Bubba Watson, perhaps a bit addled after taking a couple pies to the face on The Tonight Show Monday, said Tuesday that he would be surprised if Tiger Woods did not play the Masters this year.
Bubba Watson expects Tiger Woods to play the Masters
If he had to bet -- as many suckers will in the days leading up to the Masters -- Bubba Watson would put his money on Tiger Woods playing Augusta come April 9.
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“If I had to bet, if someone made me take a bet, I would say, yes,” Watson, one of not many golf watchers who anticipate a Tiger start at Augusta this year, said on CBS This Morning Tuesday about whether Woods will end his self-imposed hiatus to start the men’s first major of the season on April 9.
“Because it’s the greatest championship we have all year. If he’s not injured, how would he miss it?” said the defending Masters champ, who was in the midst of a whirlwind media trip to New York City to promote the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National on the Sunday before Masters week.
Woods went on leave shortly after withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open on February 5 after 11 holes. With his short game in shambles, the former world No. 1 carded his worst round as a professional, an 82, the week before on his way to a missed cut at the Phoenix Open.
Tiger announced on February 11 that he would step away from competition until his game was “tournament-ready.” After skipping last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational for the second straight year -- this time, though, not because of injury -- the tourney host intimated that he did not expect Woods to make it to Augusta.
Watson, accompanied on the morning program by 10-year-old Kelly Xu, last year’s DC&P girls division champion who will return to Augusta as one of 80 finalists this year, had a different take on why Woods was on sabbatical.
“I think he’s taking some time off to miss the game and get excited about it,” said Watson, who had to miss Arnie’s event because of the death of a friend. “That’s what I’m doing. I take two weeks off before the game.
“This year I had to take off three, but I want to get excited about it,” Watson said, gesturing toward the exuberant Xu. “I want to be like her and get there and be excited about it and fight for that green jacket again.”
Bubba kicked off his Drive, Chip & Putt promotional tour by edging Jimmy Fallon in the inaugural “Pie Golf” championship, but not before being on the receiving end of some January Jones-delivered whipped-cream pastings.
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