Turn Back the Clock

So it is Sunday morning. I am on the couch recovering from a night of adult beverages realizing that I am not so young anymore and the sluggishness will last longer than the walk to the bathroom.

The only orginal programming on is the final round of the British Open from Turnberry. It has been full of stories all week long. Tiger Woods missing the cut for only the second time in a major tournament, the weather and Ross Fisher potentially leaving the course at any time to be with his wife as she gives birth to their child. But, the biggest story line is 59 year old Tom Watson leading the Open after the first and third round. It is a huge story because someone of his age isn't supposed to be able to compete with the "young guns" of golf, who have dominated the game for the past decade.

It got me thinking - is golf pretty much the only professional league/sport that could have someone at age 59 play and succeed.

In basketball, few players make it past 40 years of age. The best player in the world took a three seasons off, tried to make a comeback and disappointed his fans. In football they say a running back is done at 30 years old. Tom Watson would have had two careers! In hockey, you have the wonder known as Chris Chelios who is playing at age 46, but there aren't any other players close to him. Baseball has had a few players in their golden age play, but it is normally for a minor league promotion so they can say they played in five decades or something similar.

Other individual sports like Nascar have had older winners, Mark Martin at age 55 is still succeeding. I am sure their is a pro bowler or dart player that are in their fifties, but it isn't happening every weekend.

Golf is an individual sport - you battle the elements, the course and yourself to make it around in as few shots as possible. It is a physically demanding sport, especially at a course like Turnberry. The walking up and down the hills, swinging through the rough and the weather all take a toll on the players. Speaking as someone who has walked around Augusta National, I could have used a massage after that weekend. So for someone who almost qualifies for social security to be winning the tournament is something amazing, but is it good for golf?

The nostalgia and drama are great, but for golf to succeed on TV, with young fans and with corporate partners they need the Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or Sergio Garcia's of the world to be involved on Sunday's.