Tom Watson: Champion Golfer, Champion DVD

I'd forgotten how young he was.

In June of 1982, Tom Watson was only 32. He'd already won two Masters and three British Opens, and was one of the world's best golfers. But with his gap-toothed smile and shaggy brown hair, he looked much younger, especially after holing a most improbable chip shot from off the green of the 17^th hole at Pebble Beach, giving him a one-stroke lead over Jack Nicklaus in the U.S. Open, the championship that had eluded him for a decade.

Watson would also birdie the final hole that Sunday, finally winning the Open. He'd win the British Open one month later, another British in a few years, tear through the Senior Tour, and nearly win the British Open last year—two months shy of his 60^th birthday—at Turnberry, where he'd triumphed in 1977 in another epic battle with Nicklaus.

I was reminded of his youthful looks, his exuberance, and his skills while watching Tom Watson: Lessons of a Lifetime, a two-DVD set that would make a wonderful gift for any golfer, newbie or old hand.

The two discs, nearly three hours of instruction presented in easily digestible bits, cover the entire game. Disc one handles the fundamentals of the swing—grip, stance, rhythm, uneven lies, etc. Disc two details the short game—chipping, sand play, putting—adding special tips such as how to play in the wind (something Watson had to be good at to win five British titles) and how to tame hooks and slices, the common ailments affecting most golfers.

Throughout, the instruction is simple and direct, featuring Watson—older, grayer, wiser—talking and demonstrating. He peppers his teachings with lessons from his mentors, such as Nicklaus, golf legends Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, and Ben Hogan, long-time teacher Stan Thirsk, and his father, who put a club in Tom's hands when he was six.

It's no surprise that this is one of the best instructional packages I've seen in more than 25 years of watching, reading, and writing golf. No surprise because I've been a Watson fan since the early days. I watched the game on TV long before I played it, first tuning in about the time Watson turned pro in 1971. Then he was described as Huck Finn-like, boyish and charming, yet with a steely resolve and skills beyond his years. He was my first golf hero.

It always impressed me that not only did Watson attend Stanford, he graduated, with a degree in psychology no less. During his college years he played countless times at Pebble, also the site of his first Open as a pro: He tied for 29^th in 1972, the year Nicklaus captured his third national championship, helped by a pretty amazing shot of his own to the penultimate hole (Jack nearly made a hole-in-one, the ball hitting the flagstick and finishing just inches away).

One of my few regrets when I got into the business in 1984, signing on with Golf Magazine, was that Watson had just recently left that magazine to become a playing editor for Golf Digest, where he contributes still. So we never worked together.

I was taken back to those days from the first seconds of disc one. The introduction is a replay of the 17^th hole at Pebble, tee shot to hole-out: As Watson settles in over the chip, the announcers note how good he is at short shots; the swing, the ball's arc, soft landing, and slow roll to the hole; Watson staring and then exulting, running onto the green and pointing to his caddie, Bruce Edwards, in an "I told you so" moment. (Edwards died in 2004 of ALS; part of the proceeds from the DVDs go to the Bruce Edwards Foundation for ALS Research).

Watson was 32 again, I was younger too, golf was just beginning to boom, life was simpler. The moment is still magical all these years later.

Some of that magic also is for sale on Watson's website: five commemorative pieces—autographed, matted, and mounted—from the '82 Open and other great victories, including a flag from last year's British Open, a flag from the Masters, and photographs of the chip-in. Prices begin at $595 and each item comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Authenticity. I'd call that one of Tom Watson's best qualities.