A Dream That Almost Came True

The 2009 Major Champions that almost were...

Top to bottom: Kenny Perry (Masters), Phil Mickelson (US Open), Tom Watson (British Open)

What is the toughest thing to do in sports? The traditional answer is hitting a baseball. USA Today put together a list not too long ago which included driving a racecar, polevaulting, and running a marathon amongst others.

After watching golf over the years, especially this year's majors, there is no doubt that the hardest thing to do in sports is trying to win a major on the back nine on Sunday.

Think of the names that have had dramatic near-misses (I refuse to use the word choke when these players face the most pressurized situation in sports). Ed Sneed, Scott Hoch, and Greg Norman at the Masters, Van de Velde (left) at Carnoustie, and of course Perry, Mickelson, and Watson this year. All of them have come so close to wining majors before letting it slip away.

It could be a journeyman looking for a career-defining win.

Or a great player looking to cement his status at the top of his sport.

Or an all-time great, looking for one more fleeting moment in the sun.

But no matter the person's experience, pedigree, or personality, the moments at the close of one of golf's major tournaments are the most pressurized, spine-tingling moments in all of sports... for players and fans. Watching Tom Watson bogey 18 on Sunday when a par would have won the Open was one of the most gut-twisting moments in recent sports history.

Nobody is immune to pressure at the close of a major. Remember Tiger's miracle chip-in on 16

at Augusta in 2005? He bogeyed the last two holes to finish in a tie before winning a playoff. How about Phil Mickelson's last hole meltdown at the 2006 US Open (right)? Even Arnold Palmer blew a 7 shot lead on the back nine at the 1966 US Open to Billy Casper.

Not even the millions of fans watching and rooting could will Watson's putt on the 72nd hole into the cup for the victory. Just like the masses couldn't will Kenny Perry to win at Augusta, or Phil Mickelson to win at Bethpage. All we can do is watch the drama unfold, whether the storybook finish happens or not. Watson himself described his playoff loss today best as, "A dream that almost came true."

In the end, these moments are what separates golf from all other sports. There is no reliance on fielders, receivers, goalies, defenses, or coaches. On the course, it is merely one man, one ball, one hole, and his mind. The toughest 6 inches on any course is the space between a golfer's ears. All of the practice and previous experience doesn't matter when staring down a 2nd shot into a tight pin, or an 8 footer with your hopes and dreams on the line.

Sure, we all wanted Tom Watson to pull off the miracle, just like we wanted to see the other fairy-tales come true, but it didn't happen. Instead, we'll remember perhaps the most incredible near-miss in golf's history, and maybe Stewart Cink winning his first major. Spare a thought for Cink who truly deserves this championship, even Lucas Glover had more of the spotlight than him.

Most of all, the 2009 British Open, like many others before it, is another reminder that winning a major is the hardest thing to do in sports, just ask Greg Norman.