Watson Returns to Scene of a Memorable Triumph : Golf: American has eyes on a sixth British Open title, but the favorite is defending champion Norman.

Phil Mickelson, playing in only his second British Open, doesn’t know the Firth of Clyde from a fifth of Scotch, but he does know quality hardware when he sees it.

Invited recently to the Kansas City home of Tom Watson, Mickelson was treated to dinner and then served a slice of history a la mode. In truth, he saw a career, all of it recorded by an engraver’s hand.

“I explored the house and experienced the history of the game,” Mickelson said. “I looked at all his trophies. It made me realize what he has done.”

What Watson has done is win the U.S. Open once, the Masters twice and the British Open five times. Many more trips back to Missouri and the Claret Jug--the Open trophy--would have suffered jet lag.

Seventeen years ago, on this same seaside Ailsa Course, Watson forever created his own legacy by edging Jack Nicklaus in the memorable “Duel in the Sun,” considered by anyone with a Scottish burr to be the best Sunday finish in any British Open. Watson’s four-day total of 268--20 under par--lasted as the record for more than a decade and a half.

Now he returns for a try at a record-tying sixth Open title. During Wednesday’s practice round, played in rare sunshine and gentle winds, Watson and a fellow old fogy, Jack what’s-his-name, added a few more pounds to their unofficial money list by beating Nick Price and defending British Open champion Greg Norman.

“Just enough for my wife to buy a sweater or so,” Nicklaus said.

And just enough for Watson, 44, to feel good about his chances when the tournament begins today.

“I was making everything,” Watson said. “Put your money on me.”

Apparently the local oddsmakers didn’t have anyone following the Watson foursome. Five Open championships means zilch to the bookies, who listed Watson at 50-1 earlier in the week. And that’s just for old time’s sake. Just think if they allowed for Watson’s chronic case of the yips from five feet in.

But Watson has an answer for the doubters. It comes in the form of another golden oldie, Lee Trevino, who came over with Watson last week and played a few courses in Ireland. Trevino, who has two replica Claret Jugs of his own, noticed a little something wrong with Watson’s putting stroke, if you can call a push . . . pull . . . jab . . . stab (choose one) a putting stroke.

A quick lesson later and Watson is collecting sweater money from Norman and Price.

“What is it?” Watson said. “Not telling you.”

Whatever it was, it worked. On Wednesday.

But Watson knows how fickle the putter can be in his hands. Last week at the Western Open, Watson landed a shot four feet from the pin . . . and missed the putt. Nearby were a man and his grandson, who saw the whole dismal display.

“You’d be better with a pitching wedge from 50 feet,” said the man.

Thought Watson, “You know, he’s right.”

Of course, Watson isn’t the only former Open champion trying to rediscover himself. There’s Nicklaus, 54, who said he’ll play at St. Andrews next year and at the Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 1996. Then, who knows?

“If I can keep myself in contention the first three rounds, I will remember how to play the fourth round,” said Nicklaus, a 150-1 longshot.

Seve Ballesteros, who won his third Open in 1988, remains a sentimental favorite. But since the victory at Royal Lytham, Ballesteros has finished 76th, failed to qualify, finished ninth, missed the cut and tied for 27th.

“Why not a fourth win?” Ballesteros said. “It is one of the reasons I am here. Weather sometimes can be difficult and if I have two good rounds to start with, things change very quickly and it can happen.”

It’s a nice thought, but Ballesteros tees off today at 2:35 p.m., just in time for the heavy rains expected by midafternoon.

And then there is three-time champion Nick Faldo, who writes in a Scottish newspaper that, “You have not seen the last of Nick Faldo. Anybody who thinks I am satisfied with five Grand Slam titles does not know anything about me.”

Faldo is serious about this stuff. He and teaching guru David Leadbetter are nearly joined at the hip. And not long ago, Faldo searched through his library of videotapes to compare putting strokes. He found one he liked: 1990, the year he won the Open at St. Andrews.

Watson can beam about free putting tips from Trevino. Nicklaus can ignore his march toward 60. Ballesteros can play meteorologist and Faldo can overheat the VCR. But the flat-out favorite is Norman, who loves the British Open, mostly because it loves him back.

Norman, the PGA’s leading money winner this year, has won two majors, one here, one at Royal St. George’s. During the second round of the 1986 Open at Turnberry, in storm conditions that made an 80 look like a nice score, Norman shot 63. And last year at Royal St. George’s, Norman shot 64 on the final day.

“There is no better feeling than sitting at your desk and looking at the (replica) Claret Jug, a wonderful feeling,” Norman said. “The Open trophy is on a table right in front of my desk. It sits there and does not move.”

Norman would like to add another of the world’s most unusual paperweights to his collection. Of course, so would the other 150-plus players in the tournament.

As for Watson, he wouldn’t mind a sixth jug. You know, for when guests drop by.

BRITISH OPEN

TOURNAMENT AT A GLANCE

* Where: 6,957-yard par-70 Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Scotland.

* Defending champion: Greg Norman.

* Prize money: $165,000 to the winner.

* Top contenders: Seve Ballesteros. Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Jose Maria Olazabal, Nick Price, Tom Watson.

* Television: ESPN coverage starts at 6 a.m. PDT.