He prevailed in a thrilling two-hole playoff to capture his first Masters championship. Now Bubba Watson prepares for The Piers Morgan interview! Watch on CNN at 9 p.m. ET Tonight.
Story highlights
Masters champion Bubba Watson is learning to control emotions after crying during win
First major tournament win for Watson, who lost in a playoff at the 2010 PGA Championship
Emotional win comes just two weeks after adopting son Caleb
Watson relies heavily on caddie for support during miraculous shot from woods onto green
First-time Masters champion Bubba Watson admits he’s still learning to control his emotions after a miraculous win left him bawling on the green.
“I’m just trying to figure out ways to calm down, to breathe differently to control me and keep me calm,” the American told CNN’s Shane O’Donoghue after Sunday’s dramatic playoff win at Augusta National.
“I’m putting my head down between holes, not because I’m mad or disappointed, it’s just because I’m trying to stay focused.
“If the crowd’s cheering and I’m looking at them and talking, then I get so pumped up. The ball could go anywhere because I’ve got so much adrenalin pumping through my veins.”
It was the first major tournament win for Gerry “Bubba” Watson Jr., who lost in a playoff at the PGA Championship in 2010. He became the 14th different winner in the last 14 major tournaments.
After a miraculous escape out of woods to the right of the 10th fairway on the second hole of the playoff against Louis Oosthuizen on Sunday, Watson burst into tears.
It was an emotional moment for the 33-year-old, who just two weeks ago adopted a baby boy, Caleb, with his wife. Watson’s mother was the first person to greet him on the 10th hole, and he held her tight, crying on her shoulder. His father died right after Bubba played in the losing U.S. team at the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Watson was more than 165 yards from the flag, his ball resting uncomfortably on pine needles following a wayward drive.
But that didn’t stop him hitting a hook shot 40 yards right, the ball rising 15 feet above the ground to sail through a small opening in the trees.
The ball landed 10 feet from the hole, leaving Watson with two putts for the win after his South African opponent had bogeyed.
The left-hander admitted relying heavily on his caddie for support during the astonishing shot.
“My caddie told me all the time, ‘you’re a good golfer. You’re here for a reason. You can do this. You’ve done this all before. You just have to do it at this moment.’ That’s the thing; we’ve all hit these shots, it’s just doing it at this moment. That’s the trick,” he said.
Watson is now hoping the victory will pave the way for more major wins.
“As an athlete, as a golfer, this is the Mecca. This is what we strove for: to put on the green jackets,” he said.
“As of less than two years ago, I didn’t have a win. Now I’ve got four. My dream has always been to have 10 wins.”
Oosthuizen, 29, had rocketed into the lead when he holed his second shot at the par-five second hole for only the fourth albatross in the history of the Masters.
However, in the end, the 2010 British Open champion was no match for Watson.
“That was my first double eagle (albatross) ever, and to do it in a spot like Augusta, that’s special,” he said.
“I felt it was tough over the next four or five holes, but then when we turned, I felt very relaxed. I made a few great saves. I probably did very well to get in the playoff.”