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Bubba Watson

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Bubba Watson
Watson at the AT&T National
Personal information
Full nameGerry Lester Watson, Jr.
NicknameBubba
Born (1978-11-05) November 5, 1978 (age 46)
Bagdad, Florida
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceScottsdale, Arizona
SpouseAngie Watson
ChildrenCaleb Watson
Career
CollegeFaulkner State Community College
University of Georgia
Turned professional2003
Current tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins6
Highest ranking2 (February 22, 2015)[1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour4
Other2
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters TournamentWon: 2012
PGA Championship2nd: 2010
U.S. OpenT5: 2007
The Open ChampionshipT30: 2011

Gerry Lester "Bubba" Watson, Jr.[2][3] (born November 5, 1978) is an American professional golfer who won the 2012 Masters Tournament. Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers on tour. The longest driver on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards (288.2 m) and is one of the few players who can hit a ball over 350 yards (320 m) [capable of generating a ball speed up to 194 mph (312 km/h)].[4][5] Watson won the 2012 Masters Tournament after defeating Louis Oosthuizen in a sudden death playoff.[6] The win elevated Watson to a career high number four in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Amateur career

Watson was born in Bagdad, Florida. At Milton High School in Florida, he played on the same high school golf team as fellow PGA Tour members Heath Slocum and Boo Weekley.[7] He played golf for Faulkner State Community College in Alabama, where he was a junior college All-American. After that he played golf at the University of Georgia in 2000 and 2001. While at Georgia, he helped lead the Bulldogs to a Southeastern Conference Championship in 2000.

Professional career

Watson turned professional in 2003 and joined the Nationwide Tour where he played until 2005. He finished 21st on the Nationwide Tour's money list in 2005, making him the last player to qualify for the 2006 PGA Tour. As a rookie on the PGA Tour, he earned $1,019,264 (90th overall) and led the PGA Tour in driving distance (319.6 yards). His longest ever drive on the PGA Tour was a 416 yard drive at the 2010 Sony Open. His longest drive in professional competition was a 422 yard drive on the Nationwide Tour.

Watson played well at the 2007 U.S. Open. He was in the final group on Saturday after shooting rounds of 70–71 (+1) at Oakmont Country Club. He was one stroke off the lead at the start of the third round but then slipped, shooting 74 (+4) in the third and fourth rounds. He finished in a tie for fifth.

Watson claimed his first PGA Tour win on June 27, 2010 in Cromwell, Connecticut at the Travelers Championship in a two-hole sudden death playoff, beating Corey Pavin and Scott Verplank.[8] Watson tearfully dedicated the win to his parents, specifically his father who was battling cancer.

Watson was runner-up to Martin Kaymer at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, after losing a playoff that was initially also going to include Dustin Johnson before he was given a two stroke penalty. Watson led the playoff after the first hole, but hit his 2nd shot in the water hazard at the last hole. Kaymer eventually defeated him by one stroke on the third and final hole. Watson had his own clothing line called Bubba Golf at the former Steve & Barry's. He was invited on The Ellen DeGeneres Show after he sent her a video of a golf trick shot he completed for her birthday.

On January 30, 2011, Watson won his second PGA Tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open, beating Phil Mickelson by one stroke.[9] Watson picked up his second win of the 2011 season and third career PGA Tour title on May 1 when he defeated Webb Simpson at the second playoff hole at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.[10] On the first playoff hole, both players made birdies with Watson holing a 12 footer to take them into a second playoff hole. At the second playoff hole Watson made a birdie again to win the tournament, whereas the best Simpson could manage was a par.

In July 2011, Watson provoked controversy by criticizing the Alstom Open de France, in which he was playing under a sponsor's exemption; he indicated after his first round that he would not be playing any further events on the European Tour,[11] and complained after his second round about security and organization at the tournament.[12]

Watson took part in the Long Drive Contest for charity at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions alongside Dustin Johnson and Robert Garrigus. He finished in second place, with a longest drive of 370 yards behind a drive of over 400 yards by Jamie Sadlowski.

2012 Masters win

Watson's first major championship win came in the 2012 Masters Tournament. Watson began the final round six-under-par, three strokes off the lead. He shot a 68 (four-under-par) to reach ten-under-par and enter a sudden-death playoff with Louis Oosthuizen. In the playoff, both Oosthuizen and Watson made par on the 18th hole. On the next hole, the 10th hole, both golfers drove their tee shots towards the woods to the right of the hole. Oosthuizen's shot landed in the rough 220 yards away, while Watson's ball landed deep in the woods on pine straw 164 yards away from the pin and without a clear shot to the green. Watson was able execute a miraculous recovery shot by putting 40 yards of hook on his 52 degree Gap Wedge and landing the ball about ten feet from the hole. Oosthuizen would go on to make bogey; Watson then trickled his birdie putt to within a foot. He took his time on the very short par putt and made it for the emotional victory.[13][14] The win took him to a career-high world ranking of four.[15] Following the tournament win, Watson said, "Secondly I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ".[16]

Personal life

Watson was nicknamed for former professional football player Bubba Smith.[7] Watson is married to Angela P. "Angie" Watson, née Ball, a 6'4" (1.93m) former basketball player.[17] In 2009, she was diagnosed with an enlarged pituitary gland which accounts for her height.[18]

