olinda was set on a big score when 2/75 after only 27 overs and their best bats settled at the crease. But in a big session before tea, Craig Broekhof bowled Tim Scott around his legs and Tom Gelbert was run out.
Hawks fall short
By Tom Watson Monbulk Cricket Club’s first side fell just short in its top-of-the-table clash with Lysterfield at Silvan on the weekend. Set 285 to win off 80 overs, Monbulk started well, getting to 35 before the first wicket fell. Steady partnerships followed to have the game evenly poised at 2/100 at tea. After the break it was Jason Fraser (36) and Braden Taeuber (88) who ensured that the Hawks were within striking distance.
Top of the table clash evenly poised
By Tom Watson On a beautiful summer day, Monbulk took on Lysterfield in a top of the table clash. Losing the toss and having a bowl, Monbulk struck well early to have Lysterfield 2/30 in the seventh over thanks to Braden Taeuber’s thunderbolts. From there, a bit of a partnership pushed the score along to 4/107 with Chris Martin tying up an end as only he can. Going quite unrewarded, Chris finished with 2/43 off 27 overs with 13 maidens.
Crosstick makes a century
By Tom Watson Another big innings from captain Shane Cosstick headlined Monbulk’s day on the field against Knox Gardens in the ones. Carrying his bat throughout the run chase he played a controlled, chanceless innings to finish up on 102*. Other contributors were Aaron Birmingham with 30 and TJ Utting with 26*. It was a dominant match with the Hawks looking to finish up at Christmas with a successful start to the season.
Mixed results for Monbulk
By Tom Watson Results were mixed across the board in the first day of Round 7 for the Monbulk Cricket Club. In the ones, consistent wickets were the key after Knox Gardens won the toss and elected to bat. Consistent pressure took its toll on the Falcons’ batting line up, with no partnership greater than 50 and the side all-out for 176. Craig Broekhof bowled with excellent flight and control, spinning a web to take 4/40 with support from Braden Taeuber snagging 3/50.
Hawks hit home | Ranges Trader Mail
By Tom Watson After a washout the week before, the Monbulk first eleven fronted up to Silvan to take on cellar dwellers Mountain Gate. Batting first, Shane Cosstick added to his climbing run tally with a well-struck 30 before Monbulk was at the crossroads at 4/120. Enter the experienced pair of Jason Fraser (61) and Daniel Clark (33) who stepped up the scoring before a late surged pushed the score to 192. Mountain Gate got off to a flyer, sitting at 1/70 off 10 overs.
Monbulk’s partnership boost
In the ones, Monbulk Cricket Club set themselves for a big day against Rowville by winning the toss and batting. An opening partnership of 65 set the day up well, with A. Birmingham (26) and S. Cosstick (66). Throughout the innings there was a big hitting contribution from B. Taeuber (32) and a 100-run partnership between J. Fraser (68) and A. Powell (55) at a critical phase in the game. Some late hitting got the total up to all out for 305 in the last over.
Hawks are on top
In honor of the Melbourne Cup Day weekend, a round of T20s were played in the ones and twos. In the ones, Monbulk travelled to Lysterfied in a top-of-the-table clash that always produces a good game. Losing the toss again, Monbulk tried to take the pace off the ball early, with Lysterfield taking control to be 34 before the fall of the first wicket. Steady wickets were the key to limiting the Beavers’ total.
Seniors washed out
The first week of round three was meant to be the first two-dayer of the season. However, the day dawned full of rain, causing a league-wide washout to be called. In junior news, the under-16s and 14s also were washed out, leaving just the Friday night games completed. The under-13s lost a tight one. Chasing South Belgrave’s 2/89 the young Hawks could only muster 5/85. Stand-out performers were Tim Rickard with 32 not out, Brodie McIntosh 1/22 and Jacob Defina 1/6.
Tom Watson’s St. Andrews good-bye is all the more impressive given the fight his wife wages back home
GolfDigest.com – By John Feinstein “For a few brief moments on Saturday morning, the truly impossible seemed possible. It wasn’t just that Tom Watson was leading the Senior British Open a little more than five weeks prior to his 69th birthday. It was the circumstances under which he had the lead. Watson has played very little golf this year; the Senior Open was his fifth event of 2018 and he hadn’t played anywhere since April.
