Bubba Watson
Watson in July 2007
Personal information
Full name	Gerry Lester Watson, Jr.
Nickname	Bubba
Born	(1978-11-05) November 5, 1978 (age 33) Bagdad, Florida, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Nationality	United States
Residence	Scottsdale, Arizona
Spouse	Angie Watson
Children	Caleb Watson
Career
College	Faulkner State C.C. University of Georgia
Turned professional	2003
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	6
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	4
Other	2
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 1)
Masters Tournament	Won: 2012
U.S. Open	T5: 2007
The Open Championship	T30: 2011
PGA Championship	2nd: 2010

Gerry Lester "Bubba" Watson, Jr.^[1][2] (born November 5, 1978) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour. One of the few left-handed golfers on tour, he is a major champion, the winner of the Masters Tournament in 2012. Among the longest drivers on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards (288.2 m) and can hit a ball over 350 yards (320 m), capable of generating a ball speed up to 194 mph (312 km/h)].^[3][4] Watson won the 2012 Masters Tournament after defeating Louis Oosthuizen in a sudden death playoff.^[5] The win elevated Watson to a career-high fourth place in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Amateur career[link]

Watson was born and raised in Bagdad, Florida, near Pensacola. He played on the golf team at Milton High School, which had featured future PGA Tour members Heath Slocum and Boo Weekley just before he attended.^[6] Watson played golf for Faulkner State Community College in nearby Baldwin County, Alabama, where he was a junior college All-American. He transferred to the University of Georgia, the defending NCAA champions, and played for the Bulldogs in 2000 and 2001. As a junior, Watson helped lead the Bulldogs to the SEC title in 2000.

Professional career[link]

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 following year's PGA Tour. As a rookie in 2006, he earned $1,019,264 (90th overall) and led the PGA Tour in driving distance at 319.6 yards (292.2 m). His longest-ever drive on the PGA Tour was 416 yards (380 m), at the 2010 Sony Open. His longest drive in professional competition was a 422 yards (386 m) 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 near Pittsburgh. Watson was one stroke off the lead after 36 holes but then slipped, shooting 74 (+4) in both the third and fourth rounds; he finished in a tie for fifth.

2010[link]

Watson claimed his first PGA Tour win on June 27, 2010, in Cromwell, Connecticut, at the Travelers Championship on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff with Corey Pavin and Scott Verplank.^[7] 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, falling in the three-hole aggregate playoff that initially included Dustin Johnson, before he incurred a two-stroke penalty on the 72nd hole. Watson led the playoff after a birdie on the first hole, but Kaymer birdied the par-3 second hole to tie, effectively turning the playoff into sudden-death. Watson's second shot found the water hazard and Kaymer bested him by a stroke to win the major championship.

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.

2011[link]

On January 30, 2011, Watson won his second PGA Tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open, finishing one stroke ahead of runner-up Phil Mickelson.^[8] 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.^[9] Both players birdied the first playoff hole, with Watson holing a 12-footer; he birdied the next hole to win the tournament.

In July 2011, Watson provoked controversy by criticizing the Alstom Open de France on the European Tour, 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,^[10] and complained after his second round about security and organization at the tournament.^[11]

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 (338 m) behind a drive of over 400 yards (366 m) by Jamie Sadlowski.

2012[link]

Masters win[link]

Watson's first major championship win came at the 2012 Masters Tournament. He began the final round at six-under-par, three strokes off the lead, held by Peter Hanson. On the back nine, Watson bogeyed the par-3 12th hole to return to even par for the round. He then recorded four consecutive birdies for a round of 68 (-4) and tied for the 72-hole lead with fourth-round playing partner Louis Oosthuizen at ten-under-par. In the sudden-death playoff, Oosthuizen and Watson both made par on the uphill 18th hole. On the next hole, the downhill 10th, both drove their tee shots towards the woods to the right of the hole. Oosthuizen's landed in the rough 220 yards (200 m) away, while Watson's ball landed deep in the woods on pine straw, 164 yards (150 m) from the pin without a clear shot to the green. Watson executed a miraculous recovery shot with 40 yards of hook on his 52-degree gap wedge and stopped the ball within fifteen feet of the hole. Oosthuizen's approach shot landed short of the green, but he chipped past the hole and narrowly missed his lengthy putt for par. Watson trickled his birdie putt a foot past the hole, took his time on the very short par putt, then made it for the emotional victory.^[12][13] The win took him to a career-high world ranking of four.^[14]

Personal life[link]

Watson was nicknamed by his father for former professional football player Bubba Smith.^[6] Watson is married to Angela P. "Angie" Watson, née Ball, a 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Canadian whom he met at Georgia while he was on the golf team and she was on the women's basketball team.^[1][15] In 2009, she was diagnosed with an enlarged pituitary gland, which accounts for her height.^[16]

On their first date, Angie told Bubba that she would be unable to conceive a child.^[13] Various family issues, including the illness and death of Watson's father in 2010, kept them from attempting to adopt until the winter of 2011–12.^[13] On March 26, 2012, one week after an adoption of an infant girl fell through at the last moment,^[13] Watson and his wife adopted a one-month old baby boy named Caleb.^[17]

Watson's father, Gerry Lester Watson, Sr.,^[1] died on October 15, 2010 of throat cancer.^[18][19] Watson's mother is Molly Marie Watson and he has a sister, Melinda Watson Conner.^[2]

Watson is also a member of the "Golf Boys", a boy band consisting of Watson, Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, and Hunter Mahan. Their hit song "Oh Oh Oh" is currently on Youtube. The video, produced by State Farm, receives $1000 for every 100,000 views the video gets.

Watson is a committed Christian, speaks openly about the importance of faith in his life, and devotes much of his money and time to charity.^[20]

Professional wins (6)[link]

PGA Tour wins (4)[link]

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share ($)
1	Jun 27, 2010	Travelers Championship	65-68-67-66=266	–14	Playoff	Corey Pavin Scott Verplank	1,080,000
2	Jan 30, 2011	Farmers Insurance Open	71-65-69-67=272	–16	1 stroke	Phil Mickelson	1,044,000
3	May 1, 2011	Zurich Classic of New Orleans	66-68-70-69=273	–15	Playoff	Webb Simpson	1,152,000
4	Apr 8, 2012	Masters Tournament	69-71-70-68=278	–10	Playoff	Louis Oosthuizen	1,440,000

PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)

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:4-2-5=11, Watson:3-3-6=12)
3	2011	Zurich Classic of New Orleans	Webb Simpson	Won with birdie on second extra hole
4	2012	Masters Tournament	Louis Oosthuizen	Won with par on second extra hole

Other wins (2)[link]

• 2008 CVS Caremark Charity Classic (with Camilo Villegas)
• 2010 Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (with Dustin Johnson and Boo Weekley)

Major championships[link]

Wins (1)[link]

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

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

Results timeline[link]

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

Summary[link]

• 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[link]

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[link]

Professional

• Ryder Cup: 2010
• Presidents Cup: 2011 (winners)

Equipment[link]

• 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[link]

• 2005 Nationwide Tour graduates

References[link]

External links[link]

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
• bubbawatsongolf.com - personal site
• PGA Tour.com - Watson launches apparel line 'bubbagolf' - 2007-07-10

v t e United States Ryder Cup team – 2010 Stewart Cink · Rickie Fowler · Jim Furyk · Dustin Johnson · Zach Johnson · Matt Kuchar · Hunter Mahan · Phil Mickelson · Jeff Overton · Steve Stricker · Bubba Watson · Tiger Woods Corey Pavin (non-playing captain) Lost: 13.5 – 14.5

v t e United States Presidents Cup team – 2011 Jim Furyk • Bill Haas • Dustin Johnson • Matt Kuchar • Hunter Mahan • Phil Mickelson • Webb Simpson • Steve Stricker • David Toms • Nick Watney • Bubba Watson • Tiger Woods Fred Couples (non-playing captain) Won: 19 – 15

In American usage, bubba is a relationship nickname formed from brother and given to boys, especially eldest male siblings, to indicate their role in a family. For some boys and men, bubba is used so pervasively that it replaces the given name. The nickname may also be used outside the family by friends as a term of endearment.

Because of its association with the southern part of the United States, bubba is also often used outside the South as a pejorative to mean a person of low economic status and limited education. Bubba may also be taken to mean one who is a "good ol' boy." In the US Army and Marines, bubba can mean a lay soldier, similar to grunt but with connotations of endearment instead of derision (e.g., "Can you make that device easier to work with, 'cus every bubba is gonna have to use it.").

At times it may be used as a term of endearment (or in an insulting sense) for a person, especially a man, who is overweight or has a large body frame.^{[citation needed]} In popular culture and prison slang, it is often joked that new male prisoners will be obliged to share a cell with a large, physically powerful inmate called Bubba who will become forcibly sexually intimate with them.^[1][2]

The word exists in other languages and carries similar meanings. Bubba is common in Australia and New Zealand as a noun or pronoun to refer affectionately to a baby.

Those named or nicknamed Bubba include:

People[link]

• Former President of the United States Bill Clinton
• Charles "Bubba" Chaney, Louisiana politician
• Bubba Crosby, Major League Baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners
• Bubba Dickerson, PGA Tour golfer
• Tommy Facenda, rockabilly singer and dancer
• Bubba Franks, National Football League player for the New York Jets
• Bubba Paris, former National Football League player
• Bubba Phillips, former Major League Baseball player
• Bubba Shobert, former motorcycle racer
• Bubba Smith, former National Football League player and actor
• Bubba Sparxxx, Southern rapper
• James Stewart Jr., professional motocross rider
• Bubba Trammell, former Major League Baseball player
• Bubba Watson, PGA Tour golfer
• Bubba Wells, former National Basketball Association player
• Bubba the Love Sponge Clem, radio talk show host

Fictional characters[link]

Television and movies[link]

• Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue in the 1994 film Forrest Gump
• Bubba the Caveduck from The Walt Disney Company's series DuckTales
• Bubba Ho-tep, a name given to a reanimated Egyptian mummy by Elvis Presley in Joe R. Lansdale's novella and film of the same name
• Bubba Zanetti, in the 1979 film Mad Max
• Bubba Higgins, in the situation comedy Mama's Family
• Bubba Bexley, a recurring character in the situation comedy Sanford and Son
• Bubba Bixby, a character from the 2007 television film, Shredderman Rules, a film based on the books
• Plumber Bubba, a fictional comedian based on Larry the Cable Guy and idolized by Rusty and Early Cuyler on the Adult Swim animated series Squidbillies
• Bubba Hendershot, a leading antagonistic-character from the Stephen King directorial debut film Maximum Overdrive. He was portrayed by late veteran actor Pat Hingle.
• Bubba Skinner, a leading character from the television series In the Heat of the Night
• Bubba J, a puppet of ventriloquist Jeff Dunham
• Bubba the Chimp, a character on Quigley's Village
• Bubba Bo Bob Brain, Brain's fictitious country music star persona from a Pinky and the Brain segment on the U.S. cartoon series Animaniacs
• Leatherface, or Bubba Sawyer, from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• Bubba Ray Dudley, an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Books[link]

• Bubba Kelly, a character in Carson McCullers' novel The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
• a character in A Drink Before the War
• Alvin "Bubba" Bixby, the bully in Wendelin Van Draanen's Shredderman series.
• Bubba is a character in the Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris and is a "codename" for Elvis who is now a vampire in this series

Games[link]

• One of the protagonists in the Amiga computer game Bubba 'n' Stix
• Monster from Rampage: Total Destruction
• One of the protagonists of Redneck Rampage
• Monster in Super Mario 64
• A character in Jagged Alliance 2

Animals[link]

• Bubba (fish) (d. 2006), a Queensland grouper who resided at the Shedd Aquarium, noted for being the first fish known to have undergone chemotherapy

See also[link]

• Redneck
• Bubbe

References[link]