tim rosaforte
picking caleb over the players
bubba watson was abnor-
mally jumpy after winning
the last year’s zurich clas-
sic of new orleans. we
had an interview scheduled
one week later at the Quail
hollow club, but he asked
for a postponement until
the memorial. in between
rounds of the wells fargo
championship, bubba had
caddie ted scott drive him
to a lake house 90 min-
utes away—as an escape
from the attention he was
receiving for winning two
tour events and leading the
fedex cup point standings.
“i’m learning, that’s the
best way to say it,” watson
said when we sat down for
lunch at muirfield village.
“it was just overwhelming,
how tired i was.”
wonder he withdrew from
the players championship.
this is where the second-guessing gets touchy.
bubba has missed three
cuts in five players appearances, finishing no better
than t-37. after doing the
right thing by defending his
title in new orleans, skipping the fifth biggest golf
tournament in the world to
take a month off became an
easier out.
of bay hill. plus he wants to
be there for angie, who is
constantly supporting him.
“the players is one of the
best weeks of the year, but
bonding with my son and
wife is what it is all about
right now,” watson tweeted.
in another tweet he added,
“[the] tourney is more than
fine without me.” in cases
such as this, it’s easy to say
watson has his priorities in
order. he was still feeling
the effects of winning new
orleans when he reached
the 2011 players—
opening with a 76 to finish t-45.
it makes no sense to play
sawgrass this week when
playing with baby caleb was
more important to him.
as an independent con-
tractor, it’s his option to
play when he wants to.
although the players is
important, it was the right
call. the tournament will
be fine without the masters
champion. “as a dad, i told
him, ‘look, dude, don’t play
because the world thinks
you should play. go be a
dad,’” scott said. “the play-
ers championship will be
there next year.”
that revelation came a year
before he became a mas-
ters champion and a father,
so imagine what the pinball
machine is doing inside
bubba’s brain now that he’s
changing diapers and wear-
ing the green jacket. it’s no
or is it? nick faldo raised
that question saturday on
cbs. “[he] should really
be there,” said the six-time
major champion. “the
way the course is set up,
it always plays tough and
breezy. he could be one of
the favorites. so i would say
that’s a poor decision.”
“he was really worn out.
for a guy who always has
energy, he didn’t have any
in new orleans,’ scott said.
“there were just too many
things going on at one time.
in six years of caddieing for
him, i’ve never seen him
that tired, ever. i told him it
was like he was swinging a
momentus club.”
watson, who had a distant
relationship with his father
gerry until just before his
death after the 2010 ryder
cup, wants to experience
all the joys of parenting
the son he and wife angie
officially adopted the week
