The other Watson wins Senior PGA Championship
BY Bruce Young | Champions Tour | 2007 Senior PGA Championship | Round Four | 28 May 2007
Zimbabwe’s Denis Watson, won one of the more coveted titles in Senior golf by taking out the Senior PGA Championship at the famed Kiawah Island in South Carolina. His come from behind victory over one of the more tournament hardened players on the Champions Tour, Eduardo Romero, was as impressive as it was a surprise.
The 51-year-old, originally from Zimbabwe but these days safely residing in California, won three events on the PGA Tour in 1984 and finished fourth on the money list that year. His career, however has been one plagued by injuries and when he gained access to the Champions Tour via the USPGA Tour winners category he was not about to let a second chance go by.
Watson had recorded four top tens in eight starts on the 2007 Champions Tour and had also made the cut in the two Nationwide Tour events he has played this season as a means of keeping his game in shape.
The key to today’s victory came when long time leader, Romero, double bogeyed the par three 14th while Watson, who he was playing alongside, holed from ten feet. The three shot swing proved crucial as Watson took a two shot lead and although he bogeyed the 15th, the lead was back to two with another birdie at the par five 16th.
Watson went on to win by two over Romero with another shot back to Champions Tour rookie and fellow countryman of Watson, Nick Price.
“It’s wonderful just to be playing golf again,” said Watson during the week. “To get out and do what you like to do is a wonderful thing. As far as walking away from the game, I had doubts at times whether I would be able to get back. This last year when I was due to come out on the Champions Tour, I had been getting ready and to have my shoulder freeze up and go through what I thought was a severe surgery, I thought it was going to be less tough than it was. I was in rehab for a solid five and a half months before I started even picking up a golf club. Then I still had to put it down and go back to rehab for a while after that.”
Japan’s Joe Ozaki was fourth while Tim Simpson was alone in fifth.
The only Australasian to make the cut was Graham Marsh, who eventually finished 27th while the only other player from this part of the world, Bob Charles, missed the cut.
