Watson wins major in playoff

Veteran claims Senior British despite bogey on 18th hole

? Tom Watson credited more than his putter for his victory at the Senior British Open.

It was the product of equal parts skill, luck and destiny, and it came after Watson parred the second playoff hole Sunday to beat English journeyman Carl Mason for his 10th career major victory.

“After bogeying the last hole, I expected second place,” said Watson, who was signing autographs while Mason struggled at the 18th. “I said, ‘This is getting tiresome, finishing second.’ I didn’t expect Carl to make the couple of mistakes at the last hole.”

Watson closed with a 6-under-par 64, but his biggest break came when Mason squandered a two-stroke advantage on the 18th with a double-bogey 6, slipping into a tie for the lead and forcing a playoff.

Watson said longtime caddie Bruce Edwards, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease and couldn’t make the trip, was at Turnberry in spirit and figured in the win.

“It’s almost destiny that that happened. Bruce was with me today,” Watson said. “You don’t pull for a guy to make a mistake, but he (Edwards) had something to do with Carl’s demise at the 18th.”

Bruce Summerhays shot a 5-under 65 and finished third at 16-under 264. Tom Kite finished fourth at 14-under 266 after a 67.

Watson and Mason (67) finished a tournament-record 17-under 263, breaking Bob Charles’ 14-year-old mark of 11-under 269, set on the same Turnberry links.

Watson joined Charles as the only players to win a Senior British Open and British Open at the same venue. In 1977, Watson outdueled Jack Nicklaus to win the second of his five British Open titles.