SI Vault Dan Jenkins July 21, 1975 Tom Watson was known for
blowing up under pressure. At Carnoustie he didn't, beating
Australia's Newt the Beaut in a playoff Decrease font Decrease
font Enlarge font Enlarge font July 21, 1975  The Beast Brought
Out His Best   View CoverRead All Articles View This Issue
Another authentic American hero was born last week out of the
gloom and crusty old atmosphere of golf on the linkslands of
Britain. In a playoff for the British Open that was so thrilling
even the most hardened of souls felt like dancing around the
burns and bunkers, young Tom Watson finally became a champion, a
new person and one hellacious player. After a lot of slightly
baroque things had happened on the becalmed, de-roughed and
tranquilized beast of Carnoustie, it all came down to a Sunday
match between the 25-year-old Watson, who admits he possibly
thinks too much, and an equally young Australian, Jack Newton,
who admits he drinks too much. And Watson, as they might say of
him across the sea, was cast-i