I grew up in Kansas City idolizing Tom Watson who, along with George Brett, is the biggest name in K.C. sports history. But even I couldn’t force down Watson recently letting the “cat out of the bag” about Tiger Woods.
(Watson: Divorce then marriage 20 mos. later to ex-wife of PGA player)
Watson twice now has urged Woods to go public about his marital indiscretions while also slamming Woods for his on-course behavior.
Apparently Watson has a very, very short memory about his own personal life.
In December, 1997, Linda Watson, Tom’s wife of 25 years, left him.
In August, 1999, Golf Digest reported:
(Longtime Watson friend since childhood) David Wysong saw the Watsons’ marriage in trouble. “Linda gave Tom all her support, because she’s a generous, giving person. But you have to grow together or you grow apart. I guess they grew apart, and I blame the profession.” (Linda Watson said she had no comment for this story.)
20 months after Tom Watson’s divorce he married a woman named Hilary Watson. Conveniently, Hilary didn’t need to change her name as she’d just left her husband, noted PGA Tour player Denis Watson.
Golf Digest reported that in the aftermath of Watson’s divorce, his teenage children had cut him off, “the divorce has put the children all but out of his reach.”
So Watson’s wife of 25 years, who had been with him since high school, files for divorce. His kids cut him off. Less than two years later, Watson is married to a woman who had just left another PGA Tour player.
So how did Watson handle that suspicious series of events in public? Exactly like Woods. He didn’t handle it at all.
In a 1998 profile of Watson, Michael Bamberger of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED noted that Watson refused to talk about his divorce.
His private life is another matter. Last November he quit drinking. In December, Linda Watson, Tom’s wife of 25 years, filed for divorce. Later that month his 22-year relationship with Ram took a turn when his contract with the club manufacturer expired. Watson is shopping for a new deal, with Ram among his suitors.
Watson is not, bless his heart, a modern. He realizes this is the age of the public confessional, but he wants no part of it. He discusses intimate things with the people he is closest to, (Sandy) Tatum and Chuck Rubin, his brother-in-law (for now) and manager, and not with you and me and millions of other strangers. Ask him about his relationship with his father, Ray, and he says, “I love my dad.” That’s it. The rest of it—the nature of his relationships with his father, his son, his daughter, his wife, even his caddie—is his business and not yours.
To this day, there’s never been one word printed about why Linda Watson left her husband. The most we have to go on was this somewhat telling though nebulous comment from Watson a year after he stonewalled SI:
“I’m still struggling with it, with the problems I’ve created for other people, like Linda and my kids. … I’m still struggling with the relationships being severely strained. I’ve never been one to intentionally hurt anybody. Never. I’m not the kind of person who gets my thrills out of making somebody feel bad. The role that I’ve put myself in, with my kids and my ex-wife, I live with it now.”
So Watson created “problems” for his ex-wife while making her “feel bad”? But wasn’t it Linda who filed for divorce? Also, Tom Watson friend Wysong attributed the divorce to his “profession.” A profession I might add that indirectly produced Watson’s second wife less than two years after his first wife left him.
So with all that as a backdrop, here’s Tom Watson yesterday in Dubai talking about Tiger Woods:
“I’ll let the cat out of the bag. Tiger has to take ownership of what he has done. He must get his personal life in order. I think that’s what he’s trying to do. And when he comes back he has to show some humility to the public.
“I would come out and I would do an interview with somebody and say, ‘You know what? I screwed up. And I admit it. I am going to try to change. I am trying to change. I want my wife and family back.’”
If Watson’s own personal ordeal had happened in 2008 and not 1998, why do I have a feeling he’d be going Arnold Palmer on us right about now.
UPDATE (4:49): I’m not suggesting that Watson’s situation in the late ’90s comes close to mirroring what Woods did. That wasn’t the point of the piece.
There are clearly details of Watson’s personal life that reflect poorly on him, yet he’s refused to specifically address those unsavory details in public.
Now, with an atom bomb exploding Woods’ marriage, Watson is prodding him to go public about it.
Mind-boggling hypocrisy.
