Watson Gets One More Open Weekend

Tom Watson made no secret Friday of how badly he wanted to hang around to play the weekend in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

"Pull for 3-under, will you?" Watson said as his press conference ended Friday afternoon.

Watson knew at lunchtime Friday that if Graeme McDowell's 3-under par total was the 36-hole lead, he would qualify for the weekend by virtue of the 10-shot rule, which keeps every player within 10 strokes of the lead around for 72 holes. Watson made it on the number.

That means Sunday will probably be his final round in a U.S. Open. That will give us all time to celebrate it more properly.

He's a part of this event and this place and he looked like he was having a blast these last two days, playing with Rory McIlroy and Ryo Ishikawa. He's of one generation, they're two generations later. Watson, however, remains timeless.

It's amazing to think that Watson has played in all five U.S. Opens played at Pebble Beach.

It was fun to hear him talk about watching Ishikawa putt.

"He reminded me of me when I was 18," Watson said. "Made everything. Drove it in the back of the hole and rattled it in.

"I love to watch him putt. I was trying to learn something from him."

Watching Watson, graceful as ever in what's likely his last Open, we can all learn something from watching him.