From the late 1970s into the 1980, Tom Watson dominated golf. Five British Open championships among his eight major titles and 39 PGA Tour titles -- not to mention six major titles on the Champions Tour -- rank him among the game’s greatest ever.

And he’s Kansas City’s own. Born and raised here, Watson has always called Kansas City home. In a conversation with The Star, Watson emphasized his local roots and explained how being from the Heartland could be an advantage on the Tour.

He covers a range of topics on SportsBeat KC, The Star’s sports podcast, including the most important victory of his career (It’s not one of the majors), what Jack Nicklaus said to him near the final moments of the dramatic 1977 British Open championship known as the “Dual in the Sun,” and what prompted him to become a professional.

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