Emotional story of Bubba's first Masters win
When pro golfer Bubba Watson won his first Masters Tournament in 2012, his wife Angie was not in attendance -- and neither of them would have done it any differently. Two weeks earlier, the Watsons had adopted their infant son, Caleb, and Angie watched the game from home while Caleb mostly slept.
Looking back, Watson says it was Caleb’s arrival that freed him up mentally and helped him win that year. The joy of becoming a father, he says, put the game of golf in its proper place. “I really don’t care -- I’ve got a son,” he remembers thinking during the tournament. “When I hit a bad shot I was like, ‘Whatever.’ And it just worked.”
Watson took home his first green jacket that year, and he won again in 2014 with his new family there to cheer him on.
At the time our story first aired, Watson had won four tournaments in two years and was ranked No. 4 in the world -- all without ever having taken a golf lesson, he tells 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. So, what makes Bubba so good? In the video above, Watson’s longtime tour caddie Ted Scott explains his take on Bubba’s creativity as a player, comparing him to “a great artist” who constantly seeks to expand his mind and entertain himself with new ideas.
Bubba’s driver may also have something to do with it -- and not just because he averages 315 yards but because it’s outside the norm for a pro golfer. It’s a playful pink.
Why did Bubba start carrying it around to begin with? That story above.
These videos were originally published on April 3, 2016