Why the Bubba love-fest?

This has been discussed on the old 606 and also mentioned a couple of times on the WGC matchplay thread. It seems that the general consensus of opinion is that Bubba can do no wrong, is wonderful for golf etc etc ad nauseum

Personally, I don't get it. People like his "heart on the sleeve" attitude, his never say die swashbuckling and seem to compare him to some bizarre cross between Seve, Big Phil and Tiger.

To me, a lot of the time, he is potential train-wreck TV. His play yesterday was just awful in the 3rd/4th place play off, spraying shots all over the place and making some rather dubious shot choices.

Is he loved for his entertainment value? I find it almost embarassing at times watching him. Sure, when it comes off he plays some stunning shots, but a lot of the time he just makes himself look a bit silly.

Also, maybe it's my "stiff upper lip" Britishness coming out, but I can't warm to this "emotional openness" that seems to be becoming his trademark.

Am I the only one getting a little sick of the Bubba express?

Never liked his golf and never will.

Phew - so I'm not alone then!

Care to expand on that though LJ? Purely from the POV of debate of course

For me I think he's great for the game. He's just so different in everything from his clothes, his demeanour and of course that crazy swing which bares no resemblance to anything ever been taught. I think he makes the potential golfer think 'if he can do it maybe I can'.

None of the pundits can tell what shot he's trying to do, even though they llike to think so. You have to admire the bloke because he can move the ball left or right through the air much more than any other player. he has a great short game and can putt. He maybe happy Gilmour but you have to admire his skill level, even if you hate his technique

Davie wrote:Phew - so I'm not alone then!

Care to expand on that though LJ? Purely from the POV of debate of course

Part of it is the americans all having a bit of a handshandy anytime he hits a good shot... The other part is there is no control or precision in his game. To me it's all about trying to hit it as hard as he can every single time he stands up to it.

And he looks like he rolled out of bed wearing the same clothes he was out clubbing in last night as well.

I quite like him.

Not particularly for his golf. It is a bit of a train wreck waiting to happen and whilst that can be entertaining, i could just watch videos of myself for that!

I just like his demeanor. Seems to be a pretty average bloke who doesn't take himself too seriously. The opposite of some of the others we moan about.
When he's not shouting at Steve Elkington that is!
I do wonder if that will change once he goes off the boil. I wouldn't be surprised if it did as he does seem to have a temper under the jokey side.

I have to say though, i don't buy this stuff about him being able to move the ball both ways. I'm not sure there's much control over it is there? It looks to me like he slices the diver and hooks his irons. Ok he's learned to get the best out of it - helped by hitting it so far - but that's not quite the same as being able to 'shape' shots like no other....

I'm sure that I read an interview with him last year that talked about how he has ADHD which is why he plays some ridiculous shots in that it is the only thing that can keep his interest during a 5 1/2hr round.

I don't really love or hate him but and struggle to see how people do either. He's quite entertaining but not enough to make you dote on him and doesn't really do anything to make you not like him.

I think it probably points more to the current transition in US golf in that the "old guard" of Woods, Mickelson, Furyk etc are not performing and the youngsters are still finding their way so they are now looking to personality which is something us Brits have been doing for a long time.

I think it is mainly because he is a little different from the army of (particularly US) identikit golfers out there now. Swings a bit different and seems most of the time to play with a smile on his face, again unlike some others.

Wouldn't say I am involved with a love in, but I think he is refreshing to watch.

And wasn't expecting him to look like that, when the news first cane through that there was a new long hitting golfer coming throught the ranks called Bubba Watson!!!

Let's face it... just being called 'Bubba' is enough of a reason for the Customs people to arrest him at Heathrow and perform a cavity search.

what a stupid name... Bloody yanks and their opinions on what is an acceptable name to call a child.

