Watson hangs on to take Senior Open Championship

It was a shaky finish at Muirfield but Tom Watson claimed his third Senior Open title by one shot from Stewart Ginn and Mark O'Meara.

GULLANE, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 29: Tom Watson of the USA holds the trophy after the final round of The Senior Open Championship 2007 at the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Muirfield on July 29, 2007 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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Victory looked assured for Tom Watson as he stood on the 18th tee with a three-shot lead but the American had to survive some serious trouble to take the Senior British Open at Muirfield on Sunday.

Watson had played brilliantly for four days around the links on which he had won the Open in 1980. Despite tough conditions, he looked comfortable throughout Sunday while those around him struggled in strong winds.

However, Watson found a fairway bunker from the final tee. He then failed to escape from the trap on his first attempt and was forced to chip out sideways. But when Stewart Ginn and Mark O?Meara each missed makeable birdie putts Watson could afford to take two putts for a double bogey and the title.

?I birdied the 11th in 1980 and again today. That gave me a lot of breathing room. In ?80 it gave me a five- or four-shot lead, and today it gave me a three-shot lead. It was a big deal,? said Watson.

Senior British Open

Level T Watson (US)

+1 S Ginn (Aus), M O'Meara (US)

+4 J Haas (US), L Nielsen (US), L Roberts (US), E Romero (Arg)

Paul O'Hagan
Paul joined Golf Monthly in 2006 in a junior role and has since worked as senior staff writer and now as technical editor. He writes equipment and instruction content and tests the vast majority of golf clubs that are introduced every year.
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