Unpopular Bubba in danger of being Ryder Cup outcast
BUBBA WATSON was once voted the most disliked player on the PGA Tour and yesterday he discovered just how few friends he has.
The world’s seventh-ranked golfer was overlooked for a wildcard when American Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III named Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and JB holmes on his team for the match at hazeltine in just over a fortnight.
Watson could yet make it to Minneapolis, however, as Love has one more wildcard to deliver on the Sunday before the Ryder Cup.
That will be following the Tour Championship in Atlanta, where the twice Masters champion will need another stunning performance in the state of Georgia to catch Love’s eye.
The truth, though, is he can have few complaints given a form rating that shows not a single top-10 finish on the PGA Tour since March.
As for his Ryder Cup pedigree, that is all based around his admittedly enjoyable first-shot routine, where he invites the crowd to cheer rather than stand in silence. The trouble is that he usually flatters to deceive thereafter, with five losses in his last seven matches.
That said, his claims were every bit as valid as those of Fowler, who is equally out of form and will not even be at the Tour Championship, having failed narrowly to make the top 30.
Furthermore, the charismatic Californian is the only player in the history of the Ryder Cup to play eight matches without winning one.
The difference is Fowler is a popular figure in the team room, and could team up with a number of possible playing partners. By contrast, Watson’s idiosyncratic game and personality leaves him with few takers.
Olympic bronze medallist Kuchar was the one certainty, following a consistent summer, while holmes is rewarded for his top-three finish at The Open and strong showing at the BMW Championship last week.
The big hitter is also one of the few current Americans to have played in the Ryder Cup and not tasted defeat, since his only appearance came in the victory at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky back in 2008.