Denis Watson
| Denis Watson | |
|---|---|
| — Golfer — | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Denis Leslie Watson |
| Born |
18 October 1955 Salisbury, Rhodesia |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 14 st) |
| Nationality |
 Zimbabwe
|
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1976 |
| Current tour(s) | Champions Tour |
| Former tour(s) |
European Tour PGA Tour Southern Africa Tour European Seniors Tour |
| Professional wins | 8 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 3 |
| PGA Tour Champions | 4 |
| Best results in major championships |
|
| Masters Tournament | T27: 1987 |
| U.S. Open | T2: 1985 |
| The Open Championship | T15: 1982 |
| PGA Championship | 33rd: 1984 |
Denis Leslie Watson (born 18 October 1955) is a professional golfer from Zimbabwe.
Born in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) Watson was educated at Oriel Boys High School, Chisipite. He was Rhodesian Sportsman of the Year in 1975, but went on to represent South Africa in the World Series of Golf in 1980 and 1982 – sporting connections between Rhodesia and Apartheid South Africa were blurred at the time, for example the Rhodesian cricket team was once part of the South African domestic set-up.
Watson turned professional in 1976 and played on the European Tour from 1978 to 1980. After moving to the United States, where he joined the PGA Tour, he had his career year in 1984 when he won the Buick Open, NEC World Series of Golf, and Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational to tie for the most wins on the PGA Tour that season.
Watson finished second in the 1985 U.S. Open, missing out on forcing a playoff by one shot, having incurred a two-stroke penalty earlier in the tournament. The penalty was assessed on the eighth hole in the first round, after he had waited longer than the allowed ten seconds for a putt that had hung on the lip of the hole to drop in. The ball did fall into the hole, but the birdie was disallowed and the penalty strokes added. The USGA and R&A, the sports governing bodies, have since amended the penalty for this rules infraction to just a single stroke. Andy North was eventually the only player to beat him, by one shot despite himself bogeying the last hole.
Watson's career came to a sudden halt when he was injured while playing in the 1985 Goodyear Classic in South Africa. While hitting his ball out of the rough with a 9-iron, he struck a tree stump that had been hidden from view causing damage to his wrist, elbow and neck. He went on to win the tournament, but his problems had just begun. He required surgery on his wrist and neck, and was initially told that he would never play again. He did, but was unable to consistently reach the high standard that he had previously attained and after several more operations he retired towards the end of the 1990s.
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