With just five weeks to tee-off in the first Major of 2013 and defending Masters champion, Bubba Watson admits he’s behind schedule in preparation of his Augusta defence.

“I went to Maui playing really well, even as sick as I was, fever, not eating for a couple of days, I still finished fourth because I was playing well,” said Watson on the eve of the WGC – Cadillac Championship in suburban Miami.

“Then got sick again, lost some more weight, so my golf swing changed.

Masters champion Bubba Watson admits he’s behind in Augusta defence preparations.

“I was getting lazy and my swing was coming inside, I was coming over the top and I was doing all these crazy things where I was hitting shots I’m not used to hitting, like way off the planet.”

Perhaps a return trip to Trump Doral should help the American given he finished second last year.

He arrives here trying to gain weight, find his swing, and get his energy level back so he can hit the shots he normally hits.

For the most part, however, Watson has played well. He tied for fourth in the season-opener then finished 15th in Phoenix the following month.

A week later, he missed the cut in L.A., but then he reached the quarterfinals of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

As for the Masters?

Watson will next play at Bay Hill then schedule a trip to Augusta National.

Last year’s victory there was life changing. There have been more demands on Watson’s time since, but it wasn’t the biggest change. The adoption of his son Caleb by he and wife Angie was.

“I was hitting the ball pretty good the last couple days here and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year and especially Augusta,” Watson said. “But easily adoption was the best thing that happened to us. That’s the most important stuff and golf just let’s me pay for the diapers.”

* Story www.pgatour.com