On March 26, 2012, Watson and his wife adopted a one month old baby boy named Caleb.[19]

Watson's father, Gerry Lester Watson, Sr.,[2] died on October 15, 2010 of throat cancer.[20][21] Watson's mother is Molly Marie Watson and he has a sister Melinda Watson Conner.[3]

Professional wins (6)

PGA Tour wins (4)

Legend
Major championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (3)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of victory Runner(s)-up
1 June 27, 2010 Travelers Championship –14 (65-68-67-66=266) Playoff United States Corey Pavin, United States Scott Verplank
2 Jan 30, 2011 Farmers Insurance Open –16 (71-65-69-67=272) 1 stroke United States Phil Mickelson
3 May 1, 2011 Zurich Classic of New Orleans –15 (66-68-70-69=273) Playoff United States Webb Simpson
4 Apr 8, 2012 Masters Tournament –10 (69-71-70-68=278) Playoff South Africa Louis Oosthuizen

PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2010 Travelers Championship United States Corey Pavin, United States Scott Verplank Won with par on second extra hole
Pavin eliminated with par on first hole
2 2010 PGA Championship Germany Martin Kaymer Lost three-hole aggregate playoff:
(Kaymer:11, Watson:12)
3 2011 Zurich Classic of New Orleans United States Webb Simpson Won with birdie on second extra hole
4 2012 Masters Tournament South Africa Louis Oosthuizen Won with par on second extra hole

Other wins (2)

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
2012 Masters Tournament 3 shot deficit −10 (69-71-70-68=278) Playoff1 South Africa Louis Oosthuizen

1Defeated Louis Oosthuizen in a sudden-death playoff: Watson (4-4) and Oosthuizen (4-5).

Results timeline

Tournament 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
The Masters DNP DNP DNP DNP T20 42 DNP T38 1
U.S. Open CUT DNP DNP T5 CUT T18 DNP T63
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT CUT T30
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP CUT 70 CUT 2 T26

DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
T = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

Summary

  • Tournaments played: 17
  • Wins: 1
  • 2nd: 1
  • 3rd: 0
  • Top 10s: 3
  • Top 25s: 5
  • Missed cuts: 6
  • Most consecutive cuts made: 6

Results in World Golf Championship events

Tournament 2009 2010 2011 2012
Accenture Match Play Championship DNP DNP 4 R32
Cadillac Championship 72 DNP DNP 2
Bridgestone Invitational DNP T22 T21
HSBC Champions DNP DNP DNP

DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

U.S. national team appearances

Professional

Equipment

  • Driver: PING G20 All PINK Proto 7.5*
  • Fairway: PING G20 4 wood 17*
  • Irons: PING S59 3-PW
  • Wedges: PING Tour-W 52,56,60 or 63
  • Putter: PING Redwood Anser
  • Ball: Titleist ProV1x

See also

References

  1. ^ "Week 08 2015 Ending 22 Feb 2015" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Michaux, Scott (April 8, 2012). "Bubba's Masters win part of remarkable story". Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Gerry Watson in Flordia". PublicRecords. April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  4. ^ "2007 PGA Tour Driving Distance". PGA Tour. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  5. ^ "Long Drive Contest". Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  6. ^ Busbee, Jay. "Bubba Watson wins Masters in dramatic playoff". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Bubba, Boo, Heath Take on Masters Golf From 'Redneck Riviera'". Bloomberg. April 8, 2008.
  8. ^ "Justin Rose falters as Bubba Watson wins Travelers". BBC Sport. June 27, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  9. ^ "Bubba Watson holds off Phil Mickelson". ESPN. Associated Press. January 30, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  10. ^ "Watson claims his third PGA Tour title in New Orleans". Sky Sports. May 2, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  11. ^ "Homesick Bubba Watson set to turn his back on European Tour". Daily Mail. July 1, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  12. ^ "Bubba Watson criticises French Open crowd control". BBC News. July 1, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  13. ^ "Masters 2012: Bubba Watson beats Louis Oosthuizen in play-off". BBC Sport. April 8, 2012. Archived from the original on April 10, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Wetzel, Dan (April 10, 2012). "Bubba Watson won the Masters with his own brand of golf, but family trumps his green jacket". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  15. ^ "Watson moves up to 4th in world". Toronto Sun. Sports Network. April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  16. ^ http://www.thegolfblog.com/2012/04/the-golf-blog-video-bubba-watson-emotional-speech-at-masters-green-jacket-ceremony.html see @1:42.
  17. ^ Littlejohn, Georgina (October 1, 2010). "Watch out Katherine, there's a Tiger on your tail: Woods caught ogling Welsh beauty at the Ryder Cup opening ceremony". Daily Mail. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  18. ^ "Long Watson waited a long time". Boston.com. June 28, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  19. ^ "Watson, wife adopt baby boy". Golfchannel.com. March 28, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  20. ^ "Bubba Watson's father dies after battling throat cancer". PGA Tour. October 15, 2010.
  21. ^ "Gerry Lester Watson". Tributes. October 14, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
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