We've been mentioning players endoresements etc, but did you notice the watch he was wearing. £575k watch given to him ...... No watch is worth that much, but the guy who made it is making only 38 so is creating an exclusive niche market for himself. He's hoping to net himself £21.75m by selling the rest.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/Bubba-Watson-and-the-half-million-dollar-watch?urn=golf-326791

Matt Kuchar was also sporting a white watch, but it looked like a cheap Baby G

I think Bubba is fantastic, I would agree with LJ that he doesn't appear to play with a great deal of control, but the entertainment value he offers is superb and that being said he has apparently worked a heck of alot during the off-season on his short-play and esspecially putting.

Where we've had Tigers tantrums/club dropping et al occurring more frequently over the past few years seeing someone out there playing for what looks to be the love of nailing the ball as hard as he possibly can with "the old wooden stick" is great. He'll never have a swing like Ernie/Rory/Phil but I just can't help but enjoy the unpredictablility he brings.

For those whom do like him (...maybe even those whom don't like him) I thoroughly recommend looking at some of his exhibition shots on YouTube.

Doc wrote:We've been mentioning players endoresements etc, but did you notice the watch he was wearing. £575k watch given to him ...... No watch is worth that much, but the guy who made it is making only 38 so is creating an exclusive niche market for himself. He's hoping to net himself £21.75m by selling the rest.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/Bubba-Watson-and-the-half-million-dollar-watch?urn=golf-326791

Matt Kuchar was also sporting a white watch, but it looked like a cheap Baby G

Not sure about the love-fest but pretty pants watch though. Yuck.

I don't particularly like or dislike him, but I can't see how he can compete on some of the tree lined courses on the PGA tour if he needs to move the ball so far sideways.

Agree about his YouTube stuff, it does make good viewing, but as for down to earth - wearing a $575k watch, chipping into his swimming pool?

"as for down to earth - wearing a $575k watch, chipping into his swimming pool?"

A really good point to be fair SJ!

Whilst I wouldn't say I'm part of the 'love in'. It's clear he's a talented golfer who offers something different to other players.

I found some of the comments above quite strange, about how he can't control the ball or may struggle on tree lined courses. It makes him sound like a bit part player when in fact this is a player who has been in the top 20, has a couple of recent wins and has finished in relatively high positions in each of the four majors.

I also can't see the link between the value of a watch or presence of a swimming pool from unable to be down to earth. You can be successful, have money to enjoy nice stuff but still be humble and pleasant when talking/interacting with others.

Well, initial impressions can be quite lasting - the first time I think I saw him on TV was a couple of years ago, when he took some time out to talk to an adopted(?) kid in his cart during the Wendy's charity end-of-year PGA v LPGA event. He seemed a decent enough bloke, and struck me as being endearingly childlike himself. From what I've read since, it seems he puts his recent success down to bringing that fun attitude with him when he's in competition rather than taking it too seriously...

... but I wouldn't blame him if he felt like stomping on Martin Kaymer's nice new scarf a few times if the German beats him again in a big play-off type situation.

I go into the camp of really liking him. Not for his dress sense (why button the top button up), not for his hair or his crying when he wins. Not even for his name. I love watching him smash the ball when every instinct says just stick it down the middle and straight. When he won at the Farmers recently seemingly playing driver on every hole including dog legs he was great to watch. The amazing part was that he pulled the shots off. His second to the 18th at Kapalua. Wow. That is some ability he has.

I also love watching the likes of Luke Donald manage his way round with a rigid swing so I guess for me I like the contrast and the fact that golf can be played in different ways. And his is one that just looks like a bloke going out there and ripping it.

I can also see how people who marvel at golf for different reasons don't get it

I expect that his is a swing that will fail more often than others but you have to love the difference. And his You Tube stuff is fun.

On that note, just off to You Tube to find the Kapalua shot.

