Bubbalicious

Bubba Watson, 35, won his second Masters tournament in three years. The American golfer has always been among the better known participants on the PGA Tour. Sports enthusiasts who watch the occasional major or flip the tube on when Tiger Woods is in the running have heard his name and probably know that he is pretty good. Sunday catapulted Watson into golf’s unquestionably elite.

As usual, Rickie Fowler (above) injected some style into the Masters. He finished 5th. 4

ABOVE THE RADAR

When Watson won the 2012 Masters, the common media narrative treated Waston as a bit of a late-blooming underdog. Watson has talent. Watson can compete.

But Bubba is not Tiger; just wait until Tiger gets back on his horse (Tiger Woods finished 4^th in the 2011 Masters). Bubba is not Phil Mickelson, an established repeat champion. Bubba is not Rory McIlroy; he’s on the wrong side of age 30. Watson’s 2012 Master’s win was a great golf feel good story, but don’t expect to see Watson’s name dominating the gold headlines in the coming years.

Yesterday eliminated any remnant of the “aw shucks”, quirky, good but not great image of Bubba Watson, currently ranked #2 in the world. From his left handed swing to hitting balls through trees and onto the green like a nine cushion billiards shot to his humble emotions exhibited after a win, Watson is a brand. He is known. He is a the top of the PGA Tour’s marquee.

Not an expression often used with golf, but Watson's trick shot on the 15th hole was "gangsta"! 3

THE BIG FOUR – FIVE? SIX?

Throughout the 2000s, the phrases “golf” and “Tiger Woods” have been almost synonymous among even the most casual of sports observers. While Woods is no longer the seemingly invincible force he was in his 20s and early 30s, he is still, indisputably, the premiere name (and premiere draw) in professional golf.

However, Tiger’s coattails have benefits. Phil Mickelson’s brand has benefited from sparring with Tiger on the Tour over the years. Young Rory McIlroy is positioning himself to be the next young, dominant golf prodigy in the coming years. With yesterday’s win, I think it would be difficult to argue that Watson is not among golf’s “Big Four”.

On the rise are stand outs like the (literally) colorful Rickie Fowler, age 25 (who finished 5^th yesterday), and 20 year old Jordan Spieth, finishing 2^nd. Spieth mounted a challenge in the fourth round to possibly become the youngest, ever Masters winner.

Runner up Jordan Spieth (left), 20, and 2014 Masters champion Watson (right), 35. 2

THE TOUR IS ON!

Every year, the Masters seems to give us a good story. Good golf stories are great for the game of golf. With the possibility that Tiger Woods may not compete on the Tour this year, rehabbing from back surgery, the rise of stars like Watson, McIlroy and others could not come at a better time for the PGA.

Assuming Woods’ health allows him to be competitive upon his return and assuming the profiles of players like Spieth and Fowler continue to rise, golf can expect to transform from the (seemingly) one man show it was in the 2000s to a series of rivalries in the 2010s. In major competition, Bubba Watson has drawn first blood.

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1) Image from www.telegrah.co.uk
2) Image from www.bleacherreport.com
3) Image from http://news.gnom.es
4) Image from www.sportingnews.com

No Ordinary Bubba

Tiger Woods…Rory McIlroy…old “Lefty”: Phil Mickelson…these were the headline players heading into the 2012 Masters at Augusta, Georgia. By Sunday, only Lefty was in contention. Lefty: meet the fourth hole (and the triple bogey you racked up on it).

In the words of actor Bill Duke in "Menace II Society": "Now...see there, Phil...you know you done f____d up!" 3 

CBS: “UH OH!”

T.V. executives and advertisers had cause for concern, if not panic. Golf is not a team sport. Individual sports live and die on the personalities and popularity of the players involved. After Mickelson’s minor melt down. The players within striking distance included South African Louis Oothsuizen, Swede Peter Hanson, and Englishman Lee Westwood. All of whom were foreign; all but Westwood were relatively unknown. There was one American near the front of the pack: Bubba Watson.

Here's a Tiger Woods highlight: kicking his club like a ten years old after a bad tee shot. Has Tiger lost his damn MIND? 5

RETURN OF THE STARS AND STRIPES

Golf’s television ratings are predictable. I have not looked at any of the overnight ratings, but I am quite confident that there was a dip in projected viewership after it became clear, on Friday, that Woods and McIlroy’s chances of victory were just north of the Titanic’s chances of remaining afloat 100 years ago. I would be stunned if the ratings did not drop after Mickelson’s fourth hole in the final round on Sunday.

Those who did stick around were in for a treat. Lefty scratched and clawed his way back into the tournament and had a slim, but measurable shot at winning the Masters until his hopes evaporated by missing a birdie put on the 17th hole. Oosthuizen would make an extremely rare double-eagle shot, catapulting him to the front of the pack. But it was Bubba Watson, the 33 year old University of Georgia southpaw who would birdie four consecutive holes to tie Oothsuizen and force a sudden death playoff.

After a nearly disastrous tee shot in the second hole of the playoff, Watson would nail the mother of all miraculous shots, in between a gauntlet of trees in the rough, and set himself up for his eventual win. It was Watson’s first ever major tournament victory.

There have only been four double-eagles in the history of the Masters Tournament, established in 1934. 4

WHO IS THIS BUBBA?

If you are a casual fan of golf, you have probably heard Bubba Waston’s name. Unless you are a hard core golf enthusiast, you probably couldn’t pick Watson out of a lineup. You certainly wouldn’t recognize him if you passed him in the street. Watson’s major career can be described as “Close but no cigar,” as Watson has been in the hunt in the final rounds of majors in the past, but never won. On Sunday, Watson won the stocked walk in humidor of cigars by taking home the green jacket.

Watson’s story is an interesting one. First of all, the heartfelt emotion he displayed after the long awaited major victory rivaled that of former NFL coach, and renowned man-crier, Dick Vermiel. Watson is also a new father, having recently adopted a son. Most fascinating, Watson reportedly has not taken a formal golf lesson since he was 10 and does not employ a swing coach.

Vermeil wrote the manual on post victory waterworks. 2

NEW STAR?

Watson’s story has some compelling appeal. He seems to be a likable guy. In some ways, the common man can empathize with him: reaching for a goal, a dream, for years, coming close multiple times, and finally reaching that goal, the apex of his professional career thus far.

Time will tell if the golfing world has an emerging star or if Watson simply had his 15 minutes at golf’s mountaintop. Tiger Woods’ personal challenges and declining play over the last several years have left a void of star power in the golf world. Let me be clear: the only way that void will ever come close to being filled is if Tiger starts winning majors again. Golf has never seen anything like Tiger Woods in his prime and I doubt the coming decades will produce anything quite like the transcendent dominance we witnessed in the late 1990s and the 2000s.

Still, that does not mean that the sport can not produce interesting and compelling stars. Phil Mickelson, in spite of being in his mid-40s, still appears to be at the top of his game and, in spite of his advanced age (by athletic standards) offers a glimmer of hope that Tiger can climb back tot the top of the world golf rankings and inject some energy back into the sport. Rory McIlroy is a young, budding star who will garner attention when he is playing well.

Bubba Watson? Time will tell. If he turned a corner in his career, golf may have another developing player asset. If Watson simply broke through a barrier and has peeked, he still gave the PGA a good story and etched himself in Masters history.

Bubba embraces Mom. 1

1) Image from www.golfweek.com
2) Image from www.bleacherreport.com
3) Image from www.sports-enews.com
4) Image from http://sports.espn.go.com
5) Image from www.usatoday.com