Notebook: Watson Needs Another Run To Catch Lietzke

By Alex Miceli

Toledo, Ohio -- Entering Sunday’s final round of the U.S. Senior Open is nothing new to Tom Watson.

Last year at Caves Valley, Watson was three shots behind Don Pooley on the final day after Pooley had shot a lights-out 8-under 63 to take the third-round lead. Watson had opened up with a 4-under 67, followed with a par 71 in the second round and a 69 in the third.

Watson trailed Pooley by five shots with 10 holes remaining and would eventually catch him, but lost in a five-hole playoff.

"It's disappointing to not win, but I had a few good moments out there that I can look back on and maybe use in the future to help me get through the barrier of second place," said Watson after his playoff loss in 2002. "I'm finishing second way too many times. I feel like Lighthorse Harry Cooper.

"I feel like Phil Mickelson to Tiger Woods. It's not a lot of fun to finish second."

Watson now has to contend with a very similar situation in this year’s final round. He started well with a 66, maintained with 72-70 and had someone throw a low number at him in the third round. Now Watson finds himself behind again, this time by four shots to Bruce Lietzke.

"Desperation hasn’t set in yet, but we will see what happens [Sunday]," said Watson of his mood going the final round. "We will see if I can get a little closer than four shots and put a little pressure on Bruce."

Watson’s problem has been his inability to convert putts. In last year’s third round, Watson was solid from tee to green, but couldn’t convert, similar to his third round on Saturday.

"I played very well from tee to green, and I didn't come up with very much on the greens," said Watson last year. "It was disappointing, gut-wrenching when you hit a lot of good shots like that and you can't convert the putts. I've been there before, and I'll be there again. But maybe something will happen between now and tomorrow that will change that. I intend it to somehow."

After his third round on Saturday, Watson was less animated, but just as honest in his assessment of his round and game.

"The putts didn’t go in today," said Watson. "I had better opportunities [Saturday] than I did yesterday. I had the ball a lot closer to the hole [Saturday], but nothing seemed to go in."

Tom Watson said he’s not sure if he’ll have any magic in his bag like he did in the final round at Caves Valley last year. (John Mummert/USGA)

The fact is that Watson’s trends in putting in last year’s U.S. Senior Open and this one are remarkably similar. He had 1.61 putts per hole in one in 2001, 1.83 in round two and 1.72 in round three. This week at Inverness Watson had 1.57 putts per hole in round one, 1.78 in round two and 1.61 in round three.

Note that his first round is the best in both last year and this year, his second round the worst and his third round in between.

In last year’s final round Watson had only 1.5 putts per hole, which allowed him to catch Pooley. It will require that type of effort in Sunday, since Lietzke is not known for not relinquishing leads easily. He is 11-for-22 when he holds the lead after 54 holes.

Hard Hole

The 228-yard par 3 sixth hole has been the most difficult green to hit in regulation, but it played considerably easier from the tee in the third round.

Over the three days, only 15.8 percent of the competitors hit the green in regulation. In Saturday’s third round, 25 percent of the field hit the green.

The scoring average reflects this as well. In the third round the scoring average was 3.133, yet the cumulative scoring average for the same hole was 3.473 for the three rounds.

Funny Line

As Allen Doyle was standing over his putt, which was on the back fringe of No. 18 Saturday, his caddie grabbed the flagstick and began walking away with it.

To which Doyle quipped, "You can lay it down right there," pointing to the dangerous slope that would greet his ball if he shot past the hole.

Alex Miceli is a free-lance writer from the Golf Press Association.