Bubba Watson is one of the most interesting figures in golf in recent years. He stands out not just as a lefty, but someone who plays the game in a mix of modern and throwback styles, hitting it far but also shaping every shot in order to attack pins. His escape from the trees en route to winning the 2010 Masters is one of the greatest shots hit this century.
Two practice days down @TheSolheimCup. @Inverness_Club is in great shape. It’s going to be a great stage for the matches between @SolheimCupUSA @SolheimCupEuro! #SolheimCup #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/PJrlwVn93v
— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) September 2, 2021
Watson clearly loves the game. He's a fixture at Drive, Chip and Putt finals at Augusta National. This week, he's hanging out at the Solheim Cup, having made himself available to captain Pat Hurst and her dozen American players. They will no doubt handle themselves well regardless, but it doesn't hurt to have access to a resource like Watson who knows a thing or two about team golf, having played in four Ryder Cups and two Presidents Cups himself. Watson also took part in a pre-Solheim Cup celebrity match yesterday.
It's odd that Watson is the only PGA Tour player making a noted appearance surrounding the Solheim Cup. At least 30 of his colleagues have a good excuse this week: the Tour Championship. But why is Watson the sole ambassador for men's golf and its considerable aura at Inverness?
At a time when the European Tour and Australian Tour have popular competitive spaces for female and male golfers to share, the American tours have done nothing of the sort since the last offseason Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge back in 2013. Why? Watson's public support for women's golf should not feel like such an outlier in 2021. The women's game has gained impressively in popularity lately; it's time for the PGA Tour to do what it can to compound that momentum.
I am sure the other big name golfers are busy with their own personal games ...