Second time around Bubba Watson reckons hosting the Masters Former Champions dinner will be easier to digest than in 2013.
Watson revealed he didn’t have a clue what to expect in returning to Augusta National as defending Masters champion.
But after being fitted for a second Augusta National members green jacket a year ago the American will be better prepared not only with defending the Masters but also when he hosts the Champions Dinner on Tuesday 7th April.
“When you look at it the first time, the first time you win any tournament, but win the Masters, I don’t know if you’ve ever won it, but first time you ever win it, it’s very difficult to handle, because you go back, you’re defending champ, media is all over you,” he said.
“The Champions Dinner, they don’t give you any clu
Adam Scott fits Bubba Watson with his second green jacket and with Bubba believing he will be better second time around hosting the Champions Dinner.
e what goes on at Champions Dinner, you just show up. And I had to ask; on Tuesday, I asked the locker room attendant, I said, “What time am I supposed to show up? Nobody’s told me a time.
“So they tell you a time, roughly, between this time.”
“I’m like, “What do you mean, “roughly?” I just show up?
“So you think it’s going to be more structured but it’s not. It’s a different event. And so I didn’t know how to handle it. Didn’t know how to deal with it. Didn’t know what to expect.
“You know, like I said, in 2013, I was in awe of it still. I still am in awe of it but I didn’t know how to deal with it. I didn’t know what was going on.
“And in ’14, this year, I wasn’t defending champion anymore, so everybody could care less what I was doing.
“I knew the time to show up, I knew the time to go to the dinner, I knew what to do at the dinner. Again, I flew under the radar and so I won this year, or last year.
“And this year, I already know how to deal with it, what to do, what not to do. And so I’ve got my routine now of how to practice and what I need to practice and how to go about it. I’m still going to be nervous. It’s the Masters; I’m still going to be excited because I’m defending champ.
“But yeah, I know how to deal with it a little bit more. Doesn’t mean I’m going to play good. Just means I know how to get through the Champions Dinner now. Hope that answers your question.”
And Watson was asked ahead of this week’s WGC – Cadillac Championship here at Trump Doral if there anything different he will do at the Champions Dinner.
“Yes, I knew what the menu before I even won,” he said.
“I knew what the menu was going to be. I knew the day after ‑‑ I let them know and told them, and I told them the same thing, I’m not going to tell anybody until Wednesday morning when they find out, unless Nick Faldo Tweets it again right after he leaves the dinner.
“So, yeah, I know what to do. I know how the routine is now. So, again, I just go in there, use my time wisely, use my energy wisely and hopefully at the end of the week I get a challenge on Sunday afternoon on the back nine.”
