Tom Watson says the time has come.
This will be his last go-round at The Masters as a competitor. It is his 43rd and final appearance as a player. He never missed a cut from 1975-1995.
Watson, winner of The Masters in 1977 and 1981 says he simply doesn’t have the length to handle Augusta National. He is 66-years-old and the oldest player in the field.
“It’s time to let someone else have the spot,” Watson said on Tuesday morning as he prepared to compete for the final time. “I knew it several years ago. I didn’t have the tools in the tool box.”
Watson’s competitive mentality is what helped the decision. “I’m trying to make the cut. I don’t want to play to make the cut. I want to be in contention. I’m a realist,” he said.
Augusta has been lengthened to keep up with changes in golf ball and equipment technology. “At seven and 17, I can’t hit it far enough off the tee to hit a club that will hold the green on the second shot,” Watson said, citing just two of the holes that make it unrealistic for him.
“It’s time to hang ’em up,” he said with a bit of emotion in his voice.
