The Masters
Masters 2025: Bubba Watson did some Bubba Golf things at Augusta
Bubba Watson walks during the second round of the Masters. (Stephen Denton)
AUGUSTA, Ga. — It wasn't a decision for Evan Beck and Matthieu Pavon, merely an acknowledgment of reality. With the par-5 15th playing directly into a punishing headwind and 270 yards of carry over trouble, attacking the green defied common sense … if not, looking impossible. Beck and Pavon instinctively reached for irons, crafting low, controlled shots the situation demanded. Their playing partner, however, saw a different challenge entirely. Though standing just 250 yards from the pin, even this shorter distance screamed for caution as gusts whipped across the fairway. Yet Bubba Watson, arms folded defiantly across his chest, merely shrugged and pulled his 3-wood from its headcover—a silent rebellion against what Mother Nature demanded.
“What in the world” an older gentleman muttered, parked on the right side of 15 under a loblolly pine, in an Aiken accent where the “l” is purred and the “d” doesn’t make an appearance, not so much a question as a fusion of comical astonishment and giddiness at what was about to come. Bubba took a mighty lash, the ball hung up for what seemed like forever as it fought its war against gravity, then gently fell to 30 feet to the right of the flag, as soft as a flop from a greenside bunker would land. And it’s not so much that it worked in that it was tried, a reminder that Watson—at least at Augusta—is still around and remains one of one.
That name might trigger only vague recognition these days. Watson, like many LIV Golf defectors, has faded from mainstream golf consciousness since joining the Saudi-backed circuit—a venture still struggling to gain legitimacy four years after its launch. Even among occasional LIV viewers, Watson has become irrelevant, finishing a dismal 53rd in last season's individual standings—particularly damning in fields that include just 54 players. This collapse was hardly shocking; Watson had already slipped into the "open" category the previous year, publicly volunteering to surrender his playing spot on the RangeGoats for a management role. The punchline? Watson returned this season purely for business reasons, undermining LIV's already tenuous claims of competitive integrity. (Credit where it's due, though: The RangeGoats' name and branding remains on-point.) His current form shows no improvement—just one top-20 finish in five tournaments this season, continuing his competitive irrelevance.
Which is entirely understandable. At 46, Watson occupies that limbo where competitive decline becomes inevitable. His current LIV struggles suggest he'd likely have lost his PGA Tour card by now anyway. Still, there's something jarring about the disappearance of one of golf's genuine needle-movers—a player who finished 10th in the tour’s inaugural Player Impact Program even in his career's twilight. The silence surrounding a man who once commanded so much attention feels unnatural.
This erasure represents a genuine loss for the game. No need to revisit the controversial statements and actions that made Watson a polarizing figure. But in an era of cookie-cutter golfers—identical in both technique and temperament—Bubba remained defiantly authentic. Self-taught and unorthodox, his swing resembled backyard wiffle ball more than textbook golf, yet produced shot shapes and trajectories that modern equipment and analytical approaches had seemingly rendered extinct. He discovered pathways on golf courses that others couldn't even imagine.
Bubba Watson waves during the second round. (Stephen Denton)
Nothing embodied this sorcery like his playoff escape at Augusta's 10th hole over a decade ago. Seemingly trapped among the pines, Watson conjured an approach that bent reality itself—hooking 90 degrees, defying physics, and finding the green that would eventually earn him a green jacket. What made the shot legendary wasn't its execution but the audacity to attempt it—a perfect alchemy of self-belief, arrogance, and reckless inspiration. True artistry requires the courage to ignore conventional boundaries. Sometimes this approach creates controversy; sometimes it yields two Masters championships. Whatever the outcome, Watson never failed to fascinate.
That unfolded long ago, with much changing since. Yet one of Augusta National's enduring enchantments is how its moments of brilliance remain eternally present. That timelessness manifests again this week. While not precisely in contention, Watson hovers within range at one under par, delivering flashes of vintage Bubba brilliance. Consider his play at the 15th, or what transpired at the eighth. This front-nine par 5 remains beyond reach for most competitors, but Watson isn't most. From 262 yards uphill, he went with driver off the deck—his ball launching high and drawing left before settling just 30 feet from the pin. When he drained the ensuing eagle putt, it felt like watching a time capsule briefly open.
True to form, these spectacular moments came packaged with characteristic volatility—Friday's card of even-par 72 marred by five bogeys. Such is the inherent gamble of Bubba Golf, reminiscent of last year's collapse when, comfortably inside the cut line with three holes remaining, he spiraled to eight over par on the closing stretch and missed the weekend. This year was different. Despite Friday's wayward adventures, his eagle at the eighth and three timely birdies put Watson at one under for the tournament have ensured his Saturday tee time—another opportunity to witness golf played with an artist's imagination rather than an engineer's precision.
When confronted with this stark reversal from last spring's collapse, a reporter asked if Watson had reclaimed his essence—"Back to being Bubba?"
"Well, today I am," Watson replied with candor. "But tomorrow could be a totally different ballgame."
This weekend, for at least two more days, it’s good to have Bubba back.
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Golf Digest senior writer Joel Beall’s debut book, Playing Dirty: Rediscovering Golf's Soul in Scotland in an Age of Sportswashing and Civil War, is on sale now at BackNinePress and all major bookstores.