Gerry "Bubba" Watson (born November 5, 1978) is an
American professional golfer. Watson is one of the few
left-handed golfers on tour and is known for his tremendous length. The longest driver on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards and is capable of generating a ball speed of 194 mph, being one of the few players who can hit a ball over 350 yards. He has been featured in the top 10 of the
Official World Golf Rankings.
Amateur career
Watson was born in
Bagdad, Florida. At Milton High School in Florida, he played on the same high school golf team as fellow PGA Tour members
Heath Slocum and
Boo Weekley. He played golf for
Faulkner State Community College in
Alabama, where he was a junior college
All-American. After that he played golf at the
University of Georgia in 2000 and 2001. While at Georgia, he helped lead the Bulldogs to a
Southeastern Conference Championship in 2000.
Professional career
Watson turned professional in 2003 and joined the
Nationwide Tour where he would play until 2005. He finished 21st on the Nationwide Tour's money list in 2005, making him the last player to qualify for the 2006
PGA Tour. As a rookie on the
PGA Tour, he earned $1,019,264 (90th overall) and led the PGA Tour in driving distance (319.6 yards). His longest ever drive on the...
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