1:05 pm on February 4th, 2010
The guy got divorced and then remarried almost two years later? Shocking!
What a silly silly article.
1:17 pm on February 4th, 2010
Nearly all athletes mess around…how could you not? You think any of these guys turn down BJ while they’re on the road?
1:23 pm on February 4th, 2010
Pauly,
If it’s no big deal, they why has Watson never “taken ownership” on why his first wife filed for divorce and his teenage kids cut him off?
1:28 pm on February 4th, 2010
When you look in the mirror, you seldom see yourself.
1:32 pm on February 4th, 2010
Watson, is a has been, use to be, almost could have, hater
1:44 pm on February 4th, 2010
SBB,
I know for certain Tom has a great relationship with his kids again. His daughter’s twitter page, (tough to find) was all about the open when he made his run this year, and I know he and his son are close once again. They used to play w/ 1 another in the silly season father/son event, and Tom noted that his son, now grown and around the age of 26, was distraught hoboken and tearful after this year’s open. Nobody knows why Watson got divorced, maybe it had to do with his drinking, maybe he was a philanderer on the road. Watson, atleast on the course, has been one of the classiest guys around.
1:55 pm on February 4th, 2010
Don’t get me wrong, I think Watson should keep to himself regarding Woods’ troubles, but in all seriousness, the Tiger story isn’t just another, “celebrity cheats on his wife” story, It’s more of an extreme cheating story. If Watson’s possible affair made it into such a mainstream story, the situation would be different.
2:39 pm on February 4th, 2010
Watson loves the poon!
2:43 pm on February 4th, 2010
He’s a hypocrite. Pure and simple. Tiger’s on-Course behavior is fair game and I agree with that, but Tom should stfu about how Tiger should handle his private life. Watson just wants to be in the news again. He loved the attention he got last year after the run he made at the Open and isn’t looking forward to his to irrelevance. Play golf Tom.
3:39 pm on February 4th, 2010
brooks…so a guy gets divorced after 25 years of marriage and you equate that with tiger’s wilt chamberlain and bumper car exploits? are you high?
4:13 pm on February 4th, 2010
Yeah, I fail to see the equivalence between Watson divorcing and remarrying and Tiger’s exploits. Watson’s advice sounded pretty reasonable as well, Tiger needs to face up to his mistakes and be a better representative to the game and fans who make him popular.
4:29 pm on February 4th, 2010
Sponsor search? Looks like he should find a plastic surgeon to go on his new bags.
5:10 pm on February 4th, 2010
It pretty well known in Kansas City that Tom had some serious issues with the booze. He had a rough couple of years, got off the hooch, wife finally had enough, had to re-assess his golf business. Pretty standard stuff after a 25 year marriage.
The point of what Watson was saying was Tiger’s on course behavior. The whole point was that Tiger needs to do what ever he needs to do off course, but Watson was really slamming his whiny ass, curse filled act on the course. That’s what people are missing. He really called out his on the course conduct. He’s saying what a lot of old guys have been thinking.
5:26 pm on February 4th, 2010
Hi all. Told all of you last week that watson was a complete tool for his words, and some of you bashed me, so Up your poop shoot with watsons club, told you he is a back stabber!!!! And a racist, bigot, and piece of slime.
Come on Tiger lets get back at it man, enough is enough!
5:49 pm on February 4th, 2010
Tiger would be best to return at the Pebble Beach Pro Am. What better place to look like your personal failings are normal than hanging around with a bunch of celebrities. Its a low pressure event. “Mr. Woods, we’re pairing you up with Charlie Sheen for the week.”
7:25 pm on February 4th, 2010
Most people haven’t even a nodding acquaintance with humility.
9:05 pm on February 4th, 2010
It’s shocking that hypocrisy is a human trait. Not that it ever looks good - but I’m sure Tom has grown since the late ’90s, is at peace with himself, and in his mind, is giving Tiger constructive advice.
