US Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson has hinted next year could be his last in the professional ranks.
Watson is exempt for life into the Masters but the eight-time Major winner’s (British) Open Championship ’65 years of age’ exemption runs out at next July’s event at Royal Liverpool.
Later next year in September Watson will look to wrestle back the Ryder Cup from Europe and what better swansong for Watson than to be first US captain to win on European soil since 1993.
Tom Watson hints 2014 could be his last competitive season. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
“I don’t know how I am going to end my career, but I have to be honest with you, I’ve been thinking about it as the end is getting closer,” said Watson.
“I can see the horizon getting closer all the time when I’m going to hang it up, and I don’t relish that fact.
“I don’t like it because I am a professional golfer and this is what I do. But I’m other things besides that and they have become more important in my life.
“So the end is getting closer, and you have to prepare for the future.
“I’m 64 years old and I’ve had a really good run.
“So it might be poetic to finish in Scotland but I’ve not give I any thought because I still feel that I have some talent an ability left.”
Watson had been speaking at last week’s Ryder Cup ‘A Year to Go’ celebrations in Scotland and it was at the Home of Golf four years ago at Turnberry in 2009 when he went within a whisker of capturing a sixth (British) Open Championship in a play-off to fellow American Stewart Cink.
And unless he can repeat the effort next year in England the 2014 (British) Open Championship could be his last pro career tournament.
“What happened at Turnberry to a degree extended my career and it gave me an extra boost, an extra belief in myself, and also it gave a lot of other people the same thing,” he said.
“That was the best thing that came out of 2009, even though I didn’t win. I got letters and emails from people galore that said, because of my performance, they were going to start up again on something they had quit.
“So age is not a factor.
“They said I encouraged them to keep going. Although it was perchance that it happened, it showed what human beings are like.”
Watson turned professional in 1971 and joined the PGA Tour a year later before capturing the first of 39 PGA Tour wins in winning the 1974 Western Open.
He won the first of five (British) Open Championships in 1975 while he also captured the 1977 and 1981 Masters along with the 1982 US Open at Pebble Beach.
However Watson failed to join an elite few in capturing a Grand Slam of four Majors with his best finish in the PGA Championship was runner-up in 1978.
He was a total of 70 tournaments in his pro career with last being the 2011 Senior PGA Championship.
Watson also played in three winning USA Ryder Cup teams and led the States to victory in 1993 at The Belfry in England and the last time the US won on European soil.
