Watson, caddie receive support at Senior Open

Associated Press

TOLEDO, Ohio — In the two weeks since their magical 65 in the first round of the U.S. Open, Tom Watson has received an outpouring of concern and support for his longtime caddie who is dying from Lou Gehrig's disease.

"There's a lot of goodness in human hearts," Watson said yesterday as he practiced at this week's U.S. Senior Open.

Watson is hoping to play well in the season's second major for the over-50 crowd for many reasons — not the least of which is to keep Bruce Edwards' plight in the headlines.

"There's not a mean bone in his body," Watson said of the caddie who began looping for Watson in 1973. "He does his job with passion and professionalism ... to make the team work like a well-oiled machine. With his affliction of ALS, our efforts are concentrated not so much on carrying the golf bag but trying to find a cure."

A day earlier at Inverness Club it was Edwards who got more cheers and shouts of encouragement from spectators than did Watson and Jack Nicklaus, who have a combined 26 major championship victories.

"It was 'Come on, Bruce!' and 'Good to see you, Bruce!' " Watson said with a grin. "They didn't say anything about Jack and me out there. It was all about Bruce."

Edwards, 48, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in January. The disease has no cure, and Edwards doesn't know how much longer he'll be able to do his job or even how much time he has left.

"Like the rest of America, I enjoyed watching Tom's first round at Olympia," Nicklaus, tears welling in his eyes, said yesterday. "It's a very sad story, a sad situation."