Professional golfer Bubba Watson sometimes comes off like a fun-loving guy who just likes to play golf for a living, but the big-hitting lefty can be, well, a bit of a whiner. He was back to acting like a brat on Tuesday as he prepared for this weekend’s PGA Championship.
The PGA’s best took to Valhalla Golf Club for a practice round Tuesday, but there was a little bit of a wrinkle thrown in. Players at the par-5 10th hole — which measures an astounding 590 yards — were asked to participate in a long drive contest as part of their rounds. The tournament was for charity.
Watson, who hits the ball as far as anyone on the Tour, didn’t like that idea. According to Watson — who hit a drive 424 yards earlier this season — he was too worried about practicing and learning the golf course to take part in a silly little long drive contest.
“I’m not going to do it,” he told GolfChannel.com last week. “I’m there to play golf, not to hit it far. I’ve got to practice. I’ve never been to the course. I don’t need to worry about a long drive on the 10th hole.”
So when it was Watson’s turn to take the tee at the 10th, he pulled a 3-iron out of his bag. He quickly hit the tee shot and walked off the tee box before his playing partner even had a chance to tee off.
Of course, it will probably be in Watson’s best interest to his hit driver on 10 this week, considering he’s first in driving distance this season. So if he’s so worried about practicing, it’s a little peculiar that he didn’t, you know, actually practice the shot he’ll likely be hitting this weekend.
This is far from the first time Watson has acted like a dink on or around the golf course. Watson was in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after he was caught blasting his caddy during a tournament in 2013. Watson also complained earlier this summer about the media and how many people were in the fairways at the British Open — where he missed the cut. Additionally, Watson had an ugly interaction with a fan back in February at Riviera, a tournament he actually went on to win.
And unfortunately for Bubba, the Internet doesn’t forget.
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(Hat tip to USA TODAY For The Win, SB Nation)
