I grew up a Tom Watson fan. As a native Kansas Citian, Watson is a Midwest hero, and I learned to love golf by watching him and Jack Nicklaus. Who would have thought 32 years after Watson out dueled Nicklaus in the 1977 British Open, Tom would be back in contention for his sixth Open title. Add to the mix that the 59 year-old Watson had hip-replacement surgery less than a year ago, and this was almost the greatest sports story of the decade.
If you missed it, Watson hung around the leaderboard all four rounds, and took a one shot lead to the final hole Sunday. All he needed was a par to become the oldest major championship winner, breaking the mark by nearly 13 years. Golf is a tough game, and sometimes the ball bounces too far. Watson hit two great shots followed by two poor putts, and walked off with a bogey and a 72-hole tie with Stewart Cink. The playoff was all Cink, and Watson's bid for history fell short.
The result was disappointing, but the drama was still fantastic. And for me, it brings to mind Paul's exhortation in Philippians 3:13-14:
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Followers of Jesus never take a vacation from our faith, never retire, never stop following our Lord. Years may eventually slow the body or even dull the mind, but our souls never tire of serving the cause of Christ and honoring our glorious God. We press on and will keep pressing on until Jesus calls us home.
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