2009 British Open: Cink Over Watson
Winner: Stewart Cink, 278
Where it was played: Turnberry (Ailsa Course), Ayrshire, Scotland
Tournament dates: July 16-19, 2009
Leader after first round: Miguel Angel Jimenez, 64
Leader after second round: Steve Marino and Tom Watson, 135
Leader after third round: Tom Watson, 206
Notable Notes: In 1977, Tom Watson won a famous duel at Turnberry over Jack Nicklaus in a British Open. Thirty-two years later Watson, now 59, surely couldn't do it again, right? For 71 holes, it looked as if Watson might. Against all odds, he held the third-round lead, and after a birdie on the 17th hole of the final round led by one. The 5-time Open champion needed a par on the last to win.
But Watson overshot the green, putted back on, then badly missed the par putt, dropping into a tie with Stewart Cink. In the 4-hole aggregate playoff, Watson appeared physically and emotionally spent, and it was no contest. Cink was a first-time major winner.
Final Scores
| p-Stewart Cink | 66-72-71-69—278 |
| Tom Watson | 65-70-71-72—278 |
| Chris Wood | 70-70-72-67—279 |
| Lee Westwood | 68-70-70-71—279 |
| Luke Donald | 71-72-70-67—280 |
| Retief Goosen | 67-70-71-72—280 |
| Mathew Goggin | 66-72-69-73—280 |
| Soren Hansen | 68-72-74-67—281 |
| Ernie Els | 69-72-72-68—281 |
| Justin Leonard | 70-70-73-68—281 |
| Thomas Aiken | 71-72-69-69—281 |
| Richard S. Johnson | 70-72-69-70—281 |
| Jeff Overton | 70-69-76-67—282 |
| Andres Romero | 68-74-73-67—282 |
| Miguel Angel Jimenez | 64-73-76-69—282 |
| a-Matteo Manassero | 71-70-72-69—282 |
| Camilo Villegas | 66-73-73-70—282 |
| Justin Rose | 69-72-71-70—282 |
| Francesco Molinari | 71-70-71-70—282 |
| Henrik Stenson | 71-70-71-70—282 |
| Boo Weekley | 67-72-72-71—282 |
| Thongchai Jaidee | 69-72-69-72—282 |
| Ross Fisher | 69-68-70-75—282 |
| Peter Hanson | 70-71-72-70—283 |
| Oliver Wilson | 72-70-71-70—283 |
| Angel Cabrera | 69-70-72-72—283 |
| Davis Love III | 69-73-73-69—284 |
| Soren Kjeldsen | 68-76-71-69—284 |
| Mark Calcavecchia | 67-69-77-71—284 |
| Nick Watney | 71-72-71-70—284 |
| Kenichi Kuboya | 65-72-75-72—284 |
| James Kingston | 67-71-74-72—284 |
| John Daly | 68-72-72-72—284 |
| Richard Sterne | 67-73-75-70—285 |
| Martin Kaymer | 69-70-74-72—285 |
| Graeme McDowell | 68-73-71-73—285 |
| Jim Furyk | 67-72-70-76—285 |
| Sergio Garcia | 70-69-76-71—286 |
| Thomas Levet | 71-73-71-71—286 |
| Nick Dougherty | 70-70-73-73—286 |
| Vijay Singh | 67-70-75-74—286 |
| Steve Marino | 67-68-76-75—286 |
| Anthony Wall | 68-72-75-72—287 |
| Branden Grace | 67-72-73-75—287 |
| Paul McGinley | 71-71-70-75—287 |
| Bryce Molder | 70-73-67-77—287 |
| Paul Lawrie | 71-73-76-68—288 |
| Zach Johnson | 70-71-77-70—288 |
| Paul Casey | 68-76-74-70—288 |
| Rory McIlroy | 69-74-74-71—288 |
| Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano | 69-72-73-74—288 |
| Darren Clarke | 71-71-78-69—289 |
| Kenny Perry | 71-72-75-71—289 |
| Graeme Storm | 72-72-74-71—289 |
| Robert Allenby | 70-74-73-72—289 |
| Johan Edfors | 71-73-72-73—289 |
| Billy Mayfair | 69-73-73-74—289 |
| David Howell | 68-73-72-76—289 |
| Steve Stricker | 66-77-70-76—289 |
| David Drysdale | 69-73-75-73—290 |
| Tom Lehman | 68-74-74-74—290 |
| Paul Broadhurst | 70-72-74-74—290 |
| Kevin Sutherland | 69-73-73-75—290 |
| Ryuji Imada | 74-69-79-69—291 |
| Fredrik Andersson Hed | 71-70-78-73—292 |
| Padraig Harrington | 69-74-76-73—292 |
| Stuart Appleby | 71-72-76-73—292 |
| Sean O'Hair | 68-75-75-74—292 |
| J.B. Holmes | 68-70-75-80—293 |
| Mark O'Meara | 67-77-77-74—295 |
| Fredrik Jacobson | 70-72-77-76—295 |
| Paul Goydos | 72-72-77-82—303 |
| Daniel Gaunt | 76-67-79-82—304 |
