The Loop
Bubba's pre-vacation media roundup, talks God and Waffle House
By Keely Levins
Before heading off to a well-deserved vacation with his wife, Bubba Watson made appearances on "CBS This Morning and Golf Channel's "Morning Drive". Here are the 6 most important things Bubba said during his appearances.
1. Perspective. While Bubba's not going to concede that he's completely grown up, he does have a bit more perspective than he did when he won two years ago. His adorable son, Caleb, is a big part of that. "[Caleb] puts life in perspective. Golf is a game. When I play bad he doesn't care, when I play great he doesn't care." He also credits his faith with helping him: "When you look at life, life can get you down real fast.... So for me, my faith and following the bible, looking at my son, I want to be as Christ-like as possible." The purpose of that? To be a role model for his son. Charlie Rose and Gayle King on CBS seem to think he's doing a good job of it, as they both told Bubba he's their role model. (Which was only slightly awkward.)
2. His Real Name. Sorry, folks. 'Bubba' isn't on his birth certificate. "My real name is Gerry Lester Watson Jr." The late Bubba Smith was an NFL star when Watson was born, and since Bubba was a chubby baby who resembled the football player, he was nicknamed Bubba.
__3. Junior Golf.__This year was the first year of the Drive, Chip & Putt junior competition, and Bubba went out to support the young players. He talked about how his parents had supported him when he was playing junior golf. "I think for years to come you're going to see the game of golf grow. But I think it's gonna grow more when families get involved. The game's frustrating but you're gonna be learning together. You're gonna be enjoying your time together outdoors... That's what golf was to me when I was growing up and that's what I saw out there on these kids' faces."
4. Confidence. Bubba showed a good balance of where to be confident on the course, and where to be humble. He was humble about the experience as a whole: "I wouldn't say [I was] dominant, because I was scared the whole time." But at the same time, he was confident during significant moments on the course, like his approach on 15. "I never once thought about the water. I thought about that shot the whole time and I knew I could pull it off."
__6. Waffle House.__We all know that Bubba went to Waffle House after winning, but what did he order? The Masters champ had two grilled cheeses and hash browns. His answer to the question, Why did he choose to dine there? "Who doesn't love Waffle house?" Again, touché.