Spring is only just here, and arguably golf's biggest prize of the year has been claimed. And seriously, is there a more likable guy out there than Bubba Watson to take home Augusta's green jacket?
For crying out loud, the guy even celebrated his second Masters win in three years with a fancy dinner at none other than Waffle House, tweeting, "Champ dinner @WaffleHouse! #hashbrowns #covered." (Via Twitter / @bubbawatson)
Bubba even had the child factor everyone loves working for him.
Watson seemingly got just as many headlines for the win as tearfully picking up and hugging his adopted son Caleb once he had the 18th hole clinched. (Via The Huffington Post, College Spun, CBS)
He talked a lot about the boy in interviews Sunday night about what's changed since his first Masters win. (Via ESPN)
BUBBA WATSON: "I want to be a role model for him. I don't want him to look up to anybody else. I want him to look up to me, and so I had to change my attitude. I had to change my life the way I was going about it. Not a lot, but just a little bit. Just to get better." (Via ESPN)
CORRESPONDENT: "My understanding is he's never really had a lesson. He obviously taught himself. He can hit any shot. ... And with Tiger out, you need a guy like this winning. It's good for golf."
ANCHOR: "It's great for golf." (Via MSNBC)
Comparisons to Tiger Woods, a family man and someone who'll spend a few bucks on covered hash browns and waffles in favor of steak and lobster. In a sport fighting a never-ending battle to separate itself from an expensive and elitist stereotype, who doesn't love a chance for golf's champion to be closer to an everyman? Well, golf, for one.
As big as any Masters winner headline can get, the runner-up would've made for a bigger story than Watson. At just 20, Jordan Spieth would've given golf its youngest Masters champion ever breaking Tiger's record set when Spieth was still a toddler. (Via CBS)
SB Nation also points to a few of Watson's detractors. Bubba hasn't won fans' love much over the last year with the treatment of his caddy, at times yelling at him or publicly calling him out on missed shots.
Then last year after Jason Collins became the first openly gay player in the NBA, Watson pointed to his Christianity while both criticizing the move and saying he loved Collins.
"I'm not saying he's wrong; I'm saying I love him. If he called me right now and said, 'Hey,' or any person that was gay called me, I'd go to dinner with them any time. It's just my belief system on the Bible says you can't be gay. That's a sin. So somebody living in sin I believe to be wrong." (Via The Christian Post)
As is typically the case in these biggest stage-type wins, the player's background — no matter how positive or negative — is just that. Background.
BUBBA WATSON: "It's a dream to win, and winning any tournament is a big deal. Winning the green jacket is a little bit bigger deal. So yeah, I'm going to cry because, I mean, why me? Why Bubba Watson from Bagdad, Florida?" (Via Golf.com)
Well, Bubba, as one writer for Golf.com put it, "Watson didn’t ask it, but the better question was how many he’ll win."
