Farewell: Watson crosses Swilcan Bridge for final time

But, although English amateur golfer Ben Taylor is on the brink of a professional career, those three former Open champions are reaching the end.

But Streb admits that his very first visit to these shores is throwing up one or two unforeseen challenges.

“I really don’t know how I’m going to feel, although I can start with some of the emotions”. “I waited around the clubhouse, where we’d have sandwiches back then”.

Oxman was in attendance Friday night, along with Watson’s wife, Hilary, the two of them huddling up behind the 15th green and wondering aloud, like everyone else, whether there was enough light to finish. “I couldn’t be more proud of him”. I couldn’t understand why such a tough competitor would have reacted that way. But I can’t recall watching a player putt off the stone pathway at the back of that green.

“I just had to forget about the scores I was shooting, learn from it, keep playing and carry on in the direction I’m heading in”.

“It’s all a joy”, Watson said when it was all over. All of us. The atmosphere, the aura of this place is just phenomenal. He was really the first American who came over and had any sort of lasting success in the tournament. There is plenty of daylight, so get them out at 6.30am, get the last guys in at noon, and you’ve still got over nine hours left.

The town of St Andrews would award Jones with the keys to the city 28 years later. And one could only marvel at the solid precision of a drive, about 180 yards down the first fairway, from a man who will be 86 next month. He would finish two shots out of a three person playoff.

The sun had broken through on Friday evening when I met a blonde, 31-year-old Australian with a remarkable story. He nearly cried on the 18th tee when I said no tears. Of course they wanted to maximise their chances of doing well. “Watson will be remembered as long as golf is around”.

“We’re going to be looking to see if Tiger can make a comeback”.

In ’81 my friend Sandy Tatum asked me, ‘Watson, let’s go and play some links golf courses that you haven’t played in the rotation.’ One in particular was Royal Dornoch.

“But walking up that 18th hole, as the legend goes, Bobby Jones was engulfed by thousands of people who had come out and heard that he was on the golf course, and they watched him finish right there at the 18th hole. I left him with that”.

Tears were welling in his eyes as he spoke and he occasionally had to pause to compose himself, while admitting he was “babbling on”.

“The only way I’m going to improve is to forget about the bad stuff and also forget about the good stuff too so it’s always fresh”. “It was wonderful”.

Four young English amateurs, Ashley Chesters, Paul Kinnear, Ben Taylor and Alister Balcombe, have performed in the Open at St Andrews this week. Other devotees of The Old Course have had very different experiences. He switched into a sweater that he wore for his first Open title in 1987 at Muirfield, thrust his arms in the air atop the Swilcan Bridge, and saved par for a 71.

“I played a game for a living, and I played it pretty well”, Watson said smiling.

Don’t know who Gary Boyd is. “That’s a nice feeling for me”.

He will miss the cut by some distance when the second round – delayed due to rain and wind on Friday morning – is completed early on Saturday morning at Scotland’s home of golf.