Self-taught new Masters Bubba Watson looks set to celebrate his Augusta National success getting lessons change diapers on his new-born son.
Watson, and very much the ‘Forest Gump’ of golf, pulled off one of two ‘thrill’ shots over the final round in defeating Louis Oosthuizen at the second extra play-off hole.
Oosthuizen looked all set to become the second straight South African born winner of the Masters where he holed out for an albatross ‘two’ at the par five second hole and go from two behind to one in front of the field.
It was the first-ever albatross at the second and only the fourth in the 76-year history of the Masters.
Bubba Watson looks comfortable in his Augusta National green jacket.
Oosthuizen celebrated by throwing the ball into the crowd and it was caught by Wayne Mitchell, a New Zealander living in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania.
But no sooner had Mitchell put the ball in his pocket and a New Jersey auction house was offering him $20,000 if, of course, Oosthuizen pulled off victory.
However Augusta National officials were also desperate for the ball and were able to ‘entice’ the Kiwi to part with it so as it can be added to Masters memorabilia.
But it was Watson who pulled the winning shot of the tournament.
After finding trees down the left side of the 10th, and the same hole that brought Rory McIlroy unstuck a year ago, the golfer born in Baghdad, Florida remarkably blasted his ball 155-yards off the pine needles and onto the green from where he easily two-putted for a winning par.
With tears pouring down his face, the player who has never had a golf lesson also became only the fourth left-hander, and the third at Augusta, to win a Major Championship.
Having lost a play-off to Martin Kaymer in the 2010 PGA Championship, Watson as well has become the 14th different player to win in the last 14 Major Championships.
The new No. 4 world ranked Watson had won little fans last July in Paris with his ugly American tourist intelligence but he is different.
He spent more time at the start of the winner’s press conference talking about the four-year journey he and his former Georgia basketball winning wife, Angela had before being granted approval to recently adopt their new son than speak of his dramatic play-off success.
Watson broke down in his mother’s arms for Caleb, their one-month old son, and also for his late father, Gerry, who died of throat cancer shortly after Watson played in the 2010 Ryder Cup.
That’s why Watson uses a pink driver with a pink shaft, and he also wore pink trim on his all-white clothes for four days of the Masters to promote cancer awareness.
And don’t expect Watson, like many new found celebrities and sports stars, to do the rounds of the TV chat shows.
Elementary that’s not Watson.
“The thing is, golf is not my everything,” he said.
Louis Oosthuizen wore the green shirt but it was Bubba Watson who ended up being fitted with the green jacket.
“I’m not going to go home and pout. I’m going to think about the great times I had, the chance I had to win.
“Tomorrow, there’s going to be a new tournament and y’all are going to write about other people.
“Y’all are going to forget about me tomorrow, you know what I’m saying. I’m going to have to keep living my life and do everything.
“But for me to come out here and win, it’s awesome for a week and then get back to real life.
“I haven’t changed a diaper yet, so probably going to have to change a diaper pretty soon.”
And Watson quickly poured cold water on suggestions he could now become a cult figure in the game.
“I don’t play the game for fame,” he declared.
“I don’t try to win tournaments for fame. I don’t do any of that. It’s just me. I’m just Bubba. I goof around. I joke around.
“The house we rented this week has a little putting green so hitting chip shots around there around the water.
“When I’m home, I just goof around and play video games and joke around with my videos and obviously do dumb videos for Twitter.
“That’s just me, if I was missing cuts every week, it would still be the same way I act off the golf course.
“But no, I’m not ready for fame. I don’t really want to be famous or anything like that.
“I just want to be me and play golf.
For Bubba Watson life is very much a box of chocolates.
