Former Masters champion Bubba Watson rekindled memories of the 2012 Augusta champion to move three shots clear of the field on day two of the season’s first Major.
Watson birdied five holes in succession from the 12th hole, and despite dropping a shot at the last, the Masters hero of two years ago, posted a 68 to move to seven under par.
It sent the 35-year old Bagdad-born Watson ahead of the duo of Australia’s John Senden (68) and Dane Thomas Bjorn (68) who also lifted hopes of a first-ever Scandinavian Major victory, and with the Dane picking up four birdies over his closing five but then also bogeying the 17th for a second day running.
Bubba Watson looking more like the 2012 Masters winning Bubba and leading by three on day two of the Masters . (Photo – www.pgatour.com)
Watson’s emotional success two years opened plenty of doors and none better than competing in a first Ryder Cup.
On a personal level, Watson and his wife, along with the couple’s adopted son, moved into the Isleworth Estate house previously owned by Tiger Woods.
But while life was warm and cosy back home, out on the golf course Watson struggled to get anywhere near the pinnacle of being a Masters Champion managing just two top-10s in the remainder of 2012 and four similar finishes from his 22 PGA Tour events last season.
And after finishing 2012 fifth on the money list and 13th in the FedEx Cup last year was a reality check for Watson in ending the year 37th on the money and seven spots higher in the FedEx Cup standing.
“When I looked at the FedExCup last year and how bad it was, and when I looked at the team event, what was last year? Presidents Cup last year, and when the team event was going on and I wasn’t there, you know, all those things hit you,” he said.
“You’re thinking you have the ability to do this; you have the ability to perform at a high level; you’ve done it before.
“You know, are you going to dedicate yourself? Are you going to practice? Are you going to ‑‑ and what I had to do was learn how to work more efficiently; if that meant 30 minutes a day on the range or 15 minutes on the range and 15 minutes putting, that’s what I needed to do.
“I needed to give my wife some rest. I needed to be a dad and take care of my boy when my wife can rest.
“And then set a time a day when I have a week off, the time here; I’ve got 30 minutes here, I’ve got an hour here. So I just had to dedicate myself and be more efficient when I was practicing to get back to a level that I want to play at.
“So right now, we are at that level and we are back to playing pretty good golf. We have a shot at making the Ryder Cup Team this year, and so I’ve got two more days, and I could really have a good shot at making it with two more great days.”
Since the start of the 2013/14 PGA Tour wraparound schedule Watson’s had a win (Northern Trust Open) and three top-10s also including two seconds in just nine events.
And Watson’s also made changes this year to his Masters housing arrangements and renting two houses rather than trying to cram both families into the one rented Augusta house as was the scenario a year ago.
“This year is a lot different than it was last year, as I told everybody, you can’t stay at my house so that’s why we rented two houses,” he said.
“They all stay in one and I stay in the other with my family, just to get away.
“And when I get done I go home and there’s no TV turned on. I don’t want to hear anything. I just want to play my golf, and that’s what I’ve been doing over the last year and a half since I won.
“I don’t watch the golf. I don’t watch anything. I don’t want to see anything; read, I don’t want to read anything about me. I just want to focus on my family and my golf a little bit.”