In any event, Tom got whatever justice was coming to him - by coming ‘oh so close to winning the British Open last year. Instead, the man who beats him celebrates with the most heartfelt group hug with his family. As ‘Ol Tom saw Cink holding tight his wife and two kids - he may have forgotten that he had just lost the claret jug, as thoughts trailed back to over a decade ago to the much bigger trophy he lost - his family.
http://images.golf365.com/09/07/496×259/Stewart-Cink-Family_2336495.jpg
6:10 am on February 5th, 2010
I wanted to do an interview after I screwed up, and say I would try to change, but nobody would interview me.
6:23 am on February 5th, 2010
What Tiger did outside of golf is not anyone business beside Tiger and his wife. You can be a good guy and never win or you can be a bad guy and broke all the records. Everyone have dropped him from his endorements so Tiger go out there and beat them bad, win all the first pride money and let Tom Watson and the rest drag their tails on home.
12:10 pm on February 5th, 2010
YOUR ARTICLE WAS STUPID. NOT EVEN IN THE SAME BALLPARK AS TIGER. I’M DONE WITH YOU SITE.
1:25 pm on February 5th, 2010
I think that Watson was meaning to talk about his on-course behavior and everything was taken out of context. He wants him to be classy on the cameras more than anything.
Also, lets be honest. Watson getiing divorced and married shortly after pales in comparison to what Tiger did.
5:00 pm on February 5th, 2010
HEY PAUL GOOD RIDDANCE YOU GROWN CHILD
Now Brooks is spot on here im so sick of seeing people(whoever they are) sit here and preach their religion, their values, their way of life and expect everyone to follow because they are inherently good and right? WTF does tiger’s personal life have to do with tom watson? His on field actions? Are you f***ing kidding me GOLF IS BORING i like it when tiger shows emotion and gets fired up. ALL YOU PEOPLE BITCHING ARE JUST HATERS, PLAN AND SIMPLE YOU HAVE BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE
6:52 pm on February 5th, 2010
Old Guys telling young guys what they should do, when Old Guys got issues. Tom Watson is a fantastic Golfer.. where he gets off telling Tiger Woods what he should do is a bit over the top. Tom stick to Golf
11:05 am on April 9th, 2010
I have never heard of Tom having a drinking problem. I think it’s great that he quit drinking. His wife, Linda is so beautiful…..but married to an alcoholic. Her life and the children must have been very trying…..in the marriage. And, apprently he and Hilary had been messing around for a long time. Maybe Linda will find a good Jewish guy to marry. She shouldn’t have married outside her faith. And, Tom should have never cheated on her. I always thought she was just a doll walking the course with Tom in their early years….she had a bubbly personality. It’s sad that they knew each since they were teenagers and couldn’t have been role models until death do them part.
4:00 pm on April 15th, 2010
Tom Watson is a class act. He CLEARLY has a great relationship with his adult children, as his son carried his bag at the Masters. You have grossly misrepresented his comments, which were that Tiger should be humble and face the cameras, answer questions - like when he’d be returning to the game. And Tiger, as we saw at the Masters, is still the guy who cusses on the course (like a child) and is a self-centered, egomaniac — who in the press room at the Masters had an opportunity to be gracious towards Phil Mickelson, but instead just bitched that he came in 4th.
I don’t think it’s right to imply that Watson cheated — which you do not prove with any of your references. It’s possible his first wife was also a flawed human, and it takes two to wreck a marriage. Elin might be partially responsible for Tiger’s choices, too. We’re all human.
I will never understand why someone would want to dredge up a boring, ten year old story about a man who got a divorce and nearly two years later remarried, as if anyone at all cares.
1:21 pm on July 7th, 2010
It’s about time somebody with a visible forum brought this up. Tom Watson needs to mind his business.
7:04 pm on July 7th, 2010
Tom Watson should shut the hell up, get Elin around to give him the 9 iron treatment so he can wake up and realize we’re in 2010.
12:40 am on July 8th, 2010
it’s all about trophy wives at this stage in their lives
9:23 pm on July 8th, 2010
Every time I see this schmuck I hear some cheese head in the background asking me if I want some eggs, eh?…this fugger IS Fargo!