One of golf’s most exciting players squeezed most of the drama out of the Masters on Sunday. That’s just fine with Bubba Watson.
All he cared about was slipping into that green jacket.
Instead of hitting a 40-yard hook out of a forest of Georgia pines, the signature shot in his playoff victory two years ago, the final act on Sunday at Augusta National took place on the 18th green. Watson had a three-shot lead and consulted with his caddie on a 15-foot birdie putt.
“I went over to him and I said, ‘I’m not very good at math, but we’ve got four putts, right?’” Watson said.
This was more about great golf than Bubba golf.
Watson kept his poise during an early burst of birdies from 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, turned the tournament in his favour with consecutive two-shot swings to close out the front nine, and coasted to a 3-under 69 to win the Masters by three shots over Spieth and Jonas Blixt of Sweden.
“Small-town guy named Bubba now has two green jackets,” Watson said. “It’s pretty wild.”
Watson made it look routine over the final hour. On a Sunday when Spieth was trying to become the youngest winner in Masters history and 50-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez had a chance to become the oldest major champion, Watson turned in another masterpiece and joined an elite group as the 17th player to win multiple Masters.
“The shot out of the woods made me famous,” Watson said. “But this one was a lot better for me and my nerves.”
