Dave Garcia’s heart sank Sunday when Tom Watson double-bogeyed the third playoff hole at Turnberry.
Watching the British Open on television after completing 18 holes at Westminster’s Heritage at Westmoor, Garcia said his golf clubs would still be gathering dust in his garage if it weren’t for Watson’s magical run at age 59. This was Garcia’s first round of golf in three years.
“It wasn’t only dust. I had to get cobwebs off my clubs,” said Garcia, 65. “I didn’t know if I’d play golf again. I’d gotten into other things. But I saw what Tom Watson was doing this week, and it was inspiring. When he said, ‘I’m not out here for nostalgia, I’m out here to win,’ that was it for me. I had to grab the clubs.”
A retired Realtor and a Colorado native, Garcia shot a 92 with outdated balata golf balls that had been left in his bag. The former 15-handicapper played better than he expected. He is eager to return for some evening work on the practice range this week.
“Even though Watson didn’t win, I think this will do a lot for senior golf,” Garcia said. “They say golf rounds are sagging. This might give courses a bump.”
Rudy Castaneda sure hopes so. An assistant pro at Indian Tree Golf Course in Arvada, Castaneda said there is bound to be a bounce of excitement from Watson turning back the clock. “People in their 30s and 40s that have never tried golf are probably thinking: ‘Wow. I can play golf in my 60s?’ ” Castaneda said.
Ken Polke, a Westminster dentist, believes Watson’s accomplishment “will probably breathe a lot of life into golfers who get up in the morning and those bones creak and ache. They’re going to think, ‘Yeah, it’s all worthwhile.’ ”
A former University of Dayton quarterback, Polke earned a spot on the Miami Dolphins’ taxi squad in the mid-1970s before trading footballs for golf clubs. He moved to Colorado a decade ago.
“Everybody quiet! Tommy is about to hit,” Polke yelled in the West Woods Golf Club grille as Watson stood on the No. 18 tee for his final hole in regulation. “Come on, Tommy!”
“I think this is going to give baby boomers a lift that life isn’t over,” said Polke, 57. “Golf is the one sport that you can play the rest of your life. That’s how I want to go. I want to be at the ’19th hole’ collecting my bets when my time is up.”
Jamey Noland, an assistant manager for the Colorado Ski & Golf store in Arvada, said the golf retail business could see a sales spike from Watson’s unimaginable week.
“We might get people in here looking for an Adams driver,” said Noland, referring to the golf equipment company endorsed by Watson.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
