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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. is a famous American professional golfer. He was born on November 5, 1978. Bubba has won two major golf tournaments, the Masters, in 2012 and 2014. He has won 12 PGA Tour events in total. In February 2015, he was ranked the second-best golfer in the world! Since 2022, Bubba has played in the LIV Golf League.

Bubba Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers on tour. He is known for hitting the golf ball very far! In 2007, his average drive was over 315 yards (288 meters). He can hit the ball more than 350 yards (320 meters), and it can travel up to 194 miles per hour (312 km/h)! He has been the top long driver five times in his career.

Bubba's Early Golf Days

Bubba grew up in Bagdad, Florida, near Pensacola. He played golf for his high school team at Milton High School. After high school, he played golf at Faulkner State Community College in Alabama. He was named an All-American there.

Later, he moved to the University of Georgia and played for their golf team, the Bulldogs. In 2000, Bubba helped his team win the Southeastern Conference (SEC) title.

Turning Professional

Bubba Watson became a professional golfer in 2002. He started playing on the Nationwide Tour (now called the Korn Ferry Tour). In 2005, he finished 21st on the money list. This allowed him to join the PGA Tour the next year.

As a rookie in 2006, Bubba earned over $1 million. He also led the PGA Tour in driving distance, with an average of 319.6 yards (292.3 meters). His longest drive in a professional game was an amazing 424 yards (388 meters)!

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

First PGA Tour Wins (2010-2011)

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

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

In January 2011, Bubba won his second PGA Tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open. He finished one shot ahead of Phil Mickelson. He won his third PGA Tour title in May 2011 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He beat Webb Simpson in a playoff.

Bubba also took part in a fun Long Drive Contest for charity in 2011. He finished second with a drive of 370 yards (338 meters).

Winning the Masters (2012)

BubbaWatson02
Watson at Schüco Open, 2012

Bubba Watson won his first major championship at the Masters in 2012. He started the final round three shots behind the leader. On the back nine, he made four birdies in a row! He finished tied 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 a "miracle shot" with a lot of curve. The ball 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 at a couple of tournaments. But he also finished tied for second at the Travelers Championship again. He ended 2012 with one win and many top-5 finishes.

More Wins and a Second Masters (2013-2014)

In 2013, Bubba had some good finishes, including a fourth-place tie at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He also reached the quarterfinals in a match play event.

In 2014, Bubba won his fifth PGA Tour event, the Northern Trust Open. This was his first win since the 2012 Masters. He shot two amazing rounds of 64 on the weekend. This win moved him up to 14th in the world rankings.

Bubba then won his second Masters title in 2014. He started the final round tied for the lead with young golfer Jordan Spieth. On the eighth hole, Bubba birdied while Spieth bogeyed. This four-shot swing gave Bubba a lead he never lost. He won by three shots. With this win, Bubba became one of only 17 players to win the Masters more than once. He also returned to number four in the world rankings.

Continued Success (2015-2018)

In 2015, Bubba won the Travelers Championship again. This moved him to third in the world rankings. He also won the unofficial Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

In 2016, Bubba won the Northern Trust Open for the second time. This was his ninth PGA Tour victory.

Bubba 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 that event at least three times. He also won the WGC-Dell Match Play event. In June 2018, he won the Travelers Championship for a third time!

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

Recent Career (2022)

On July 29, 2022, Bubba Watson announced he had joined LIV Golf. He became a non-playing team captain while he recovered from an injury. He planned to start playing again in 2023. On August 10, he officially left the PGA Tour.

Bubba's Life Outside Golf

Bubba's father, Gerry Sr., passed away in 2010 from throat cancer. His mother is Molly Marie Watson. Bubba was given his nickname by his father, after a famous American football player named Bubba Smith.

Bubba's wife, Angie, is Canadian. She is also very tall, at 6 feet 3 inches! They met at the University of Georgia, where he played golf and she played basketball. They got married in 2004.

Bubba and Angie were not able to have children naturally. In March 2012, they adopted a baby boy named Caleb. In late 2014, they adopted a baby girl.

Bubba is part of a "boy band" called the "Golf Boys." The group includes fellow golfers Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, and Hunter Mahan. Their music video "Oh Oh Oh" is on YouTube. For every 100,000 views, Farmers Insurance Group donates $1000 to charity.

Bubba has also appeared in songs by Christian hip hop artists. He even has a cool golf cart hovercraft! A video of it has been watched over 8 million times on YouTube.

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

He bought the mansion in Florida that used to belong to Tiger Woods. In 2013, he was named one of the "Great Floridians" by the state's governor.

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

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

Professional Wins (15)

PGA Tour Wins (12)

Legend
Major championships (2)
World Golf Championships (2)
Other PGA Tour (8)
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 United States Corey Pavin, United States Scott Verplank
2 Jan 30, 2011 Farmers Insurance Open 71-65-69-67=272 −16 1 stroke United States Phil Mickelson
3 May 1, 2011 Zurich Classic of New Orleans 66-68-70-69=273 −15 Playoff United States Webb Simpson
4 Apr 8, 2012 Masters Tournament 69-71-70-68=278 −10 Playoff South Africa Louis Oosthuizen
5 Feb 16, 2014 Northern Trust Open 70-71-64-64=269 −15 2 strokes United States Dustin Johnson
6 Apr 13, 2014 Masters Tournament (2) 69-68-74-69=280 −8 3 strokes Sweden Jonas Blixt, United States Jordan Spieth
7 Nov 9, 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions 71-67-69-70=277 −11 Playoff South Africa Tim Clark
8 Jun 28, 2015 Travelers Championship (2) 62-67-68-67=264 −16 Playoff England Paul Casey
9 Feb 21, 2016 Northern Trust Open (2) 66-68-67-68=269 −15 1 stroke United States Jason Kokrak, Australia Adam Scott
10 Feb 18, 2018 Genesis Open (3) 68-70-65-69=272 −12 2 strokes United States Tony Finau, United States Kevin Na
11 Mar 25, 2018 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play 7 and 6 United States Kevin Kisner
12 Jun 24, 2018 Travelers Championship (3) 70-63-67-63=263 −17 3 strokes England Paul Casey, United States Stewart Cink,
United States J. B. Holmes, United States Beau Hossler

