David Bashing

I didn’t want Tom Watson to win the British Open yesterday.

Watson had already won five British Opens. Would winning a sixth make a material difference in his life? I doubt it. Last week he was a golfing great, this week he’s a golfing great. Nothing changes because he lost.

Stewart Cink, on the other hand, has been playing golf for nearly 20 years without a major tournament win. It is likely that his win yesterday will be his one and only major victory, and that it will make a large difference in his life. He may never rise to the level of golfing great, but now he will always be Stewart Cink, British Open champion.

I’m happy for him. Am I the only one?

While Watson’s age made his challenge interesting, and gave a lift to many of his aged viewers, I am more comfortable in a world in which the old yield the floor gracefully to the young.

There was an accidental aspect to Watson’s moment in the sun, as if it was all unexpected, even by him, which contributed greatly to his appeal. In this he bears no resemblance to Lance Armstrong, the latest in a string of greats incapable of ceding the spotlight to others.

Armstrong returned to the Tour de France after setting every cycling record worth having. The only records left for him are those not worth having: most narcissistic, biggest megalomaniac.

Yet we root for him. Even the French!

We like to say we favor the underdog, look out for the little guy, but in practice we often prefer Goliath to David.

Comments

[umuzungu]

We do not root for Lance to beat his competitors, we root for him to win against age and mortality. It is a battle that we all fight, and we know that we'll lose in the end, and that makes each temporary victory sweet beyond reason.

We remember our first kiss stolen, first dollar earned, first victory won; we know there will one day be the last victory, last dollar, last kiss. But not this time, not yet. Look at Lance! See how he refuses to surrender to time and age and death. His stubbornness is our stubbornness; his folly and pride are an inspiration to the rest of us mortals.

[tillerman]

Open? Open what? Why do people say "Open" and assume that you know what they are talking about, or even care?

Open the door? Open the can? I dunno.

Oh. Is this about that thing called "golf"? Is that the "sport" for white men dressed like black pimps? I think a black man said that, by the way.

I used to work with guys who played golf. They were always asking me to play. I used to tell them that I would take up golf when I was too old for sailing. For some reason they resented my remark. I never did work out why.