Does anyone know the reason why he uses a pink shaft on that driver. Is it a breast cancer thing, some sort of fashion statement, which isn't going to set pulses racing amongst many men, or something else

Doc wrote:Does anyone know the reason why he uses a pink shaft on that driver. Is it a breast cancer thing, some sort of fashion statement, which isn't going to set pulses racing amongst many men, or something else

The shaft is actually a TT Bi-Matrix shaft. I'm a little dubious about these myself but he seems to use it fairly effectively... As for why it's pink his PGA Tour profile says he uses a pink shaft in and around some information about his green beret father... but nothing to say if it's something to do with that (referencing the lesser known college co-ed camoflage pattern the green berets are known to favour in girlies dorm rooms) or just a personal preference.

This is from his Twitter Q & A that I found. I think I read that he was trying shafts and happened to find that a pink one really worked and he decided he likes it so they make what he wants in pink.

PGATOUR: @bubbawatson From @jmick414: Is there any significance to the pink shaft on your driver or is it just for fun?
Bubba Watson: @pgatour & @jmick414- no significance for the pink shaft it's just for fun.

I love him! A standout and fun to watch. I wouldnt mind his short game either.

http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,2045794,00.html?cid=feed-tours_news-20110203-2045794

Lairdy wrote:I love him! A standout and fun to watch. I wouldnt mind his short game either.

http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,2045794,00.html?cid=feed-tours_news-20110203-2045794

Interesting article. I wonder how many top tour players wouldn't be able to tell those things, though?

Pity the poor child whose parents not only dress him in 'knickers' (plus fours) but also saw fit to christen their boy 'Crimson' (see comments after the article)

I'm sure most other Tour players can tell those things but for someone who has clearly very little interest in the complex world of club specs and who many percieve has having little control over his game it's a bit impressive.

I like his attitude too. Plenty worse things in this world than hitting a bad golf shot.

Why is it whenever I watch Bubba I get reminded of the villains in the old Scooby Do cartoon?

"I'd have been OK if it wasn't for those pesky kids!"

Bubba does diary type show each week on Inside the PGA tour (weekly magazine show on sky) he gave an interview a few weeks back regarding the pink shaft in the build up to the Accenture Matchplay in which he said he was at the PING Tour bus and asked them if he could have the latest driver with a Pink shaft to which one of the Club fitters replied "Who are you" (this was before Bubba was big) and Bubba had to explain he was a Ping tour player and he said the fitter was unconvinced still so Bubba made him a bet that if he could hit the club designed by the fitter over 330yards carry that the guy would have to make him the Pink shafted clubs and if he couldn't well then he had to have standard colours. The fitter took the and duly lost and bubba got his wish. Well that's all according to bubba!

His wife recently became club champion at her course breaking the women's course record so some talent their too.

But have to say for all the fun of seeing him hit controlled 120yard slices. I find him uncomfortable to watch a little to much emotion for me. Yes after his dads passing and his subsequent win that's fair. But it seems to be emotion all the time and it gets tedious for me seeing the american media drool over this latest darling that's not even a top 10 player he's had a decent start to the year but then for me isn't in the same class as Watney or DJ for that who I think will be around a lot longer. But if he is helping rasie the games profile then that's not a bad thing

I read on PGATOUR.com that he donated $50,000 to the Tsunami fund, as did KJ Choi. Fair play to him for that.

I've always liked watching him and some of the crazy shots he can pull off, is awesome. I think he's great for the game as he's different, but can uderstand people like Mav who cringe at some of his shots, but thats only because he breaks the mould and no amount of swing mechanical tech' speak will change him.

I would like to have a bet with him that he couldn't copy my swing, and that he'd probably scratch his head and say 'you got it man, thats yours'

I like his golf, but as he's a God-botherer he makes it on my list to

AVOID! AVOID! AVOID!

Personally I think he is great. Never know what is going to happen when he is on the course. Saw him at the Celtic Manor for the Ryder Cup practice day and I have never seen a ball struck like it.

Made the other players look like hackers.

Have a look on youtube for his altercation with Steve Elkington. Highly amusing!

I also kind of like him. He brings something different to the game.