Tom Watson has used the press conference intended to mark his farewell Open Championship appearance to hit back finally at Phil Mickelson.
The 65-year-old accused Mickelson of “sour grapes” during the astonishing aftermath of the USA losing the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles last September.
Mickelson had offered barely disguised criticism of Watson’s captaincy, leaving onlookers and some fellow US players visibly shocked. He had been unhappy at not being selected for either Saturday session but offered a wider, scathing analysis of Watson’s methods during post-event media duties. Watson was sitting at the same table.
Watson has always played down the incident but that changed on Wednesday at St Andrews. He was asked directly about his treatment by Mickelson.
“That was a disappointment to me,” Watson said. “Phil was very disappointed about not being able to play. It was kind of sour grapes. That’s understandable, and we just got waxed, the whole team, and the disappointment was just there.
“We let our hearts talk for us. I did everything I possibly could in my own mind with the help of my captains and the PGA to do everything possible to have us win, and the other team was better.
“We had a chance to win it on the last day, and we had them tied or with all the matches on the board, we were up in the whole match, if the matches ended that way. We got off to the start that I asked them to do that previous night. We were in the right position there and just didn’t carry on.”
Pressed on his relationship with Mickelson, which is widely recognised to have now broken down, Watson said: “We’re cordial. I saw him last night, we said hello, and yeah, we were fine.”
Unless he secures a fresh exemption, Watson will end his Open participation at St Andrews. “I’m out here to compete,” insisted the five-times Open champion. “I’m out here to compete in the Open Championship. I’ve prepared right. I’ve prepared properly.”
Last week, before his appearance at the Scottish Open, Mickelson sought to see off any Watson issue. “I thought I would get asked about Tom Watson and just the only thing I would say is that he’s one of the greatest champions this game has ever had,” Mickelson said. “I hope next week is a celebration of that greatness.
“It’s his last Open Championship, and I’m certainly appreciative of all he’s done for the game of golf and admire it. That’s all I really wanted to say on that.”
