Bubba Watson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bubba Watson
Watson in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Gerry Lester Watson Jr.
Nickname	Bubba
Born	(1978-11-05) November 5, 1978 (age 46) Bagdad, Florida, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Residence	Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
Spouse	Angie Watson ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	2
Career
College	Faulkner State Community College University of Georgia
Turned professional	2002
Current tour(s)	LIV Golf
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour Nationwide Tour NGA Hooters Tour
Professional wins	15
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	12
European Tour	4
Other	3
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2)
The Masters Tournament	Won: 2012, 2014
U.S. Open	T5: 2007
The Open Championship	T23: 2012
PGA Championship	2nd: 2010

Gerry Lester "Bubba" Watson Jr. (born November 5, 1978) is an American professional golfer. He is famous for his powerful and unique golf swing. Bubba is one of the few golfers who plays left-handed. He has won two major championships, both at the Masters Tournament in 2012 and 2014. He has won a total of 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour. In 2015, he reached his highest world ranking, becoming the second-best golfer in the world. In 2022, Watson joined the LIV Golf League.

Bubba Watson is known for hitting the golf ball very far. In 2007, his average drive was about 315 yards (288 meters). He can hit the ball over 350 yards (320 meters) and at speeds up to 194 miles per hour (312 km/h). He has been the top driver in golf five times.

Early Life and College Golf

Bubba Watson grew up in Bagdad, Florida, near Pensacola. He played golf for Milton High School. After high school, he played golf at Faulkner State Community College in Baldwin County, Alabama. There, he was named an All-American junior college player. He then moved to the University of Georgia and played for the Bulldogs golf team in 2000 and 2001. In 2000, Bubba helped his team win the SEC title.

Becoming a Professional Golfer

Bubba Watson became a professional golfer in 2002. He played on the Nationwide Tour until 2005. In 2005, he finished 21st on the Nationwide Tour's money list. This allowed him to join the PGA Tour the next year. As a new player on the PGA Tour in 2006, he earned over $1 million. He also led the PGA Tour in driving distance, averaging 319.6 yards (292 meters). His longest drive in a professional game was an amazing 424 yards (388 meters).

In 2007, Bubba played very well at the U.S. Open. He was close to the lead after two rounds. He finished tied for fifth place in the tournament.

First PGA Tour Wins

Bubba Watson won his first PGA Tour event on June 27, 2010. This was at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut. He won in a sudden-death playoff against two other golfers. Bubba was very emotional after his win and dedicated it to his father, who was battling cancer.

Later in 2010, Bubba was the runner-up at the PGA Championship. He lost in a playoff to Martin Kaymer.

Bubba also had his own clothing line called "Bubba Golf." He even appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show after sending her a video of a cool golf trick shot.

In 2011, Bubba won two more PGA Tour events. He won the Farmers Insurance Open in January. Then, in May, he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in another playoff.

Bubba also took part in a fun Long Drive Contest for charity. He finished in second place, hitting a drive of 370 yards (338 meters).

Winning the Masters Tournament

Bubba Watson at Schüco Open, 2012

Bubba Watson won his first major championship at the Masters in 2012. He started the final round three strokes behind the leader. On the last nine holes, he made four birdies in a row. This tied him for the lead with Louis Oosthuizen.

In the sudden-death playoff, they both made par on the first hole. On the next hole, Bubba hit his tee shot into the woods. From deep in the trees, he hit an amazing curving shot that landed close to the hole. He then made his putt for par to win the tournament. This victory moved him to fourth in the world rankings.

After his Masters win, Bubba had some ups and downs. He missed the cut in a couple of tournaments but also finished tied for second at the Travelers Championship again.

More Success and a Second Masters Win

In 2014, Bubba Watson won his fifth PGA Tour event at the Northern Trust Open. This was his first win since his 2012 Masters victory. This win helped him move up to 14th in the world rankings.

Bubba won the Masters again in 2014, by three shots. He started the final round tied for the lead with 20-year-old Jordan Spieth. On the 8th hole, Bubba birdied while Spieth bogeyed, giving Bubba the lead. He kept the lead and won his second green jacket. This made him one of only 17 players to win the Masters more than once. His win moved him back to number four in the world rankings.

In 2015, Bubba won the Travelers Championship for a second time. He also won the unofficial Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

In 2016, Bubba won the Northern Trust Open for the second time in three years.

Later Career Wins

Bubba Watson had a strong year in 2018. He won the Genesis Open for the third time. This made him one of only five golfers to win this event at least three times. He also won the WGC-Dell Match Play event in March. In June 2018, he won the Travelers Championship for the third time in his career.

In September 2018, Bubba played for the U.S. team in the 2018 Ryder Cup.

In July 2022, Bubba Watson announced he was joining LIV Golf. He became a non-playing team captain while recovering from an injury. He planned to return to playing in 2023. He also resigned from the PGA Tour in August 2022.

