Bubba Watson
| Bubba Watson | |
|---|---|
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Gerry Watson |
| Nickname | Bubba |
| Born | November 5, 1978 Bagdad, Florida |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 13 st) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Spouse | Angie Watson |
| Career | |
| College | Faulkner State Community College University of Georgia |
| Turned professional | 2003 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 5 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 3 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| Masters Tournament | T20: 2008 |
| U.S. Open | T5: 2007 |
| The Open Championship | T30: 2011 |
| PGA Championship | 2nd: 2010 |
Gerry "Bubba" Watson (born November 5, 1978) is an American professional golfer. Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers on tour and is known for his tremendous length. The longest driver on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards and is capable of generating a ball speed of 194 mph, being one of the few players who can hit a ball over 350 yards.[1][2] He has been featured in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
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[edit] 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.[3] 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.
[edit] Professional career
Watson turned professional in 2003 and joined the Nationwide Tour where he would play 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 the 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.[4] 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, Watson 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.[5] 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.[6] 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,[7] and complained after his second round about security and organization at the tournament.[8]
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.
[edit] Personal life
Watson is married to Angie, a 6'4" (1.93m) former basketball player.[9] She was diagnosed with having an abnormally sized pituitary gland which accounts for her unusual stature.[10]
Watson's father, Gerry, died on October 15, 2010 of throat cancer.[11]
Watson is currently one of four golfers in the PGA Tour exclusive boy band "Golf Boys". (The other three golfers are Rickie Fowler, Ben Crane and Hunter Mahan.) The Golf Boys currently have a popular YouTube video for the song "Oh Oh Oh". Farmers Insurance will donate $1,000 for every 100,000 views of the video. The charitable proceeds will support both Farmers and Ben Crane charitable initiatives.[12]
[edit] Professional wins (5)
[edit] PGA Tour wins (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 | Corey Pavin, Scott Verplank |
| 2 | Jan 30, 2011 | Farmers Insurance Open | -16 (71-65-69-67=272) | 1 stroke | Phil Mickelson |
| 3 | May 1, 2011 | Zurich Classic of New Orleans | -15 (66-68-70-69=273) | Playoff | Webb Simpson |
PGA Tour playoff record (2-1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010 | Travelers Championship | Corey Pavin, Scott Verplank |
Won with par on second extra hole Pavin eliminated with par on first hole |
| 2 | 2010 | PGA Championship |  Martin Kaymer |
Lost three-hole aggregate playoff: (Kaymer:11, Watson:12) |
| 3 | 2011 | Zurich Classic of New Orleans | Webb Simpson |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
[edit] Other wins (2)
- 2008 CVS Caremark Charity Classic (with Camilo Villegas)
- 2010 Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (with Dustin Johnson and Boo Weekley)
[edit] Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T20 | 42 | DNP | T38 |
| 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
Yellow background for top-10.
[edit] Summary
- Tournaments played: 16
- Wins: 0
- Top 10s: 2
- Top 25s: 4
- Missed cuts: 6
- Most consecutive cuts made: 5
[edit] Results in World Golf Championship events
| Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship | DNP | DNP | 4 |
| Cadillac Championship | 72 | DNP | DNP |
| 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
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
[edit] U.S. national team appearances
Professional
- Ryder Cup: 2010
- Presidents Cup: 2011 (winners)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "2007 PGA Tour Driving Distance". PGA Tour. http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/2007/101.html. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- ^ "Long Drive Contest". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTSETsi-OFs. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- ^ "Bubba, Boo, Heath Take on Masters Golf From 'Redneck Riviera'". Bloomberg. April 8, 2008. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=ajOLZrS0eyac.
- ^ "Justin Rose falters as Bubba Watson wins Travelers". BBC Sport. June 27, 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/8766691.stm. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- ^ "Bubba Watson holds off Phil Mickelson". ESPN. Associated Press. January 30, 2011. http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=6074975. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ "Watson claims his third PGA Tour title in New Orleans". Sky Sports. May 2, 2011. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12176_6909168,00.html. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ Homesick Bubba Watson set to turn his back on European Tour
- ^ Bubba Watson criticises French Open crowd control
- ^ Watch out Katherine, there's a Tiger on your tail: Woods caught ogling Welsh beauty at the Ryder Cup opening ceremony
- ^ Bubba Watson Wife
- ^ "Bubba Watson's father dies after battling throat cancer". PGA Tour. October 15, 2010. http://www.pgatour.com/2010/r/10/15/watson-father/index.html/.
- ^ "Golf Boys - Oh Oh Oh (Official Video)". June 13, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM2NocuEihw&feature=aso. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bubba Watson |
- Bubba Watson at the PGA Tour official site
- Bubba Watson at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
- Watson launches apparel line 'bubbagolf'
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