I don't play golf, but like many people in July I was spellbound by Tom Watson's performance at the Open. For 71 holes he hit shots that rolled back the years. Watson held his nerve at Turnberry right up until the final hole on the final round.

In 1977, the 18th at Turnberry had been the scene of Watson's greatest triumph, the famous 'Duel in the Sun' with supremo Jack Nicklaus. 32 years on and Watson just had to make par to claim his sixth Open at the unprecedented age of 59.

Before he teed off I would have bet my house on him winning the championship. If I had, I would now be homeless. Watson bogeyed the 18th, and in the subsequent four hole play-off with Stewart Cink, Watson went to pieces. He didn't need to say anything. You could see what-might-have-been writ large in his body language.

How could it possibly be that a man of Watson's experience was beaten by a player who had never won a major championship? Don't misunderstand me. Cink is clearly a terrific player, spending 39 weeks in the top 10 of world golf between 2004 and 2008. But still, I couldn't work it out.

As luck would have it, the book I was reading during the championship was 'Whatever you think, think the opposite' by the late advertising maverick, Paul Arden. One of the sections is entitled 'The age of unreason':

"Old golfers don't win (it's not an absolute, it's a general rule). Why? The older golfer can hit the ball as far as the young one. He chips and putts equally well. And will probably have a better knowledge of the course. So why does he take the extra stroke that denies him victory? Experience. He knows the downside, what happens if it goes wrong, which makes him more cautious. The young player is either ignorant or reckless to caution. That is his edge. It is the same with all of us. Knowledge makes us play safe. The secret is to stay childish."

This is good news if you're trying to push ahead in any field that is dominated by people more experienced than yourself.