Vintage Watson keeps sparkle

TURNBERRY, Scotland – Tom Watson shot a 1-over 71 that kept the 59-year-old out front heading to the final round at a blustery British Open, where the scores kept going up but the old guy never faltered on Saturday.

Three years shy of qualifying for retirement pay and playing on a surgically replaced left hip that’s less than a year old, Watson showed the kids how it’s done. He pulled off several brilliant par saves, played it safe when he needed to and shook off a string of bogeys that briefly cost him the lead.

“That’s been the game plan,” Watson said. “I’m pretty close to it.”

At the end, pure magic for the second day in a row.

Watson followed Friday’s 75-foot birdie putt at No. 16 by curling one in from 30 feet away at the same hole, pulling even with Australia’s Mathew Goggin and England’s Ross Fisher.

“The putt I made at 16, I was about ready to make all day,” Watson said. “When I hit it I said, ‘I’ve got it right on the line I want. Let’s see if it breaks.”’

It did. The crowd went crazy.

On to the par-5 17th, where a fortuitous kick off a mound in front of the green sent Watson’s ball rolling right up above the flag on the second shot. The eagle putt came up inches short – wouldn’t that have been something? – but he tapped in for another birdie that gave him sole possession of the lead.

When Watson stepped to the 18th tee, all he wanted to do was ensure the lead was his going into Sunday. An iron to start, an approach shot that steered well clear of all the trouble on the left, a long putt right up next to the cup and a final tap-in for a 4-under 206.

His eyes teared up a bit as all the fans surrounding the 18th green toasted one of golf’s greatest champions.

Goggin, a 35-year-old journeyman, shot 69 for one of only five rounds in the red. Fisher shot 70 and hopes only that his first child holds off for another day. His wife is expecting, and Fisher said he’ll leave the tournament if he gets a text saying she’s about to deliver - even if he’s leading the Open.

“I won’t be here,” Fisher vowed. “I’ll be with her, because it’s something that I definitely don’t want to miss. It would be a shame, but I guess we’ll just have to cross that bridge if we come to it.”

Fisher and the scruffy Goggin will have their fans, but most everyone expects to be cheering for Watson, a five-time Open champion who becomes the second straight 50-something golfer to hold its 54-hole lead. (AP)