by BILL NICHOLS / The Dallas Morning News | brnichols@dallasnews.com
Poised to make the transformation from journeyman to major champion, Brian Watts came within six inches of capturing a career-defining victory at the 1998 British Open.
His difficult bunker shot on the 72nd hole at Royal Birkdale barely missed, however, and he lost a four-hole playoff to Mark O’Meara.
Ten years have passed since the claret jug slipped from Watts’ grasp. With the British Open returning to Royal Birkdale, he is simply hoping to redefine his injury-plagued career.
The feel-good story of 1998 has spent much of the last decade feeling bad. He has helplessly watched the golf world pass him by, relegated to obscurity by two herniated disks in his lower back, a torn labrum in his left hip and torn meniscus in his left knee.
Watts, 42, is playing again. But today’s first round began without him. He is at home in Westlake, plotting a comeback he hopes will include a return trip to the British Open.
With the help of specialists, including Dallas chiropractor Troy Van Biezen, Watts has been practicing regularly since the spring. But it’s tough to find playing opportunities or get sponsor’s exemptions without Tour status or world ranking points.
“It’s been very trying, very frustrating,” Watts said. “What’s been tough is I saw some of the top people in the country for the injuries and it didn’t work out.”
Watts has replayed the painful memory from Birkdale countless times. But what’s a little mental anguish when you can’t bend over to stick a tee in the ground because of pain in your hip, back and knee?
If Watts were vulnerable to despair, then he would have given up a long time ago. He earned about $6 million from 1994 to 1998 on the Japan Tour, winning 12 times, and has $2.4 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour.
He remains stubbornly committed to mounting a comeback and contending in a major championship again. He tried to book a return trip to Birkdale, but was ineligible to compete in qualifiers in the United States and Europe because he had no world ranking points.
So he accepted a sponsor’s exemption to the Mizuno Open, which awarded the top four finishers spots in the British Open. Having played only a handful of events the past five years, Watts missed the cut by one stroke.
“At my age, I know it’s going to be tough,” Watts said. “I would have loved to qualify. But at least the tournament in Japan proved to me that my body could hold up to competition. I didn’t know what to expect.”
Watts’ body began giving him problems in 2000. He had surgery in January 2001 to repair the torn labrum, which was followed by the two herniated disks in his lower back and stress on his spine. He also discovered that he’d been playing with a torn meniscus in his left knee for about six years.
His play declined to about 30 events from 2003 through 2005, and his medical bills increased.
The most frustrating part for Watts was the unknown. He got different opinions from practically every doctor he saw. In 2006, veteran Paul Stankowski of Flower Mound recommended that Watts see Van Biezen. His specialty is Active Release Technique, which removes scar tissue in muscles with soft-tissue treatment.
“He was pretty depressed, down in the dumps and looking to play again,” said Van Biezen, who treats about 30 pro golfers in the Dallas area and travels to about eight events on behalf of the PGA Tour. He also treats players from the Dallas Stars and Mavericks.
“You could see the desire in his eyes, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. He showed no mobility. The force of his swing was going to his spine. It’s probably the worst hip I’ve ever seen.”
Watts’ exercise program includes isometric and ballistic stretching and resistance training. He also adjusted his swing, opening his left foot at address to reduce pressure on his left hip.
“It’s been a long road,” Van Biezen said. “Because of all the scar tissue, his previous workouts were counterproductive. We had to break down his body and build it back up again.”
It’s the building part that excites Watts. He has shot rounds in the 60s at his home course, The Vaquero Club, so he knows he’s capable of good scores.
But he lacks competition. His manager has been calling tournaments on the PGA, Nationwide, European and Japan tours looking for sponsor’s exemptions.
“There’s a huge difference between playing a great round of golf at home and on the Tour,” Watts said. “I’m hoping to play a lot. It was hard to ask for invites when I didn’t know if my body would hold up.”
Watts, though, is not lacking competition entirely. Sons Jason, 10, and Kevin, 5, and 8-year-old daughter Kelsie have teams that need assistant coaches. With a busy hockey schedule this weekend, Watts isn’t sure how much of the British Open he’ll see.
“Getting involved with the kids’ sports and school has been great,” Watts said. “If I’m going to be there, why not try to help?”
BRIAN WATTS
Age: 42
Residence: Westlake
Family: Wife Debbye; children Jason, 10, Kelsie, 8, Kevin, 5.
High School: Carrollton Newman Smith
College: Oklahoma State
Turned pro: 1988
Notable: In 1984, was AJGA Player of the Year and won the Class 5A state title. … Won 1986 Trans-Mississippi Amateur. … In 1987, captured the individual title and helped Oklahoma State win the team title at NCAA national championship. … Has 13 worldwide wins: 12 on the Japan Tour and the 1993 Hong Kong Open. … Ranks 17th overall (second among Americans) in career wins on Japan Tour. Best season was 1994, when he won five times. In 1999, his first full year on the PGA Tour, he finished 57th in earnings.
WHAT ALMOST WAS
Brian Watts entered the final round of the 1998 British Open with a two-stroke lead, lost it, and then rallied down the stretch. Here’s how it happened:
71ST HOLE: Trailing by two strokes, Watts made a 15-foot putt for birdie to pull within one of Mark O’Meara.
72ND HOLE: Needing birdie to win, he drove into the left rough on the par-4 and then hit into the left greenside bunker about 25 yards from the hole. With his ball near the left lip, he stood with his left foot in the bunker and his right leg bent outside the bunker. The ball caught the slope of the green and rolled to within six inches of the cup.
HOLES 73-76 (the playoff): O’Meara birdied the par-5 15th hole, and Watts missed a 5-foot putt for birdie. “That’s my biggest regret of the tournament,” he said. Still trailing by one on 18, Watts couldn’t make up the deficit after hitting his approach into the same bunker.