Watson's Fall Felt Like Hamilton's 2008 Home Run Derby

I meant to post this earlier, but Tom Watson's run at Turnberry this weekend reminded me a lot of Josh Hamilton's run at the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium.

Josh Hamilton came to the All Start Game as one of the more improbable candidates and entered the Home Run Derby with his high school coach and a real outside chance of winning. But he kept on hitting home run after home run and wooed over the crowd. He had the lead, he had the crowd, he looked like the surefire winner. But Josh Hamilton couldn't close it out. He lost the Derby, in the end, to Justin Mourneau. We were disappointed at the time that he didn't win it--it made us feel like we had lost something--but we will always remember that run he had in the Home Run Derby.

I think we'll feel the same way in the end with Tom Watson. I think a lot of people felt his loss. I think that a lot of people were rooting from him and his compelling story. I think that it, in the end, wasn't the "Golf Story of the Century" but it was something we'll be talking about for years. About how a 59-year-old man came within one hole of the British Open, how it was on the blade of his putter, and how it slipped away.

I think, in the end, it tells you how painful sports can be. A ball gets through Bill Buckner's legs, the Cubs come within a couple of outs of the World Series until Steve Bartman showed up, the Bills will never get over "wide right" and the Patriots lost a perfect season on "The Helmet Catch", one of United States basketball's most famous moments was when the USSR beat them and vice versa for United States hockey versus the USSR.

But knowing that feeling is what makes winning so much greater.

-Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star describes the emotions of Watson and his fans
-Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star was not sure a Watson win would have been good for golf's credibility
-RealClearSports says that his near-miss shows us that anyone can win in golf
-The New York Post says no apologies are necessary from Stewart Cink for winning the tourney
-FanHouse has some more information on the heartbreak
-Deadspin find the silver lining in Watson losing: old people feel entitled (or something like that)