Tour News
Tears of joy — Bubba Watson wins The Masters
By Michael Williams
GolfWRX Staff Writer
PGA Tour crowd favorite Bubba Watson combined prodigious drives with fearless iron play to engineer a victory over South African Louis Oosthuizen on the second playoff hole at historic Augusta National. Watson and Oosthuizen finished regulation play at 10-under par 274, 2 shots ahead of a pack that had chased the lead until the final moments.
“I never go this far in my dreams,” an emotional Watson said during the Green Jacket Ceremony at Butler Cabin.
The round produced drama from virtually every part of the field. Bo Van Pelt recorded a Masters record-tying 64, including an ace on the par-3 16th. Adam Scott also aced the 16th. But the leaders produced the real fireworks.
Oosthuizen made history with his double-eagle three at the par-5 second. Oosthuizen hit a 4-iron from 253 yards that landed the front of the green and funneled down to the traditional back right pin and into the hole. The albatross was only the fourth in Masters history and the first ever on No. 2. That shot rocketed him from third to first place and he held onto it with dogged determination and a ice-cold demeanor. Throughout the round Oosthuizen displayed a rhythmic, balanced swing that made it seem it seems as though he is always going to hit what he is aiming for. Oosthuizen made key par save putts on No. 3 and No. 6 of 10 feet. He was rock solid on the later holes as well, making quality putts from every angle on Augusta’s treacherous greens.
Playing partner Watson was undeterred. He recorded birdie on the second and birdied No. 13 and No. 14 after a bogey at No. 12 to get within one shot of Oosthuizen and the lead. He sank an 8 footer at No. 16 to tie for the lead.
On No. 17, both Watson and Ooosthuizen sent their tee shots into the woods. Oosthuizen made another remarkable par save after a superb wedge out of the greenside bunker. Watson also saved par, sending the duel to the final hole of the tournament. Both players hit long drives into the fairway, and both had makeable putts to win the tournament. But Oosthuizen’s 15 footer slid just right of the hole and Watson’s birdie attempt curled to the left, sending the tournament into a playoff for the 14th time and the first since 2009.
On the first playoff hole, Watson produced a carbon copy of the drive he hit in regulation, finding the right side of the fairway; Oosthuizen left himself 151 on the opposite side. Oosthuizen drilled his approached to 15 feet and Watson responded by putting his within 10 feet. Both missed their birdie chances to take the competition to the second playoff hole, No. 10.
Both players hit wild tee shots to the right of the fairway, with Oosthuizen getting another good break as his tee shot rebounded out of the woods into the first cut of rough. Watson’s ball rested some 20 yards right the fairway and 150 yards from the flag. But fortunes were soon reversed as Oosthuizen left his approach short of the green and failed to get the ball up and down for par. Watson responded by hitting one of the most clutch shots in Masters history, hooking a pitching wedge 151 yards to 8 feet. He two-putted for par to clinch his 4th professional win and his first major championship title. Watson is the third left-handed golf to win the Masters, joining fellow American Mickelson and Canadian Mike Weir.
Oosthuizen’s historic shot was not enough to carry him to victory, but he was stoic in defeat. “I’m happy with the way I played,” he said. “I had my chance on that last hole when he hit a bad drive, but I didn’t take it. I’m happy for [Watson].”
Going into the final five holes, eight players were within three shots of the lead.
Mickelson did not recover from a disastrous triple bogey on the par 3 4th. After sending his tee shot into the brush left of the green, Mickelson declined to re-tee, hacking two shots right-handed on his way to a dismal six. He was never able to dig out of the pit he dug for himself there, finishing with a final round of even par 72 and a four-way tie for third with Matt Kuchar, Peter Hansen and Lee Westwood. No one has ever won the Masters while carding a triple bogey during the week; Mickelson recorded two.
“It was unfortunate,” said Mickelson. “I knew that I didn’t want to leave the ball out to the right, but I went too far. I had my chances later in the round but I just couldn’t hit the putts that I needed.”
Kuchar stayed in the hunt to the end, but ultimately couldn’t convert enough birdie opportunities to catch the leaders. He finished in the group at 8-under.
Third round leader Peter Hanson never really got any momentum going. Loose shots and shaky putting left him in the pack tied for third.
Pre-tournament favorites Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy ended a disappointing Masters for both with final rounds of 74 and 76 respectively to finish at 5-over for the tournament. 52-year old Fred Couples couldn’t sustain the play that carried to him to a share of the second round lead but finished at a very respectable 2-under for the tournament.
Click here to read the more discussion in the “Tour Talk” forum.
Michael Williams is the contributing editor of Newschannel8 Capital Golf Weekly and Bunkershot.com, as well as a member of the Golf Writers Association of America.
You can follow Michael on twitter — @Michaelontv
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship
GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.
While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.
Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Michael Block – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Patrick Reed – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cam Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Josh Speight – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Takumi Kanaya – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kyle Mendoza – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Adrian Meronk – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jordan Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jeremy Wells – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jared Jones – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Somers – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Larkin Gross – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tracy Phillips – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jon Rahm – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Keita Nakajima – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kazuma Kobori – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- David Puig – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Ryan Van Velzen – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brad Marek – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rich Beem WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Phil Mickelson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Matt Dobyns – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Lucas Herbert – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jason Dufner – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Daly – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Taylor Gooch – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dean Burmester – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
Pullout Albums
- Ping putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Bettinardi covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cameron putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Max Homa – Titleist 2 wood – 2024 PGA Championship
- Scotty Cameron experimental putter shaft by UST – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – new Ping putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka’s new Cameron putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s Cobra bag and Aerojet driver – 2024 PGA Championship
- Super Stroke grip – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tiger Woods – 2024 PGA Championship
- Michael Block’s new TaylorMade “Proto” 7-iron, from address – 2024 PGA Championship
- Odyssey putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
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News
Photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
GolfWRX is live this week at the Wells Fargo Championship as a field of the world’s best golfers descend upon Charlotte, North Carolina, hoping to tame the beast that is Quail Hollow Club in this Signature Event — only Scottie Scheffler, who is home awaiting the birth of his first child, is absent.
From the grounds at Quail Hollow, we have our usual assortment of general galleries and WITBs — including a look at left-hander Akshay Bhatia’s setup. Among the pullout albums, we have a look inside Cobra’s impressive new tour truck for you to check out. Also featured is a special look at Quail Hollow king, Rory McIlroy.
Be sure to check back throughout the week as we add more galleries.
General Albums
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Monday #1
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Akshay Bhatia – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Matthieu Pavon – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Keegan Bradley – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Webb Simpson – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Emiliano Grillo – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Taylor Pendrith – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Kevin Tway – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
Pullout Albums
- New Cobra equipment truck – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rory McIlroy – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- New Cobra equipment truck – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Eric Cole’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Custom Cameron putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Matt Kuchar’s custom Bettinardi – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Justin Thomas – driver change – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rickie Fowler – putter change – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s new custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Tommy Fleetwood testing a TaylorMade Spider Tour X (with custom neck) – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Cobra Darkspeed Volition driver – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying about our Wells Fargo Championship photos in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Brant
Apr 9, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Well written wrap!
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