MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 10, 2024

Bubba Watson

Quick Quotes

Q. So just to first and foremost, a par-3 is such a cool opportunity for you to spend some quality time with your family in this way. How much fun was it out there?

BUBBA WATSON: It's a dream come true. Now that they're getting older they can hit shots, we can have? Fun with it.

And then being out there with a legend, Ben Crenshaw, what an honor that he signed you up with me. Jason had to withdraw for the par-3 today.

It was fun getting out there with him and just spending time with him. He's a guy I looked up to. Him having his grandson there, it's pretty special that the kids can interact and cheer him on as well.

Q. Speaking of the kids, taking a few moments to be able to sign autographs, how special an opportunity do you think it is for everyone here, especially those kids to know they have an opportunity to at least be around Bubba Watson?

BUBBA WATSON: I don't know how fun it is to be around me. I know there are some greats, some great champions around here, great players around here.

So they're excited. This is the Kids' Zone where we all know they're going to be. To be here, to watch all the families, the smiles on parents' faces, I know they're golfers, but the parents are having the most blast.

Even the parents behind the ropes and parents inside the ropes are having the most fun of anybody.

Q. Looking forward to tomorrow, knowing that this is going to change a little bit, are these conversations you're having with your caddie a little bit, about knowing how the course has been playing last couple days during the practice round and maybe things might switch a little bit for tomorrow; getting ready for that?

BUBBA WATSON: Yeah, you know, it's one of those things where schools have been shut down preparing in Alabama, so that means it's coming this direction. Who knows how bad it'll be because we don't know until we wake up.

You know, it's one of those things where it's going to be tough for everybody because there is four hours of tee times before me, four and a half hours before me, so they're going to have to battle it.

Hopefully we'll get it in on time. We're going to have a beautiful Sunday to finish. Hopefully the weather is not too bad so everybody can be safe.

Golf course is the last thing we're really focused on right now, because it's just going to -- 24 hours until I tee off. We'll figure out the golf course then.

Q. Being able to prepare for all the unknown variables, your past success here, do you think that has helped out put you in a position to be able to adapt to some of those changes knowing how this course plays?

BUBBA WATSON: Yeah, you know, obviously playing in November as well, you know, you can see how soft the golf course can play. So you get used to that. Or you remember that.

And you try to take it all in just because I think this is my 16th year so you try to take all the knowledge that we have for 16 years and try to put it all together.

You know, it doesn't help sometimes, but sometimes it does obviously. If you're not striking the ball well really doesn't matter how much knowledge you have.

Q. It's been ten years since the Eisenhower tree has been no more. Did you have any run-ins with that tree?

BUBBA WATSON: Early enough my career I was long enough I didn't have to worry about that tree. Obviously it's a tree that everybody remembers, especially the people that have been coming here for years.

You know, there is a plaque. I think the members got a plaque. Maybe past champions got a plaque from that tree is it's an honor to have that up in my house to remember the tree and history and be part of it.

I became a past champion right before that happened. It was like losing a member of this club, and so being a part of an honorary membership of this club, it's cool to have that plaque and memories.

Yeah, these younger generations don't know the tree, don't even remember the tree. So it's one of those things where it's just the people that have been here to so many years remember the tree.

Q. I think everyone could hit it over it now if it was still there.

BUBBA WATSON: I don't say everyone. Some of us are getting older. There are some past champions that have to play around or would have to play around it.