Watch CBS News

Liguori: Spieth Turns Heads, But Masters Again Belongs To Bubba

By Ann Liguori
» More Columns

He's come from humble beginnings. He's never had a golf lesson in his life. And he loves to do things his own way.

That's Bubba Watson, and he is the proud winner of two green jackets in three years.

He out-dueled his playing partner, Jordan Spieth, overtaking the young sensation with birdies on holes eight and nine. And then with a birdie on the 13th, his lead went to three -- and he never looked back.

Bubba bombed his drives and was sharp on the greens and with an eight-under-280, the 35-year-old Bubba beat Spieth and Jonas Blixt by three shots.

"It's over-whelming to win twice," Watson said. "To be with the great names … a small-town guy named 'Bubba' now has two green jackets. It's pretty wild."

Bubba said that his putts on the par-3s on the front were huge: "I hit a great shot in there and then he hit a better bunker shot. I stepped up there and made the putt. And then I hit a great shot on six – well, I thought I hit a great shot. And then Jordan hit a lot better … then I hit two great shots on eight. Eight and nine were really the turning point where momentum kind of went my way."

The bunker shot Bubba was talking about was the one Spieth holed out from the deep greenside bunker on the fourth. That shot, plus the one he hit on the first hole, a punch- out from the tree line that landed about 12 feet from the pin, contributed to his brilliant start.

The young man is beyond impressive and will continue to have a very bright future in the game. He is the present and future in golf and is a big boost to the sport.

But it was Bubba's day and tournament. He dazzled in round three with the five straight birdies on the back. Despite struggling on Saturday, he held on to a share of the lead heading into the final round. And on Sunday, he played his creative game, maintained his intensity and focus and was sharp with his putter.

After he tapped in his par putt on 18 for the win, he picked up his adopted son, kissed his wife, high-fived his fans and cried some more.

Bubba from Bagdad, Florida, with another Master's win showed why the small-town man is a big-time champion.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.