Tom Watson's first win at Augusta sparked his tour dominance
Tom Watson will be the last of the stars from his era to say farewell to the Masters Tournament as a player this week.Just don’t remind him of that.“You’re making me feel old,” said the 66-year-old two-time champion, who will be playing in his 43rd Masters, ninth on the all-time career list of starts.Despite his protest about age, Watson will be the only player in the 80th Masters born in the 1940s, the only one in his 60s and the oldest player by eight years.Watson is the only current...
Never Clank One Off A Branch Again
We've all been there: off the fairway, wanting to get the ball back in play. Problem is, there's a tree directly between you and your great escape. The tree is too tall to go over and too thick to curve a shot around it. You're only option is to hit a low runner under the branches. How do you do it? Take a lower-lofted club and make an easier, less-than-full swing. This is guaranteed to lower the trajectory of the ball—that's the easy part.
We Shall Fight on the Beaches
I haven't read too much about the source material for Christopher Nolan's seat-rattling bones of war epic Dunkirk, which I finally experienced (and that's the right word) in a late-night Imax showing that severely aggravated my already bothersome Trump Era insomnia.
Tom Watson: Drive It Lower In Crosswinds
Because of my success on the windy links courses in the United Kingdom, I get asked a lot about how to hit the driver lower when a strong breeze is in your face. My response: Why would you want to hit it lower? If you hit a solid drive at your normal trajectory, it's going to go just as far, if not farther, than if you tried to play it low into the wind. There are only two scenarios where it makes good sense to hit your driver lower than normal.
Tom Watson: Master The Downhill Putt
There are greens that are so fast, all you need to do is tap the ball on a downhill lie to get it to the hole. I'm not joking when I say that at Augusta National, I'll practice hitting a putt with the speed to move it only one inch if the green were flat like the photo (below) indicates. It's a stroke that requires real touch, so I suggest you practice it if you're about to play on very fast greens.
Vary Your Trajectory For Better Accuracy
My natural shot is a draw, and most good players know how to curve it right to left when they need to. But sometimes, bending the ball isn't enough. There are times when the height of the shot is just as important as the draw itself. This is certainly true at a course such as Augusta National. Whether you need to take it up and around the trees on the famous par-5 13th, or you need to chase it up to a green from under some branches off a fairway, the trajectory is crucial to success.
When You Have To Play Up From A Collection Area - Golf Digest
During the past 15 or 20 years, American golf courses have copied the old British links by implementing collection areas. Miss a green, and instead of ending up in deep rough, your ball is sitting on a super-tight lie below the putting surface. Over in the U.K., the simple play from these spots is to putt up the slope.
Chapter 3: Round 1
Tiger got off to a fast start in his pro career, making birdie on two of his first four holes, including this one at the 171-yard par-3 third hole. It took Woods just six holes to make his first career eagle as a pro. He was suddenly 4-under through six holes. Woods hit just two drivers off the tee in his opening nine holes. The most interesting statistic may have been the fact that he hit two 2-irons, with 60 yards separating the two tee shots.
Tom Watson: Why Keeping Your Head Still Will Hurt Your Game - Golf Digest
The old saying about keeping your eye on the ball was actually a cue some instructors used to help golfers maintain their shoulder tilt from setup through impact. Unfortunately, it has been misinterpreted over the years to mean you should keep your head down and dead still when you swing. Doing that leads to a restricted motion back and through—and poor shots. So what should your head be doing? Well, it's a bit of personal preference.
He's back: Dustin Johnson tied for lead at US Open - WECT TV6-WECT.com:News, weather & sports Wilmington, NC
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) - One year after a crushing defeat at Chambers Bay, Dustin Johnson is atop the leaderboard at the U.S. Open. Johnson was immaculate from tee-to-green at Oakmont during a marathon day of 36 holes on Friday. He had a 3-under 67 in the opening round, then went back out for a 69 in the afternoon. He was at 4-under 136. Andrew Landry had a much shorter day.
