“I never had a dream go this far,” said Master’s champion Bubba Watson late Sunday night after he had pulled off one of golf’s most thrilling and memorable comebacks, beating Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa in a rare playoff climax.
For Watson, the 14th different pro golfer to become a major champion in as many tournaments, it was all about accomplishing his dream of donning the famous green jacket and clutching his mother in his big, bear-like arms seconds after knocking in a short putt for the victory.
“That hug contained her hard work; it was a silent thank you for everything she has done for me,” Watson said in an interview as the sun set behind him at Augusta National in Georgia, the same state he attended school. “It’s like a dream come true.”
It was an emotional day headlined by two shots that will be remembered forever amongst golf fans. The first came from Oosthuizen, whose rare double-eagle, better known as an albatross, on the second hole was lost in the commotion of a fantastically heated playoff.
It was the first double-eagle Oosthuizen had made in his life, and only the fourth in the 76-year history of this major; however, he was unable to overcome the excitement of that early moment and ended up watching as Watson perfected a shot he didn’t know existed.
“It was tough after that double-eagle,” said Oosthuizen. “When something happens like that, it’s tough to get your head around that.”
On what ended up being the final hole of the tournament, Watson delivered the shot of the day when he struck his ball out of a nest of pine needles on the second extra shot of the playoff, hooking it some 40 yards onto the elevated green. To put the mastery of the shot into perspective, Watson couldn’t even see where it was going; neither could his opponent.
“I had no idea where he was,” Oosthuizen said. “Where I stood from, when the ball came out, it looked like a curve ball. Unbelievable shot. That shot he hit definitely won him the tournament.”
Watson becomes the 11th first-time major winner in the last 12 tournaments. He is a colorful figure-literally, as he uses a pink club-in a sport that seems to be booming with them. His inspiration during the final round at Augusta wasn’t only his mother; rather, it was every aspect of his life, including his newly adopted baby boy, Caleb, as well as his recently deceased father.
“Thoughts about life-dad, wife, new baby-that’s what I was fighting,” said Watson. “I told myself to keep focus and keep fighting.”
The 33-year-old birdied four holes in a row on the back nine in what will be remembered as one of the most remarkable individual performances of all time.In a weekend that was hyped up to be about Tiger Woods’ resurgence, it was Watson who stole the show and reminded a nation full of spectators its all about composure, perseverance and imagination.
He never dreamt of himself going this far, but he was able to on Sunday on a magical day that will live on forever.
And because of his performance, and the moment, golf has converted this previously uninterested observer into a lifelong fan, who will always have an everlasting memory of the day in which dreams came true at Augusta.