PGA Tour Playoff Record (5–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2010 Travelers Championship United States Corey Pavin, United States Scott Verplank Won with par on second extra hole
Pavin eliminated by par on first hole
2 2010 PGA Championship Germany 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 United States Webb Simpson Won with birdie on second extra hole
4 2012 Masters Tournament South Africa Louis Oosthuizen Won with par on second extra hole
5 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions South Africa Tim Clark Won with birdie on first extra hole
6 2015 Travelers Championship England Paul Casey Won with birdie on second extra hole

NGA Hooters Tour Wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 Mar 14, 2004 Michelob Ultra Orange Park Open 67-68-64-66=265 −23 4 strokes United States Will MacKenzie

Other Wins (2)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 24, 2008 CVS Caremark Charity Classic
(with Colombia Camilo Villegas)		 61-34=95* −15 Playoff United States Billy Andrade and United States Davis Love III,
United States Paul Goydos and United States Tim Herron,
United States Rocco Mediate and United States Brandt Snedeker
2 Dec 6, 2015 Hero World Challenge 67-67-63-66=263 −25 3 strokes United States Patrick Reed

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

Other Playoff Record (1–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2008 CVS Caremark Charity Classic
(with Colombia Camilo Villegas)		 United States Billy Andrade and United States Davis Love III,
United States Paul Goydos and United States Tim Herron,
United States Rocco Mediate and United States Brandt Snedeker		 Won by 1 stroke in three-hole aggregate playoff
2 2014 PGA Grand Slam of Golf Germany Martin Kaymer Lost to birdie on first extra hole

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 South Africa Louis Oosthuizen
2014 Masters Tournament (2) Tied for lead −8 (69-68-74-69=280) 3 strokes Sweden Jonas Blixt, United States Jordan Spieth

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

Results Timeline

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Masters Tournament T20 42
U.S. Open CUT T5 CUT T18
The Open Championship CUT
PGA Championship CUT 70 CUT
Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Masters Tournament T38 1 T50 1 T38 T37 CUT T5
U.S. Open T63 CUT T32 CUT CUT T51 CUT CUT
The Open Championship CUT T30 T23 T32 CUT CUT T39 T27 CUT
PGA Championship 2 T26 T11 CUT T64 T21 T60 CUT CUT
Tournament 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Masters Tournament T12 57 T26 T39 CUT CUT
PGA Championship CUT T71 80 T30
U.S. Open CUT T31 T50
The Open Championship T51 NT

     Win      Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut
T = tied
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 2 0 0 3 3 5 16 13
PGA Championship 0 1 0 1 1 3 16 10
U.S. Open 0 0 0 1 1 2 15 7
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 6
Totals 2 1 0 5 5 11 58 36
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 9 (2019 Open – 2022 PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (five times)

World Golf Championships

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 South Africa Tim Clark
2018 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play n/a 7 and 6 United States Kevin Kisner

Results Timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Championship 72 2 T18 T2 3 2 T38 T9 T27 T18 T54
Match Play 4 R32 R16 R16 T17 T28 R16 1 T40 NT1 R16 T26
Invitational T22 T21 T19 T27 T37 2 T14 T17 T31 T9 T25
Champions 33 T8 1 T35 T54 T28 NT1 NT1 NT1

1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
     Win      Top 10      Did not play QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
NT = no tournament
"T" = tied
Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022.

PGA Tour Career Summary

Season Starts Cuts
made		 Wins
(Majors)		 2nd 3rd Top-10 Top-25 Best
finish		 Earnings
($)		 Money
list rank
2002 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 CUT 0 n/a
2004 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 CUT 0 n/a
2006 27 15 0 0 1 3 6 T3 1,019,264 90
2007 26 14 0 1 0 5 9 T2 1,654,807 55
2008 29 19 0 1 0 3 7 T2 1,533,523 58
2009 24 13 0 1 0 2 9 T2 1,430,244 60
2010 22 16 1 2 1 4 8 1 3,198,998 15
2011 22 19 2 0 0 3 8 1 3,477,811 16
2012 19 16 1 (1) 2 0 7 16 1 4,644,997 5
2013 21 18 0 0 0 3 10 4/T4 1,759,276 44
2014 21 18 2 (1) 3 1 8 11 1 6,336,978 2
2015 19 17 2 3 2 10 14 1 6,876,797 3
2016 19 18 1 1 0 4 9 1 3,492,842 18
2017 22 14 0 0 0 4 6 T5 1,223,129 91
2018 24 19 3 0 0 6 8 1 5,793,748 6
2019 19 14 0 0 0 3 6 1 1,558,014 71
2020 20 13 0 0 1 3 7 T3 1,565,323 53
2021 22 17 0 0 0 5 9 T4 1,873,381 69
2022 9 6 0 0 0 1 2 T4 513,538 -
2023 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 CUT - -
Career* 368 266 12 (2) 14 6 74 145 1 48,049,778 20

* As of the 2023 season

U.S. National Team Appearances

Professional

Images for kids

  • BubbaWatsonATTNational3

    Watson in 2007

  • BubbaWatson02

    Watson at Schüco Open, 2012

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