Associated Press
Thursday, June 22

CLIFTON, N.J. -- With Tiger Woods not eligible for another 26 years, Tom Watson is enjoying life on the Senior PGA Tour.

Watson and everyone else wasn't doing that last week in the U.S. Open as Tiger Woods romped to a record-setting 15-stroke victory at Pebble Beach.

"He was the only story last week with the exception of Jack Nicklaus possibly retiring from the U.S. Open and never playing again," Watson said Wednesday after playing in the pro-am for the Cadillac NFL Golf Classic.

"But like Johnny Miller said, he may have played the best tournament of golf in the history of the game. Those players out there are playing for second place, it seems like. I was playing for second place."

Watson even joked that while he finished two dozen shots behind Woods, he was only nine shots out of second place, a spot he is quite familiar with this season.

In eight events on the Senior PGA Tour, Watson has finished second four times. He has lost twice in multiple-player playoffs, first to Lanny Wadkins in the ACE Group Classic and then to Tom Kite in six extra holes in The Tradition.

While that sounds like a great start, it's not what Watson expected after joining the senior tour in September and winning a tournament two weeks later.

His desire to get off to a fast start this year was slowed by the death of his father and broken heel he sustained jumping over a fence.

"My putting wasn't very good at the beginning of the year but right now it's starting to turn around and I'm putting pretty well," Watson said.

Watson also likes his chances this week on the tree-lined Upper Montclair Country Club, one of those old courses that requires players to use almost every club in their bag.

He's been close and had his chances. If he continues to play the same way, he feels he has a chance to win -- any tournament without Tiger.

"I don't think I've lost any intensity," Watson said. "I enjoyed the U.S. Open last week and I enjoyed the Masters. I don't think it's a conceited statement, but I think I can play with some of these kids. There's one kid I can't play with, but most of the kids out there I think I can compete with. I believe in that."

Competing with Woods is another story.

Watson said Woods is dominating golf the way Nicklaus did back in his prime. The only difference, Watson said, is that Woods' short game compared better to Nicklaus' at this point in their careers.

While that might make for boring golf in terms of who is winning, Woods is great for the game, Watson said.

"Look at the television ratings, look at the people who have gone into the game of golf, the non-golfers who have gone into the game of golf, the diversity and ethnicity of the people he is bringing into the game," Watson said.

"It's great. It's wonderful. The game is really popular because of Tiger. It's going to continue to be. He's the Michael Jordan of the sports world right now."