Golfing wrinkly Tom Watson kept alive his dream of becoming the sport's oldest major champion when another remarkable performance gave him the lead after the British Open third round on Saturday. The 59-year-old American was the star attraction at the Ailsa Course for the third day running, shooting a one-over-par 71 for a four-under total of 206 to move one stroke clear of Australian Mathew Goggin (69) and Briton Ross Fisher (70). Sharing fourth place on 208 were twice US Open champion Retief Goosen (71) and former European number one Lee Westwood (70). “This old geezer (guy) might have a chance to win like Greg Norman did (going into the final round of the Open) last year,” Watson told reporters. “I feel good about what I did today, I feel good about my game plan and who knows? ... it might happen. “I felt serene. Even though I messed up a couple of times, I didn't let it affect me. “I ended on a good note again, similar to yesterday. For some reason I didn't feel nervous,” said Watson, who famously outdueled Jack Nicklaus in the 1977 Duel in the Sun at Turnberry. On a day of bright sunshine and testing crosswinds of up to 32kph, Watson again showed on Saturday that there were few wrinkles on his game despite his advancing years. The five-time winner, attempting to break the record of compatriot Julius Boros who won the 1968 US PGA Championship at the age of 48, was given an ovation on every hole and repaid the galleries with an awe-inspiring performance. Watson's ball-striking was exemplary and his putting as pure as silk as he opened with five pars in a row. He dropped his first shot after finding an awkward lie in a greenside bunker at the sixth before rattling in a 12-foot birdie putt at the next. Watson looked as if he might run out of puff when he bogeyed the ninth, 12th and 15th. However, the old maestro coaxed in a 30-footer for a birdie three at the 16th before taking advantage of a lucky bounce off the side of the green to safely two-putt for a birdie four at the 17th. “It was an unusual day,” said Watson. “I made a game plan and normally I've never made a game plan. “I said for the last 36 holes this was what I want to do, (a certain) number of birdies and number of bogeys,” added the eight-time major champion. Six years after being blown away by Watson's golf, 35-year-old journeyman Goggin shrugged off two early bogeys with a homeward nine of two-under 33 thanks to birdies at the 11th and 17th. He is now poised to eclipse his previous British Open highlight, the experience of playing with Watson in the third round of the 2003 edition at Royal St. George's. “It was shocking just how good he was (back then),” said Goggin. “It was ridiculous. I was really impressed. He was good to me and I had a really great experience.” Fisher finished in style for the third day running and is now a cumulative seven under par for the last three holes. “Patience was key,” said the 28-year-old Englishman. “I hit some high-quality shots and it was nice to finish birdie-birdie-par. I knew it would be a very tough day out there.” Nicklaus in tears An emotional Jack Nicklaus said he had tears in his eyes on Saturday while watching fellow American Tom Watson take control of the 138th British Open. Nicklaus monitored most of the third-round action on television at his home in Florida as the 59-year-old golfing great established a one-shot lead. “I did manage to play some tennis before it and in between some holes. Like everybody else – including Tom – I had some tears in my eyes,” the 18-time major winner told his official website. “The key for him is to just not let the mistakes multiply or manifest themselves into a bad hole,” the man widely known as the ‘Golden Bear' said.
