Almost the Year of the Old Pro, Again

So 59 year-old Tom Watson almost won the Open Championship. He missed an 8 foot put on the 18th hole to tie for the lead and head into a playoff (in which he got trounced). Obviously it must have been pretty upsetting for him - but I think it was upsetting for everyone watching too. Everyone likes a happy ending eh? I can't help but wonder if I was in Stewart Cink's shoes, how good would it feel to win this particular Open instead of Tom?

And back at the Master's, Ken Perry was up to something similar (being older than most of the other guys and almost winning). It came down to the last couple of holes. I remember the commentator announcing in between Perry's 16th and 17th holes, "Perry hasn't made a bogey in 22 holes" or something like that. And we were like - "Uh oh . . ." And sure enough Murphy's Law struck again, and Perry bogeyed the last two holes - sending the Master's into a three way playoff, in which he couldn't seem to hit the ball straight.

Golf is cruel. I can't think of another sport where such unhappy endings happen so frequently. But maybe that makes it true to life, and thereby, redeemable.