Cink sinks Watson's dream of glory

TURNBERRY // Stewart Cink snatched a dramatic British Open from the grasp of the people's favourite Tom Watson, the younger American overcoming the 59-year-old legend in a four-hole play-off after the pair tied on two under par through the regulation 72 holes. Cink, who earned his unlikely play-off place with a brilliant birdie at the last of the 72 holes of regulation play, had to watch nervously as Watson came down that final hole with a one-stroke advantage, needing one more par to claim the coveted Claret Jug for a record-equalling sixth time. Watson, on the verge of becoming by a distance the oldest winner of this famous championship, did not do a lot wrong but his approach from the middle of the fairway just refused to stop, leaving him with the most awkward of returns up the slope beyond the green. He failed to get that third shot nearer than six feet and the type of putt which has troubled him in the latter stages of his magnificent career came back to haunt him. The agonising miss handed the momentum to his younger compatriot who seized the moment to secure his first major championship success by an embarrassing margin of six strokes.

wjohnson@thenational.ae