The Loop

Bubba Watson says he's scared of people and crowds in "60 Minutes" interview

March 31, 2016

Bubba Watson returns to the golf course where he seems most comfortable next week. But even at Augusta National, a place where he has slipped on the green jacket twice in the past three years, Watson won’t feel at ease. And it has nothing to do with major-championship pressure.

In an interview with CBS’ "60 Minutes," Watson admitted to having “a lot of mental issues,” including being “fearful of things, which I shouldn’t be. Scared of heights ... buildings falling on me ... the dark. Scared of crowds.”

It’s this last thing that makes Bubba particularly uncomfortable at his job, no matter the tournament.

“In between holes is really scary to me, because there’s so many people that close to you,” Watson says in excerpts from the interview released on Thursday. “I’m just scared of people ... in general.”

The interview with Sharyn Alfonsi can be seen this Sunday (April 3) at 7 p.m. A longer version of the segment will air on “60 Minutes Sports” on Monday night at 9 p.m. on Showtime.

Alfonsi also talked to Watson’s wife, Angie, as well as Watson’s caddie, Ted Scott, who says his boss and friend’s actions toward him in the heat of competition are often misunderstood.

“He’s a mess,” Scott says, “but he’s a fun mess, you know?”