A Lesson Learned: The 2009 Open Championship

July 20, 2009 -- Former New York Yankee great Lou Gehrig once said "I am the luckiest man on the face of this earth". Well that is how I feel because I get to write about the lessons I learned about the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry. I also was privileged to write about the lessons learned from the 2008 Open Championship and coincidentally there were many similar story lines. The Open Championship is larger than any one golfer...even Tiger Woods. Like last year when Tiger was absent due to his surgery this phenomenal Open Championship was contested for the final 36 holes sans Tiger Woods. The Championship didn't bat an eye. Greg Norman was the story that week leading most of the way until Padraig Harrington captured his second Open in as many years -- another phenomenal story.

• Complete Coverage of the 2009 Open Championship

This year a 59 year old 5-time Open Champion took center stage -- Tom Watson. Tom Watson has an infectious smile, an extremely good golf swing and is adored by the Scots. Tom Watson will return to Scotland for a visit many years from now and all the shoppes in the countryside will say "closed"...Tommy's back". A gesture bestowed upon the great Bobby Jones many years earlier. And they will close.

Tom Watson played 71 1/2 stellar golf holes. He was possessed...he was inspired...he came in to the golf tournament thinking he had a reasonable shot of winning this golf tournament because he was playing well and he has had incredible success in this Championship. He won this title in 1977 at this very venue; beating the great Jack Nicklaus by one stroke with rounds of 66-65 on the final two days. He loves links golf...and he loves Scotland. One major lesson learned is experience is so vital for success in winning the Open Championship.

Let us not forget the incredible gutsy play of the actual winner Stewart Cink. To birdie the final hole to become the leader in the clubhouse and wait to see how Watson came down the stretch. Stewart Cink has lost majors before...seemingly in control but alas...a wayward stroke and down the leaderboard only to wallow in the pain in private wishing what could have been. Another lesson learned. Stay true to yourself. Pick yourself up off the mat and begin again on your quest for success.

Lee Westwood is Stewart Cink in European clothing. Maybe next year is Westwood's turn, maybe next month at Hazeltine his fortunes will turn...and it will be all the sweeter. Another lesson learned. Good things don't come easy. It takes hard work.

I re-learned two very important lessons this week. One: A golf course such as Turnberry with its incredible design can still hold the best golfers of the world in check. With the wind, with its diabolical bunkers and gorse, Turnberry held its major championship head extremely high. I wish more golf courses played like Turnberry. I wish more American courses had bunkers in the middle of the fairways. I wish more American courses made a golfer choose an appropriate club off the tee to avoid such hazards and not just bomb it off the tee and fly them. These courses have character.

Two: All of us who pick up a club, who play the game right, who appreciate shotmaking, who appreciate a well-designed course and the best players in the world who play this for their livelihood, and for those who learn the invaluable life's lessons we all learn playing this incredibly great game; all of us who go through the highest highs...and the lowest lows that this game brings: we learn that etiquette matters. That playing each shot like it was your last matters. That sometimes you have to get knocked down 10 times before you win...but you get up and try again. These are some of the lessons I re-learned watching Tom Watson at the 2009 Open Championship. Congratulations Tom Watson...and lets not forget "the champion golfer of the year" Stewart Cink. It will go down in history as one of the greatest Open Championships of all time.

Joe Keefe is the Head Golf Professional at South Shore Country Club in Hingham, MA He can be reached via email at jkgolfpro@pga.com