Liguori: Bubba Watson — The Picasso Of Golf — Is Great For The Game

By Ann Liguori
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He's never taken a lesson. He uses a driver with a pink head and carries a seven wood in his bag. He comes up with more creative shots than Picasso had brush strokes. And much like the well-known 20th century painter, this golfer dislikes formal instruction and sticks to his own style and methodology. Of course I'm talking about Bubba Watson!

The 36-year-old notched his eighth career victory on Sunday when he prevailed over Paul Casey with an 8-footer for birdie on the second playoff hole at the Travelers Championship. Coincidentally, it was the Travelers Championship where Watson won his very first PGA Tour title, back in 2010.

Watson was on the PGA Tour for five years before he won his first title. But since then, the quirky lefty from Bagdad, Florida, has pleasantly surprised us.

He's an original, his own man. Quirky. Intense. Fun. Often irritable. Very charitable. Fine family man. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. I like him for all of those reasons.

When I had the opportunity to play in the Bob Hope Classic in 2011, Watson was the pro in my foursome on the second day of the tournament. (Each day the pro changed). We were playing LaQuinta Country Club that day, not a long course, but it had tight fairways.

Watson was borderline friendly as he focused on getting up and down from tee shots that went astray. He didn't go out of his way to engage the amateurs and we basically stayed out of his way.  We understood he had a job to do and he was scrambling on the course that day, coming up with pars and birdies from tee shots that landed well off the fairway. A year later, he won the first of two Masters in three years (2012 and 2014).

In April before the Masters this year, ESPN.com came out with a survey from an anonymous poll which asked various questions of tour players. One of the questions was which golfer they would least want to help if a fight in a parking lot broke out.

Watson was at the top of that list, to which he said when asked: "…Obviously there's more room for me to improve as a man. And so hopefully next year or the year after, it improves. It's a challenge. It's great. I'm glad that it came out and it's going to help me improve ... So if it's a bad thing and people don't like me, then I've got to improve and prove them wrong."

When I asked Nathan Grube, the tournament director of the Travelers Championship, on Friday what it means to the Travelers to have Watson leading after the first two rounds -- Watson shot a 62 on Thursday and a 67 on Friday, and had a 2-shot lead heading into the weekend -- Grube said, "I think that Bubba getting his first win here, the crowds take it kind of personal with him. One thing that's unique about our crowds is that they pride themselves on the crowd's size, the success of the event, what we give back to charity.

"And they love our champions, and so Bubba has a special place in our community's heart because of winning here in 2010. It's sort of like they see Bubba play and they feel like, 'Hey, we were part of this. We were part of Bubba's springboard to success…

"We think it's a special place for him. There was a time when Bubba was going through all the stuff with his dad. (His father died of throat cancer in October 2010, four months after he won his first PGA Tour title at the Travelers in June 2010.) And that all kind of culminated with his first win. He was able to still share it with his dad. I think it's a special place for him, too. He feels comfortable here. It shows. It's special for him and special for us, so it's a nice combination.

Andy Bessette, executive VP and chief administrative officer for Travelers, said: "We went to dinner with Bubba Watson at the Doral this year. We went to Chili's. We spent a couple of hours talking. And I have to tell you. Bubba Watson is one of the most caring, genuine people I know! He's a nice guy. He's a family guy. He's got two little kids now. He and Angie are terrific parents. He's just a good guy. He's a serious competitor.

"Listen, I've competed at the highest levels at the Olympics, and you know what? You're not out there to make friends when you're competing. He's a serious competitor. He's very focused. He wants to win. Behind that, he's the nicest guy. I feel really strong about Bubba being that good of a guy, being that dedicated to his family, and being a good person.

"When you dig in behind the guy, you understand what he stands for and how he's grown up. He's been through a lot. And this is the kind of guy you'd be proud to have as a son …What he has done with his life and how he has come to be what he is today, I'm just really proud of him.

In an age where stars in all walks of life are under the microscope, getting far too much attention for bad behavior, Watson's commitment to his family and being an excellent parent is a positive and much-needed message to send out.

"You know, my priorities are different (now since winning in 2010)," Watson said after his victory on Sunday. "I don't cry as much from the wins now because my dad passed away in 2010, so there is more to life than having a bunch of trophies that are just going to rot away at some point.

"Having my son, I FaceTime'd my son on the way up here so I could say hey to him before he goes to bed. There are a lot more important things in life. So it's a different drive. Her (Angie, his wife) being here, we'd be crying together, holding each other. Hopefully she'd give me a kiss if I wanted if she was here."

And after hearing an artist talk like that, how can you not like Watson?!