Like Neil Sedaka used to say, “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.”  Unless you’re Kenny Perry, who, in a somewhat surprising move, dropped longtime caddie Fred Sanders, without actually telling him.  According to Sanders, the news of his firing came from Perry’s agent, and not from Perry himself.  Even stranger is that Perry had Sanders on his bag throughout The Barclays, never hinting that the tournament would be Sanders last as Perry’s caddie.
Sanders also revealed that Perry’s son Justin, who carried his father’s bag for the Open Championship at Turnberry, will caddie for Perry for the final three FedEx Cup …read more

After missing out on perhaps his last chance at one final major tournament victory, Tom Watson could use a few words of comfort from old friends.  Enter Jack Nicklaus, one-time rival, friend, and, like Watson, a golfing legend.  Nicklaus took the time to call his old pal Watson following his near miss at Turnberry this past weekend, offering words of encouragement and support, a gesture Watson greatly appreciated.  Turnberry was the site of Watson and Nicklaus’ famous 1977 historic Open Championship match, dubbed the “Duel in the Sun.”
Nicklaus reiterated to Watson that his play on the penultimate hole in the …read more

It took until the final hole of regulation for Tom Watson’s nerves of steel to finally break, and it couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.  Facing an 8-footer for par on the 18th, and victory, Watson’s putt never had a chance, and his bogey left him tied with Stewart Cink, who minutes earlier had drained a 12-foot birdie putt to put him at 2-under for the tournament.  Watson’s miss on the last hole set up a four hole playoff between the men, but by that time Watson seemed done for the day, and Cink’s six shot advantage in …read more

I’m not sure what I find more remarkable after Day 2 of the Open Championship at Turnberry.  Is it the fact that Tom Watson, the ageless wonder, is tied for the lead at 5-under heading into weekend, or that Tiger Woods, he of the fourteen majors and No. 1 world ranking, is heading stateside after missing the cut by a stroke.  Or maybe it’s the story of Steve Marino, an unknown on tour, who sits atop the leaderboard tied with Watson at 5-under, after getting into the tournament as an alternate.
At the start of the day it looked as if …read more

It seems that at the British Open, everything old is new again.  At the age of 59, Tom Watson was out there doing it again at Turnberry, the sight of his second British Open championship, shooting a remarkable (to say the least) 5-under 65, tied for the early lead with another former winner, Ben Curtis.  That lead held for six hours or so, until Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez holed a 66-foot birdie putt on the final hole for an equally impressive 6-under 64.  But even Jimenez conceded the day belonged to Watson.
Like Watson, Jimenez played bogey-free golf for the round, …read more

With the PGA tour descending on Turnberry for the Open Championship, players and fans alike can’t help but reminisce about the first British Open ever held at Turnberry, way back in 1977.  That year two titans of the golf world squared off in a final round for the ages, a classic that would eventually be dubbed the “Duel in the Sun.”  Jack Nicklaus, already with 14 majors under his belt,  and Tom Watson, already a British Open champion, left the field in their wake as they engaged in a slugfest for the Claret Jug.  At the end of the day, …read more

With many of the PGA pros slogging their way through a 36 hole final day at the John Deere Classic, Tiger Woods, the pre-tournament favorite and No. 1 world ranked player, took some time Sunday to get familiar with an unfamiliar course.  Turnberry, the site of next week’s British Open, has hosted the championship three times, the last time being 1994.  It is believed that this is the first time in three years that Woods has shown up at a major tournament without ever seeing the course beforehand.  The last time was at Royal Liverpool in 2006, when Tiger captured …read more

After the U.S. Open ended last month, I wrote that it looked like Phil Mickelson would be skipping next week’s British Open, after Mickelson told reporters that he would “most likely” pass on the tournament to be with his wife Amy.  Well, you can replace the term “most likely” with “most definitely,” after Mickelson officially announced that he won’t be playing the Open at Turnberry, instead nobly choosing to be at his wife’s side as she recovers from breast cancer.
The time off from golf will also give Mickelson a chance to be with his mother, after learning that she too …read more

It was the toughest of decisions for Kenny Perry, but even with his mother dying from blood cancer, the 49 year old Kentuckian chose to play in the upcoming British Open at Turnberry.  Perry skipped out on last year’s Open Championship, instead staying with his commitment to play a tournament in Milwaukee.  Initially Perry had all intentions of playing this year’s British Open, but after doctors put his mother in hospice, Perry questioned his decision.
Perry was unsure of how much time his mother, who is suffering from multiple myeloma, had left once she entered into hospice care.  But after meeting …read more

Turnberry, the venerable Scottish course that will be the home of the 2009 British Open, announced this week that it is extending the course for the tournament. Six new tees will be added, including a spectacular 200-yard drive over the bay near the famous Lighthouse at the 10th hole.

The yardage for the final three holes has increased for the British Open, which hasn’t been played at Turnberry for 15 years, making the total yardage 7204 for the Open.
The British Open will be played July 12-16, 2009.
(photo credit: Newscom)