Bubba Watson's Personal Life

Bubba Watson's father, Gerry Sr., passed away in 2010 from throat cancer. His mother is Molly Marie Watson, and he has a sister named Melinda. Bubba got his nickname from his father, who named him after a famous American football player, Bubba Smith.

Bubba's wife, Angie, is Canadian. They met at the University of Georgia where he played golf and she played basketball. They got married in 2004.

Bubba and Angie were unable to have children naturally. After some family challenges, they decided to adopt. In March 2012, they adopted a one-month-old baby boy named Caleb. In late 2014, they adopted a baby girl.

Bubba is also part of a fun "boy band" called the "Golf Boys." The group includes Bubba, Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, and Hunter Mahan. They released a song and video called "Oh Oh Oh" on YouTube.

Bubba is a dedicated Christian and often talks about how important his faith is to him.

He once bought a "General Lee" car from the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. After some discussion about the flag on the car, Bubba said he would paint over it with the American flag.

In 2015, Bubba moved to Pensacola, Florida, and became very involved in the community. He opened an ice cream store, bought a share in the Pensacola Blue Wahoos baseball team, and bought a car dealership. He has also given a lot of money to the Studer Family Children's Hospital in Pensacola.

Bubba Watson's Professional Wins

PGA Tour Wins (12)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jun 27, 2010	Travelers Championship	65-68-67-66=266	−14	Playoff	Corey Pavin, Scott Verplank
2	Jan 30, 2011	Farmers Insurance Open	71-65-69-67=272	−16	1 stroke	Phil Mickelson
3	May 1, 2011	Zurich Classic of New Orleans	66-68-70-69=273	−15	Playoff	Webb Simpson
4	Apr 8, 2012	Masters Tournament	69-71-70-68=278	−10	Playoff	Louis Oosthuizen
5	Feb 16, 2014	Northern Trust Open	70-71-64-64=269	−15	2 strokes	Dustin Johnson
6	Apr 13, 2014	Masters Tournament (2)	69-68-74-69=280	−8	3 strokes	Jonas Blixt, Jordan Spieth
7	Nov 9, 2014	WGC-HSBC Champions	71-67-69-70=277	−11	Playoff	Tim Clark
8	Jun 28, 2015	Travelers Championship (2)	62-67-68-67=264	−16	Playoff	Paul Casey
9	Feb 21, 2016	Northern Trust Open (2)	66-68-67-68=269	−15	1 stroke	Jason Kokrak, Adam Scott
10	Feb 18, 2018	Genesis Open (3)	68-70-65-69=272	−12	2 strokes	Tony Finau, Kevin Na
11	Mar 25, 2018	WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play	7 and 6			Kevin Kisner
12	Jun 24, 2018	Travelers Championship (3)	70-63-67-63=263	−17	3 strokes	Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, J. B. Holmes, Beau Hossler

PGA Tour Playoff Record (5–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	2010	Travelers Championship	Corey Pavin, Scott Verplank	Won with par on second extra hole Pavin eliminated by par on first hole
2	2010	PGA Championship	Martin Kaymer	Lost three-hole aggregate playoff; Kaymer: E (4-2-5=11), Watson: +1 (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
5	2014	WGC-HSBC Champions	Tim Clark	Won with birdie on first extra hole
6	2015	Travelers Championship	Paul Casey	Won with birdie on second extra hole

Other Wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Mar 14, 2004	Michelob Ultra Orange Park Open (NGA Hooters Tour)	67-68-64-66=265	−23	4 strokes	Will MacKenzie
2	Jun 24, 2008	CVS Caremark Charity Classic (with Camilo Villegas)	61-34=95*	−15	Playoff	Billy Andrade and Davis Love III, Paul Goydos and Tim Herron, Rocco Mediate and Brandt Snedeker
3	Dec 6, 2015	Hero World Challenge	67-67-63-66=263	−25	3 strokes	Patrick Reed

*Note: The 2008 CVS Caremark Charity Classic was stopped after 28 holes due to heavy rain.

Major Championship Results

Bubba Watson has won the Masters Tournament twice. Here's a summary of his performance in major championships:

Wins (2)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
2012	Masters Tournament	3 shot deficit	−10 (69-71-70-68=278)	Playoff1	Louis Oosthuizen
2014	Masters Tournament (2)	Tied for lead	−8 (69-68-74-69=280)	3 strokes	Jonas Blixt, Jordan Spieth

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

Summary of Major Championship Performance

World Golf Championships

Bubba Watson has also won two World Golf Championships, which are big tournaments with top players from around the world.

Wins (2)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
2014	WGC-HSBC Champions	3 shot deficit	−11 (71-67-69-70=277)	Playoff	Tim Clark
2018	WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play	n/a	7 and 6		Kevin Kisner

U.S. National Team Appearances

Bubba Watson has represented the United States in several team golf events:

• Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (representing PGA Tour): 2007, 2009, 2010 (winners)
• Ryder Cup: 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018
• Presidents Cup: 2011 (winners), 2015 (winners)

See also

In Spanish: Bubba Watson para niños