Bubba Watson was back at it on the first tee of the Ryder Cup, and it appears he’s carving out his own tradition. Watson memorably requested that the crowd at Medinah in 2012 actually cheer as he addressed the ball and get louder as he took his first swing on the first tee. Ian Poulter responded by encouraging the away crowd in Chicago to keep the noise up for his first swing.
Bubba Watson fires up crowd on Ryder Cup 1st tee, rips drive in the roar
We have a recreation of the scene from the first tee two years ago, thanks to Bubba Watson.
Playing an away game this time, Bubba couldn’t resist as the crowd roared when his name was announced. So he had to ask them to keep it up.
He pulled the Hulk Hogan hand-to-the-ear maneuver and let them just go right through his first swing. Unfortunately for Bubba, his drive went left and landed in a brutal lie in some of the thicker rough at the Centenary Course
He would, however, blast out of the rough and get up on the green. He two-putted for par to preserve a halve and avoid a disastrous opening hole -- one that featured the starter confusing Webb Simpson for Bubba, and Simpson popping up a tee shot that barely made the fairway.
