(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Editor's Note: Since posting this article on Friday, Watson played some more fantastic golf, coming from behind to finish the Open tied for first with Stuart Cink, a 36-year old America. After missing a 10-foot putt in the playoffs, Watson placed second—not bad for a man who will be kicked off the tour next year, when he turns 60, but not enough for me to win the bet I made with my editor. Tom Watson, you owe me a dollar.  

Tiger who? For most of yesterday, the British Open was dominated by Tom Watson, the 59-year-old American who has been playing professional golf for 38 years. (Watson ended the day one stroke behind the leader, and was in an eight-way tie for fourth place as play continued today.) While hitting the links is sometimes unfairly maligned as a hobby for retirees, competitive golfers usually hit their stride before 40. Older golfers have had their moments: at 53, Greg Norman held the lead for most of the 2008 British Open before tying for third place, and Jack Nicklaus continued to excel professionally until he was 60, then played another five years on the Senior Tour.

“Golf is much more of a lifetime sport; one that relies on technique and tactical ability,” says Mark Verstegen, founder and chairman of Athlete's Performance, a strength and training facility for professional athletes. “You can constantly improve your tactical ability and get smarter about how you play the game. With age, you may continue to improve on a technical and tactical level at a greater rate than your physical strength decreases.” Golf relies on precision and consistency, skills dependent on a cooler head that can come with age. The longer professional golfers play the best courses, the more they become familiar with each green’s idiosyncrasies, which can be more advantageous than a 20-year-old’s upper body strength. Still, 59? Pretty impressive. So in honor of Watson’s stellar performance yesterday, we collected a list of some of the greatest older athletes in their fields.

 See the list, after the jump: