TOP 20 IN THEIR 20S: Bubba Watson  Editor's Note: Our "Top 20 in Their 20s" series continues as PGATOUR.com counts down the top golfers on the PGA TOUR aged 20-29 over the next two weeks. The list is based on 14 statistical categories, including TOUR wins, Official World Golf Ranking, percentage of time spent in the top 10 throughout their career and 2007 FedExCup performance. Get to know No. 17.
Prior to the 2007 U.S. Open, Bubba Watson had only played in one major, the 2004 U.S. Open where he missed the cut. This year, however, was a different story for the TOUR's biggest hitter.
The big boy with the pink-shafted driver -- "If I outdrove you with a pink driver, you can't make fun of me," said Watson regarding his club -- found himself in the lead at Oakmont Country Club and managed to hold it until the weekend, fending off Tiger Woods and a slew of major champions. Although Watson seemed to exude confidence on TV, this major newcomer was actually a bundle of nerves. "I'm like a kid," Watson said. "I'm always nervous, no matter if it's a U.S. Open, the John Deere, the Memphis -- it doesn't matter to me what tournament it is. I'm going to be nervous no matter what." While Watson didn't win (he tied for fifth), some still thought it was a Cinderella story. Watson taught himself to play golf in the small town of Bagdad, Fla., a city known more for its lumber than golf. "It's just a little piece of heaven, that's what it is," Watson said. "It's just a small little town and real quiet. There's a post office there and that's about it in the town. No red lights, all stop signs; an elementary school and good 'ole people, good 'ole southern people." It was in Bagdad where Watson learned the game by hitting wiffle balls at a 5-ft. circle on his dirt driveway. "I'd [play] non-stop every day from 6 to 12 years old. Instead of playing with trucks out in the yard, I'd play with a ball and a club." The hard work paid off as Watson went on to play golf at Milton High School, also home of TOUR pros Heath Slocum and Boo Weekley, and helped the University of Georgia capture the 2000 SEC title. Watson counts another TOUR pro as one of his friends. While he may have kept Woods at bay for a few days at the U.S. Open, there were no hard feelings between the two.
"He tells me not to play too good; he don't want me to beat him," Watson said. "I blast by him every time. The man wants to hit it past everybody. Doesn't matter -- you can practice and win all the tournaments but you can't practice and hit it farther. That's what I always tell him. But he doesn't listen he always talks about majors and all that stuff." Watson may be able to beat Woods in a long drive competition, but there is one thing he still struggles with: beating his wife Angie, a former WNBA player, in basketball. "The first time we ever played, we played Around the World, three points and ten shots," Watson said. "The first time I ever met her, the first time we hung out, she made all ten in a row. [She said], 'Do you want to play again?' I said, 'I'll shoot first so I can get a shot in.'" Who is No. 16? Hint: This heralded young golfer helped the United States win the 2005 Walker Cup. |
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