June 27, 2010

Being known as the longest driver on the PGA Tour was nice, but PING pro Bubba Watson always wanted more. He finally got it by winning the Travelers Championship in a thrilling two-hole playoff. For Watson, a four-time runner up, the victory came in improbable fashion. Trailing by six entering the final round, he fired a 66 that included birdies on three of the last four holes – including the 18th – to earn a spot in a three-man playoff.

The win ended a five-year quest for Watson, who currently leads the PGA Tour Driving Distance category and has won it three other times in his career.

On the first extra hole at the TPC River Highlands he nearly holed his second shot for eagle but it rolled over the edge leaving him a few inches for birdie. One of his competitors holed his birdie effort to send them to the par-3 16th where Watson ended it with a two-putt par.

His first-place check of $1,080,000 moved him to 13th on the money list. He’s also 13th in Ryder Cup standings.

Getting to the playoff was a typical roller coaster ride for the highly-emotional Watson. After a birdie at the 16th gave him the lead, he double-bogeyed the 17th hole to fall one shot back of the clubhouse lead. Needing birdie for any hope of a playoff, he blasted a 396-yard drive with his G15 driver to set up a 52-yard approach shot. He tucked that shot within five feet of the hole and then calmly stroked the putt into the middle of the cup to get to 14-under-par. It was his third birdie of the week on the final hole.

In addition to leading the field in driving for the week with an average of 321 yards, he was tied for fourth in number of putts. He used his Redwood Anser putter in recording 27 putts each day. The rest of his bag included a G15 4-wood, S59 irons and three Tour-W wedges.