Cink tops Watson in playoff for open title

TURNBERRY, Scotland, July 19 (UPI) -- American Stewart Cink ended Tom Watson's bid for a historic victory Sunday, easily defeating his 59-year-old countryman in a playoff for the British Open title.

Cink and Watson engaged in a four-hole cumulative-score playoff after tying at 2-under-par 278 in regulation play at the Turnberry golf resort in Scotland.

The 36-year-old Cink birdied two of the extra holes and Watson bogeyed two and double-bogeyed another.

Cink's aggregate score was 14 strokes to 20 for Watson.

"It is overwhelming. There are so many emotions flooding through, I feel like I am being caught up by every one of them. It's amazing," Cink said after ending Watson's run at history.

Watson had missed an 8-foot par putt on the 72nd hole that would have made him the oldest champion of a major tournament -- more than a decade older than any previous winner.

"It would have been a hell of story, but it wasn't to be," Watson said. "It's a great disappointment. The playoff was one bad shot after another."

A win would have been Watson's sixth in the open and his ninth major title. He last won the British open in 1983.

The victory was the first in a Grand Slam event for Cink, who had previously won five tournaments on the PGA Tour.

The 6-foot-4 Cink, an Alabama native who lives in the Atlanta area, shot a 69, capped by a birdie on No. 18, and Watson shot a 72 in the final round.

Watson had a one-stroke lead coming up the last hole in regulation but hit his second shot over the green and was unable to save par.

Lee Westwood (71) bogeyed three of the last four holes and ended up in a tie with Chris Wood (67) for third place.