The spirit of Watson's Golf

Everyone wants to apperceive Tom Watson's abstruse to arena above golf at 60.

Here it is: competition.

"That's all it takes," Watson says.

Maybe those questioners should abdicate allurement and pay attention. Watson, able-bodied accomplished the PGA Tour's cut line, has connected to adhere with the game's abundant adolescent stars at the bigger events.

Watson absent a adventitious at his sixth British Open appellation endure July, falling in a playoff to 36-year-old Stewart Cink. Earlier this month, Watson opened the Masters with a 5-under 67, one off the advance captivated by his Champions Bout colleague, Fred Couples.

Watson chalks up the able play to the fields he and Couples face anniversary anniversary in the 50-and-over set.

"That's what I've said about the acumen I'm still out there and accept done able-bodied in some of the kids' above championships," Watson said. "I still accept the ability, the befalling to compete."

He and Couples, 50, both plan to abide testing themselves adjoin the game's best players.

Watson, a seven-time above champion, accustomed an absolution into the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, website of his active win over Jack Nicklaus in 1982, if he abundantly chipped in from the asperous at No. 17 to yield the victory.

It is Watson's aboriginal U.S. Open back 2003 - and addition adventitious to abruptness those who anticipate the 50-and-over set should achieve into weekend amateur at the club.

Couples, like Watson demography allotment in the Legends of Golf, abiding doesn't anticipate so. He's arena on the PGA Bout the next two weeks at the Quail Hollow Championship and The Players Championship.

Couples backward in the Masters mix center through Sunday's final annular and eventually accomplished angry for sixth at Augusta National.

"I anticipate if I am accepted good," Couples said, "there's a lot of places I can still do well."

For Couples, his stops on the PGA Bout beggarly he'll play seven beeline contest - something he hadn't done back 1992, if he won the Masters.

"I wish to see if I can play with the adolescent guys," Couples said. "But not that much."

Couples has enjoyed the brotherhood and added above attributes he's begin so far on the Champions Tour, something that's continued appealed to golf stars axis 50 who wish to accumulate their careers going.

"It's beneath pressure," said Tom Kite, who won the 1992 U.S. Open. "That's what the Champions Bout is."

Couples has aswell accustomed his new bout a addition with his hot start, including three victories and a additional abode in 5 alone Champions Bout events. He may appearance up at a few added PGA Bout stops this season.

"But next year will be carefully on the Champions Tour," Couples said.

If he's annihilation like Watson, that will accumulate Couples' bold aciculate as ever. He's averaged abutting to 300 yards off the tee this anniversary and, forth with accomplice Jay Haas, gone 6-under on Savannah Harbor Golf Resort's par 5s.

"That's basically it," Couples said simply. "Drove it actual well, kept it in play and again birdied a lot of par 5s and fabricated a lot of nice par putts."

Watson apparent a absolute beat for him backward in his career, accomplished if he won his above championships and a lot of of his 39 PGA Bout titles. Once he begin it, Watson begin the ability and bendability to accumulate abutting abundant to the latest bearing of mad bombers.

"I acquaint a lot of the adolescent guys, if this guy (Watson) would accept hit the brawl in his backward 20s and aboriginal 30s like he has in his 50s, he'd accept won 20 tournaments a year," said Andy North, a backstab U.S. Open best and accepted ESPN golf analyst.

Watson shrugs off the words of his Legends accomplice - the two teamed to win this accident in 2008 - and credibility to an attitude he's approved to backpack throughout his career.

Is annihilation bigger than "to be able to play a bold for a active and accomplish some money at it?" he said.

Few accept been bigger at it than Watson, who entered the year accepting becoming added than $22 actor in his career.

As continued as they've got a abode to break crisp, Watson thinks it's not such a abruptness if above PGA Bout stars shoot in the 60s above their 60s

"That's affectionate of why I assumption I'm here," he said.