Bubba Golf is set to become a worldwide phenomenon after Bubba Watson defied decades of conservative golfing wisdom to win the 76th Masters.
Self-taught and free-wheeling, the idiosyncratic Watson produced a stunning hooking wedge shot off pine straw through a gap from deep in the woods on the second play-off hole to set-up a simple two-putt par for victory.
It was good enough to beat South African Louis Oosthuizen’s bogey and hand him his first major title, becoming the third lefthander to win a green jacket in the last 10 years.
Earlier, 33-year-old Watson (68) had produced an Augusta National back nine blitz of four consecutive birdies to match Oosthuizen (69) at 10-under par 278, a charge necessary after the 2010 British Open champion made only the fourth albatross in Masters history on the second hole.
They finished two shots clear of England’s Lee Westwood (68), Swede Peter Hanson (73) and Americans Matt Kuchar (69) and Phil Mickelson (72), who shared third place at 280.
Floridian Watson has never had a golf lesson, sports a bright pink driver, and launches at the ball in a way that makes golf coaches wince yet he constantly puts the ball out beyond the 300-yard marker.
He shapes the ball both ways even from ridiculous lies and rarely takes the conventional rout to a flag.
While he’s won three times previously on the US PGA Tour, his major breakthrough casts a global spotlight on his unconventional style amid legions of highly-coached golfing automatons.
“My caddie has always called it Bubba golf. We always say it walking down fairways and truthfully, it’s like Seve (Ballesteros) played,” Watson said.
“He hit shots that were unbelievable and if you watch Phil Mickelson, he goes for broke and that’s why he wins so many times.
“So for me that’s what I do. I just play golf. I attack. I always attack. I don’t like to go to the centre of the greens.
“I want to hit the incredible shot, who doesn’t? That’s why we play the game of golf, to pull off the amazing shot.”
And his playoff shot was amazing.
Maybe not as good as Oosthuizen’s albatross from 253 yards on the par-five second, but even more telling.
About 164 yards from the pin but 20m into trees on the right of the 10th fairway, Watson curved a wedge shot through a gap from about 40 yards to put the ball 12 feet from the pin.
Three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo had called the shot impossible in television commentary before Watson took aim.
But Watson was doing what comes naturally.
“If I’ve got a swing, I’ve got a shot,” Watson said.
“I can hit it straight, it’s just easier to see curves and get the ball working towards the hole.”
All Oosthuizen could see was a corridor of fans leading into the woods.
“I had no idea where he was,” Oosthuizen said.
“Where I stood from, when the ball came out, it looked like a curve ball. Unbelievable shot.”
Watson, who now rockets up to No.4 in the world rankings, was still in shock at his achievement well after receiving his green jacket.
“I never got this far in my dreams,” he said. “I dreamed about it. I just never made the putt so I can’t really say it’s a dream come true. I don’t even know what happened on the back nine.
“I was nervous on every shot, every putt and I went into a play-off, I got in these trees and hit a crazy shot that I saw in my head and somehow I’m here talking to you with a green jacket on.
“Major champion – can’t do any better than this.”
Adam Scott once again provided Sunday heroics at Augusta National but sadly it was too little too late.
The Queenslander carded a Masters personal-best six-under 66, which included a hole-in-one on the 16th hole to finish on four-under in a tie for eighth, ensuring an invitation to the 2013 Masters.
Geoff Ogilvy (71) was the next best Australian in a tie for 19th at even-par while Aaron Baddeley (74) finished at five-over and tied 40th.
