EXCLUSIVE … Bubba Declares It Would Be Great If Rory Won The Masters

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….. Royal Greens GC, Saudi Arabia

Double Augusta winning Bubba Watson believes Rory McIlroy will win the Masters and in doing so join the most exclusive club in all of golf.

GolfByTourMiss spoke exclusively with Watson ahead of this week’s fifth anniversary hosting of the now Asian Tour sanctioned Saudi International at the Royal Greens Club in Saudi Arabia.

Watson, now aged 44, was fitted with the first Augusta National green members jacked in 2012 and then a second two years later and while McIlroy has come close on so many occasions, the Florida-based Watson said he would love to welcome McIlroy in the exclusive Georgia golf club.

“I hope so. He’s such a great person for the game. He’s one away from the Grand Slam, and just the Masters and if it happens this year, it would be great,” said Watson.

“But if it’s me and him coming down the stretch, I hope he has to wait one more year!”

Watson was also revealed he had sent a text message to McIlroy shortly after Monday’s birdie, birdie finish to win a third Hero Dubai Desert Classic congratulating him on his first tournament win in any of McIlroy’s 15 seasons in the pro ranks.

“I mean, any win is big, but you know, with all that heated stuff going on, it’s a big one for him,” he said.

“I didn’t see it because I was coming here, but I know that there was a real battle coming down the stretch. I texted McIlroy after the win. I just said,

‘Man, great putt on the last hole”.

It prompted GolfByTourMiss to quizz Watson if he’d heard back from McIlroy.

“No. I guess he’s probably partying a little bit longer. That was a big win,” said Watson laughing.

GolfByTourMiss also asked if he was a friend of Patrick Reed and if so, did he feel some sympathy towards the Texan with what his fellow Masters champion has been enduring of in recent years.

“Gosh, every time there’s some heat around Patrick’s name, he just seems to get better at golf,” said Watson.

“Maybe, he should have been on my team. I would have kept him fired up all the time. But now that he is not, I’m going to be nice to him. He’s such a grinder. That’s his whole mentality”.

So, what did Watson think of the now highly-publicised ‘Tee-gate’ saga last week involving Reed and McIlroy?

“I don’t believe without a shadow of a doubt, I don’t believe that Patrick threw a tee at McIlroy,” said Watson. “I’ve thrown tees at people before just for fun.

“I don’t look at media, so I didn’t know that there was a subpoena given to

McIlroy on Christmas Eve. So yes, I 100 per cent agree with McIlroy that if you give me a subpoena, I’m probably not going to talk to you either.

“I don’t believe McIlroy has done anything wrong in his career or his life.

“And maybe, Patrick was just trying to say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry’. Who knows?  But I don’t think he was being mean. Though a subpoena changes everything, right?  I’m still going to be friends with both of them, until he gives me a subpoena, that is.

“Also with regards to Patrick’s ball being lost in the palm tree well I didn’t see that on TV as I was flying here to Saudi but then I heard a volunteer said the ball went into the tree that they were looking at, and that is the case you have to go with that.

“And if both the referee and Patrick saw a marking on Patrick’s ball then you also have to go with that”.

Watson was also asked exclusively by GolfByTourMiss, and on the back of Spaniard Jon Rahm’s remarks that in allowing LIV Golf Masters winners into the Former Champions Dinner it will only cause tension.

“There will be no tension,” Watson.  “I have talked with former Masters winners who are now LIV attached.  I still care about those guys.  In American terms, if you went from Verizon to T-Mobile, I am happy for you.  And if you have a better job, and you believe it to be a better job, it’s great for your family and I will be happy for you and your family and I will support you

“I still talk to Scotty (Adam Scott) and other guys.  They are still playing the PGA Tour but they remain my friends, so I will not have any issues in joining them for the Former Champions dinner.

“Like, if Scotty (Scheffler) were to contact me as to how he should prepare for the dinner, there won’t be any bad blood between him and I”.



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