Tom Watson will begin his third major mission in as many weeks when he tees off at the US Senior Open at Crooked Stick Golf Club.

The 59-year-old came close to pulling off the most astonishing victory in Open history at Turnberry on July 19, but fluffed his lines late on to see the chance to equal the six Claret Jug record set by Harry Vardon way back in 1914 disappear.

All the American veteran had to do to match Vardon's mark was hit a nine iron onto the green from the middle of the 72nd fairway and two-putt.

But he decided on an eight iron, sent it just off the back edge and from there raced his first putt eight feet past and missed the return.

By Watson's own admission "the wheels then came off'' in the four-hole play-off with fellow American Stewart Cink, who took his first major title at two under par to Watson's four over.

"It tears at your gut, as it always has torn at my gut - it's not easy to take,'' said Watson of the last-hole bogey and play-off collapse which stopped him becoming the oldest major champion in history.

However, Watson soon regrouped and revealed a couple of days later that messages of support from American troops he visited in Iraq had helped him put his Open heartache into perspective.

He continued his fine form last week at the Senior Open Championship at Sunningdale, finishing joint eighth on seven under par - five shots behind eventual winner Loren Roberts.

The Kansas City-born player finished 13 strokes behind winner Eduardo Romero in a share of 23rd spot at the US Senior Open last year, but appears determined to maintain his impressive recent run at Crooked Stick this week.

"I've won the Senior PGA," said Watson, who missed the cut in the 1991 PGA Championship on this course, which - at 7,244/7,316 yards - is the longest in US Senior Open history.

"The Senior Open is the other one I'd like to win the most on the Champions Tour."

Watson, who missed practice yesterday due to illness, has evidently lost none of his hunger for championship golf.

"It's just too much in your blood," he said.

"The competition is too much there. And we have the only game where you can continue. Why not take advantage of it and do it?"

Another big-name American in the 156-man field is former Masters and US Open champion Fuzzy Zoeller- an Indiana resident who is an honorary member of Crooked Stick GC.

Like Watson, he too failed to make it to the final two days on this course at the PGA Championship 18 years ago.

"People ask me if I have been up here since '91, and I have not," said the 57-year-old.

"The last thing I want to do when I come home is go play golf. I own two courses at home, and I never play them. It's just one of those things."

Also competing this week are the likes of Bernhard Langer, Greg Norman, Hale Irwin and Ben Crenshaw.