Tom Watson became the oldest player to win a major tournament since the PGA was created and the second-oldest winner of the Senior PGA, right at the heels of Jock Hutchison who was 62 when he won in 1947.
The 61-year-old Watson arrived with the winning shot by shooting down four holes. He closed with a two-under 70, finishing at 10-under 278 to arrive at his 14th career major and the 6th title since turning 50. Both Watson and David Eger missed the short birdie putts on the 72nd green that would have helped either to make the winning shot. Eger pulled a 6-footer while Watson pushed a four-footer. Eger also caught a break when he drove the ball to a grassy patch at the edge of the bunker on the left side of the fairway. A layup and a wedge followed this to ten feet but he failed to make the birdie.
The final round was tight, with the lead changing hands multiple times between Eger and Watson. Eger rolled in a short birdie at the 15th to grab the lead but Watson had a chance to recover when Eger bogeyed on the next hole. Watson then followed with an 18-footer birdie behind the fifth green, taking the lead by one shot. Eger fought back with a 7-foot birdie putt at the 16th to catch up.
Watson finally went for the win by holing the short birdie putt to grab the crystal trophy and the $360,000 purse at the end of the tournament.
“Wow. Winning again at 61,” Watson said, seemingly stupefied that he had won. “I don’t think it’s an age thing but, God, I’ve been out here a long time.”
This victory also makes Watson the third oldest winner of a Champions Tour event, and came 10 years after his latest win on the Senior PGA championship in 2001.