Simply Bubba

By Joe Schackman

One of the tour's most entertaining players took it down to the wire, then launched an incredible shot to win his first green jacket.

Louis Oosthuizen’s double eagle will join Tiger Woods’ chip and Gene Sarazen’s own double eagle in Masters lore. It will be replayed for years and become a fixture in just about every Masters montage Jim Nantz can get his hands on. But unlike Woods and Sarazen, Ooosthuizen’s miraculous shot did not propel him to victory. No, instead it was Bubba Watson’s own minor miracle, an insane hook-wedge on the second playoff hole, that won the tournament and got the 33-year-old his first major championship.

Calling Bubba Watson an unusual golfer is an understatement. Unlike just about every other touring pro, he doesn’t have a swing coach and he’s never watched video of himself. He’s an unorthodox savant: longer than Woods off the tee and more unpredictable than Phil Mickelson with a wedge. He will try any shot, at any time, under almost any circumstance. 

His long drives and reckless play have made him one of the most popular players on tour. As the American triumvirate of Woods, Mickelson and Jim Furyk ages, fans have embraced a younger generation of players, a group in which Bubba distinguished himself by becoming a fixture on Twitter and generally acting like just another southern frat bro. He posts videos of him chipping on private jets, or trying to flop a golf ball over a shed and into his pool. In January, he bought the General Lee car used in The Dukes of Hazzard movies. His driver is bright pink, and his shaggy hair stretches the limits of ‘Bama bangs. He is as endearing as John Daly once was, a feat accomplished without the drinking and ex-wives. 

It was Watson’s game, though, that proved most appealing to Augusta National. His length allowed him to attack holes that other players had to approach cautiously. Then his imagination and creativity took over, giving him an advantage against some of the toughest greens in the world. After three days of play, it was no surprise that Bubba was within striking distance of the lead.

However, with Peter Hanson at -8 and Phil Mickelson at -7, few gave Watson much of a chance. Already three shots back, he bogeyed the first hole. Then he then watched Oosthuizen, his playing partner and 2010 British Open champion, double eagle the second hole to take a commanding lead at -10. The focus shifted to the two major champions at the top of the leaderboard, and Bubba was almost forgotten. 

But Watson continued to claw, and despite a bogey at the 12th hole, stuck close. His patience was rewarded when he caught fire and birdied 13, 14, 15 and 16 to tie Oosthuizen for lead. He scrambled for a par on 17 and nearly birded the 18th hole to win the whole thing outright. He finished the round with a 68, securing a spot in the playoff with Oosthuizen.

The two golfers parred the first sudden death hole. Moving to the 10th, Bubba and Oosthuizen launched drives into the right trees. Oosthuizen’s drive kicked back into the rough, giving him a clean shot at the green about 230 yards out.

Bubba was not so lucky. His drive bounded into the trees and nestled in the pinestraw about 150 yards from the green. The line of sight provided a clear path back on the fairway, but the green was nowhere in the picture. To even come close to it would take skill, creativity and luck. Watson pulled out a wedge and put all three into one incredible shot. He blasted the ball into the heavy Georgia air, hooking it around the treetops. It landed in the middle of the green, spun sideways and settled about 10 feet from the hole. Two putts later, Bubba was wearing the green jacket. 

Watson’s victory came at the expense of Oosthuizen, who hit arguably the greatest shot in modern Masters history (it is a serious debate between that and Tiger’s chip-in in 2005). His double eagle on the second hole will be remembered and replayed long after his 2010 British Open victory is forgotten.

But the day belonged to Bubba. The southern bro with the unreal power and unruly mullett has now joined the most exclusive of clubs. He is not the first Masters champion with the last name Watson, but he is without a doubt the only one named Bubba.

Joe Schackman is an editor and co-founder of Began in '96