Where Did Bubba Watson Go? A Two-Time Masters Champ’s Journey from Glory to the Grind
Once upon a time, Bubba Watson ruled golf like a mad scientist with a laughable bucket hat and a pink driver. He wasn’t just a two-time Masters champ; he was a walking highlight reel of unfiltered talent, scratching and clawing his way to epic wins with trick shots, ungodly distance, and the occasional meltdown. Fast forward to today, and Bubba barely makes a ripple in the golfing world. What exactly happened to the goofy genius who practically invented his own style of play?
Bubba is still around, popping up sporadically at events, including the Masters where he managed a respectable T-14 in 2025. But the cosmic energy that once made every round unpredictable has fizzled. His game, once magical, now feels pedestrian. And his jump to LIV Golf? Well, that’s as divisive as pineapple on pizza.
The Rise of Bubba Golf
Rewind to the peak of his powers, and you had Bubba Watson at his bizarre best. Winning the Masters in 2012 and 2014 was just the tip of the iceberg. Bubba’s career wasn’t built on textbook mechanics or calculated decisions. He was instinctive, raw, and utterly fearless. With 12 PGA Tour wins, multiple lead-the-tour-in-driving-distance years, and a whole lot of purple Gatorade coursing through his veins, Bubba turned golf into his own chaotic playground.
He was the guy who pulled off impossible cuts from deep in the woods. The guy who bombed 3-woods over greens while others laid up with irons. Fans didn’t just watch Bubba; they held their breath, knowing something outrageous was always just one swing away.
But golf isn’t baseball; even the wild cards have to tame their game eventually. For Bubba, injuries, diminishing form, and age started to chip away at that dominance. By the late 2010s, his driver didn’t seem as magical, and his putter turned colder than an unbuttered biscuit. His last big PGA Tour win came in 2018, nearly a decade after he first donned the green jacket. And when the offers from LIV Golf came calling, Bubba couldn’t resist hitting the proverbial reset button.
Bubba’s LIV Experiment
When Bubba announced in 2022 he was leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, fans were torn. On one hand, they mourned the exit of a familiar face from the traditional tours. On the other hand, this move promised headlining drama, fat paychecks, and a shake-up of professional golf’s status quo.
Bubba stepped into LIV roles as both player and captain of the Range Goats (yes, that’s their actual name), seemingly poised for a revitalized second act. However, things haven’t quite gone to plan. His 2024 season reads like a litany of mediocrity. Out of 14 events, he cracked the top 20 only twice. Here’s a hard look at some of the numbers:
- Best Finish (2024): T-15 at LIV Las Vegas
- Other Standout Results: T-21 at Mayakoba, T-29 in Hong Kong, T-45 in Singapore
- Worst Finish: 51st in Houston
By the end of the season, Bubba ranked a dismal 53rd in LIV’s individual standings, out of 54 players. Yep, second-to-last. It’s a far cry from his days leading the PGA Tour in driving distance and clutch performances under pressure.
2025 hasn’t exactly been a comeback year either. While he snagged a T-7 at LIV Mexico City, he still missed the cut at the Masters and continued hovering around the middle or bottom of LIV event leaderboards. Here’s a quick rundown of his most recent finishes for context:
- Masters (2025): T-14
- LIV Mexico City: T-7
- LIV Singapore: T-32
- LIV Boston: T-25
What those numbers paint is a pretty clear picture. Bubba isn’t the same player fans marveled at during his Augusta triumphs. The short-game magic has dulled, and his unparalleled distance is no longer an outlier in a sea of long hitters. His performances feel more journeyman than genius.
Bubba’s Statistical Story
If we dig deeper into the stats, the story gets more telling. Over the past few years, here’s where Bubba has struggled most:
- Driving Accuracy: While distance remains serviceable, he’s missing fairways more often, leading to tough recovery spots even for someone as creative as Bubba.
- Greens in Regulation (GIR): Once a reliable iron player, his ability to land on the green consistently has dipped below expectations.
- Putting Strokes Gained: Perhaps the harshest indicator of decline, Bubba has consistently ranked near the bottom when it comes to converting opportunities on the green. Cold putters don’t win tournaments, plain and simple.
- Consistency Across Rounds: Back in the day, Bubba could have one bad nine holes and still scramble his way to contention. Lately, bad stretches seem to snowball, leaving him battling just to stay inside the cut line.
Simply put, the stats confirm what many observers already sense. Bubba’s game lacks the edge it had in his prime. Whether injury, age, or the mental grind of years on tour is to blame, there’s no denying that we’re watching a different version of Bubba Watson than the trailblazer who wowed fans during golf’s marquee moments.
Bubba Beyond the Numbers
While his performance metrics have taken a nosedive, Bubba hasn’t disappeared entirely. He’s still managing and captaining his team in LIV, often talking about finding fresh, young talent to inject life into the Range Goats roster. He’s also remained candid in interviews, frequently joking about the challenges of recruiting players while openly discussing some of the flaws in LIV’s current structure.
Classic Bubba, always cheeky, once even suggested throwing Rory McIlroy a roster spot as a punchline to emphasize how competitive player signings have become. The twinkle in his eye hasn’t dimmed, even if his game has.
Bubba also drops hints that his playing days aren’t necessarily over. He’s noted in interviews that, as team owner, he’s free to place himself in events whenever he pleases. Whether this is wishful thinking or a future surprise remains up in the air, but for now, fans aren’t exactly holding their breath for a Bubba comeback.
What’s Next for Bubba?
Bubba Watson’s story is now one of transition. Gone are the days when “Bubba Golf” ruled the PGA Tour. Today, he’s a mix of mentor, entertainer, and occasional competitor. And while his playing days appear to be on the decline, his legacy as one of golf’s most unique characters remains intact.
Perhaps Bubba’s next act isn’t about piling up wins but about carving out new ways to stay involved in the game. Whether it’s as a coach, team owner, broadcaster, or just the quirky guy on the range testing pink drivers for fun, fans can rest assured Bubba will bring the same unpredictable spirit that’s defined his entire career.
And who knows? Bubba might just have one more miracle shot left in him. Because if anyone can come out of nowhere to pull off the impossible, it’s the guy who made his name doing just that. For now, though, Bubba remains a riddle wrapped in a loud shirt, somewhere in the golf universe, still swinging away.
