It’s fitting that Tom Watson would be recognized in Colorado for a lifetime of commitment to the game of golf. Almost a lifetime ago, on a course in this state, Tom first learned what it meant to perform under pressure.
He was 7 years old.
“I don’t remember where we played, but I remember what it meant,” said Watson, who was honored Tuesday night with the fourth annual Will Nicholson Award, presented by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. “My dad put me on the spot.”
Ray “Hook” Watson had taught young Tom the basic fundamentals of the grip, stance and swing a year earlier on their hometown course, Kansas City Country Club. While on a family vacation in Colorado, Hook decided it would be fun to play a round of golf at high altitude. Trouble was, the local pro took one look at Tom and decided he was too young.
Hook spotted the opening hole and made the club pro a bet. If Tom could clear that ditch that crossed the fairway, about 75 yards out, would that be enough to let them play? The pro agreed, and, sure enough, Tom whacked a drive that cleared the hazard by plenty.
“That’s the first time I faced pressure,” Watson recalled. “My dad taught me everything about the game.”
With Father’s Day approaching, Watson said his thoughts often turn toward memories of “Hook,” who received the nickname from needling pals because of his usual ball flight. Watson said his father taught him to have a passion for the game of golf. That’s one reason, he said, that he has concerns about where the sport is headed.
“It’s too darn expensive to play this game,” Watson said during a news conference before Tuesday night’s awards dinner. “And the black cloud is, it takes a long time to play. Time is condensed. People’s time is condensed. How are you going to get people to play 4- or 5-hour rounds of golf?”
Watson, 59, won eight major championships. His favorite victory remains the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach because “it’s our national championship, and it was on Father’s Day.”
Watson said just about everybody he meets wants to know about his chip-in for birdie from deep rough on the par-3, No. 17 at Pebble Beach to edge Jack Nicklaus by two strokes. It has been called one of the most famous golf shots in history.
Yes, Watson has returned to that spot in an attempt to recreate the shot. “The first time I tried it, I sculled it,” he said with a grin.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