Tom Watson: Maintain Your Shoulder Tilt
If you're not happy with early returns this season, check your shoulder turn. That's what helped pull me out of a long period of indifferent golf. During one particular range session, I identified a flaw in my downswing: I was dipping my right shoulder coming into impact, which caused me to fall back with my upper body. I realized that when my shoulder plane stayed the same in relation to my spine as I swung back and through, everything else—arms, hands, clubhead—would fall into a foolproof groove.
Tom Watson grateful to go out his way at Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The first ovation on Tom Watson’s final walk up the 18th fairway at Augusta National lasted 55 seconds. Playing in his 43rd and final Masters, Watson reached the front of the green and stopped. He applauded the crowd, patrons lined up so many rows deep they could only glimpse bits of the two-time Masters champ. Watson pointed to them and then to his heart. “It was a special walk up the 18th hole,” Watson said.
Unlock Extra Power By Rotating Your Hips
The movement of the hips is important for generating clubhead speed at impact. But most golf instruction focuses on how the hips unwind as the club swings into the ball. Not to be ignored is how they should rotate on the backswing. The hands, arms and shoulders start the swing, which in turn gets the hips to rotate. Notice I said "rotate." You don't want the hips to slide. Brace on the inside of your right foot, and turn your right butt cheek behind you.
Tom Watson's first win at Augusta sparked his tour dominance
Tom Watson will be the last of the stars from his era to say farewell to the Masters Tournament as a player this week. Just don’t remind him of that. “You’re making me feel old,” said the 66-year-old two-time champion, who will be playing in his 43rd Masters, ninth on the all-time career list of starts. Despite his protest about age, Watson will be the only player in the 80th Masters born in the 1940s, the only one in his 60s and the oldest player by eight years.
Tom Watson: Hidden key to solid strikes
The movement of the knees, though seldom discussed, is vital to hitting good shots. The knees provide stability, back and through, and help ensure you hit the ball with the center of the clubface. Let's start with the front knee. On the backswing, it should remain flexed and pointing at or behind the ball. This allows you to make a good hip turn and complete the backswing by fully shifting to your right side.
The Two-Tee Drill: Path To More Pars And Birdies
Most amateurs I see spend a great deal of time focused on the break of a putt and, to a lesser extent, the speed. Those are key fundamentals for sure, but equally important is making a good stroke. Swinging the putterhead on a consistent path will help you start the ball on the line you pick. To groove your stroke, try my two-tee drill. Find a straight putt and stand 10 feet from the cup on that line.
Tom Watson: Guide To Good Footwork
Whenever I evaluate a golfer's ability, I first check for a proper grip and a balanced, athletic setup. Then I watch the footwork, which ultimately determines how efficiently the player creates clubhead speed. Proper footwork is a necessity for consistency and power, and there's a sequence you should strive for. Start with your center of gravity directly between the balls of your feet.
Manque Generation
Without even venturing to the upper reaches of Fifth Avenue, I unreservedly despise the Metropolitan Museum's new Costume Institute exhibition, PUNK: Chaos to Couture, which purports to "examine punk's impact on high fashion from the movement's birth in the early 1970s through its continuing influence today." To put it simply, there is nothing in this particular quadrant of the celestial universe more un-punk than a Met show on punk's impact on couture.
Rehearse Your Round
When you warm up before you play, do you hit shots with a purpose? That is, once you've loosened up, do you practice the shots that give you the most trouble on the course you're about to play? The right prep will help your scoring. Here's an example as I look forward to playing in my 42nd Masters. Augusta National is very long, and I know I'll have to hit a number of hybrid clubs on approach shots.
A Handy Putting Tip
Do you miss a lot of putts that curl away before reaching the hole? We call that missing on the amateur side—the low side. Your goal is to get the ball tracking toward the hole from the pro side. Start by adjusting your grip. If I want to make sure I don't miss on the low side on a left-to-right putt, I'll shift my left hand a bit to the right on the handle of my putter. In other words, I strengthen my left-hand grip so I can see one or two knuckles.
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