Bubba Watson: Some things you need to know about Masters champion
Bubba Watson, who won the Masters tournament on Sunday in a playoff against Louis Oosthuizen, is a unique golfer, and not because he strikes the ball left-handed.
Unlike most PGA Tour players, Watson doesn’t have a cavalcade of coaches. He taught himself how to play the game by hitting Wiffle balls around his home in Bagdad, Fla., as a youth.
Despite his willowy frame -- he’s 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds but doesn’t look it -- he’s one of the biggest hitters on tour.
Here are some other interesting facts about Bubba Watson, whose first name is Gerry:
- He uses a pink shaft for his driver.
- He attended Milton High in Florida a few years after fellow PGA Tour pros Heath Slocum and Boo Weekley.
- His wife, Angie, is 6-4 and played basketball at the University of Georgia as well as professionally in Europe and the WNBA.
- His father, also Gerry, was in the Army’s special forces during the Vietnam War. Watson’s charities include the Birdies for the Brave program. Watson’s father passed away in 2010.
- He struck a deal with his wife that when he won his first PGA event, he would get to buy a 1969 Dodge Charger, like the one made famous in the TV show “Dukes of Hazzard.”
And if all that isn’t enough, Watson and his wife are the proud parents of a recently adopted child, Caleb.
RELATED:
Photos: 2012 Masters golf tournament
Bubba Watson doesn’t waste his shot at Masters title
Tiger Woods’ frustration continues at the Masters tournament
Bubba Watson: Some things you need to know about Masters champion
More to Read
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.