Something to Cheer About: Bubba Wins Masters

Watson Wins Second Green Jacket in Three Years

Chris Duthie

A seemingly bulletproof Bubba Watson won his second Masters Tournament in three years on Sunday, parlaying an prodigiously long aerial game into a dominating, three-stroke victory over teenage sensation Jordan Spieth at the men’s tour first major of the season.

It was a resounding, five-birdies and two-bogeys performance from a gifted, Cinderfella athlete that has given golf fans worldwide reason to cheer and get excited about the PGA Tour again.

“A small-town guy named Bubba now has two green jackets. It’s pretty wild,” said Watson, the 6-foot 3-inch, 180-pound pride of Bagdad, Florida, who crafted an 8-under-par performance with rounds of 69, 68, 74 and 69. His three-stroke lead on Augusta National’s 72^nd hole allowed him to soak in the moment, take the winner’s 18^th-hole uphill stroll amid the cacophonic cheers of a five- and six-deep gallery, and know that a bogey would likely secure the 78^th edition of the Masters and its $1.62 million first-place check.

Turns out Watson’s near-birdie putt was part of the script, too. After tapping in for par, Bubba bear hugged his caddie Ted Scott, scooped up two-year-old son Caleb at the back of the green, shared tearful sobs with wife Angie, then took Caleb for a high-five victory lap, much to the delight of tournament fans and competitors.

“It’s a dream to be on the PGA Tour,” said Watson. “It’s a dream to win, and winning any tournament is a big deal. Winning the green jacket is a little bit bigger deal. So, yeah, I’m going to cry, because… why me?”

Probably because no one, except a 20-year-old phenom, came close. Spieth, who was bidding to become the Masters youngest winner ever, entered the final round tied with Watson and was ahead by two shots after he birdied four of the first seven holes.

Spieth came back to earth after missing tide-turning, five-foot par putts on holes 8 and 9 (while Watson birdied both), found water on the 12^th and shot a final round 72 to finish in a tie for second with Sweden’s Jonas Blixt.

Also in the hunt: 50-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez, who defied the odds by finishing alone in fourth place, four strokes back.

With Tiger Woods recovering from surgery and Phil Mickelson missing the cut, Sunday’s telecast was the lowest-rated Masters final round since Mickelson won in 2004. CBS garnered a 7.8 rating (7.8 percent of American households tuned into the Masters on Sunday), down 24 percent from last year’s 10.2-rated, final round telecast when Adam Scott defeated Angel Cabrera in a playoff.

NEXT UP

PGA Tour: RBC Heritage; April 17-20; Harbour Town Golf Links; Hilton Head, SC

LPGA Tour: LPGA LOTTE Championship; April 16-19; Ko Olina GC; Oahu, HI

Champions Tour: Greater Gwinnett Championship; April 18-20; TPC Sugarloaf; Duluth GA

RELATED LINKS

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Tiger Withdraws From Masters

What’s the Story, Rory McIlroy?

Chris Duthie is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.