Twice Masters champion left hander Bubba Watson and wife Angie are in the process of adopting a baby girl, Dakota, he announced via Twitter today. Their first child, Caleb, was also adopted
Caleb has a brand new baby sister, Dakota. Watson Family is now 4 and we are so blessed! #ABCD
Personal life
Gerry Lester Watson, juniorwas nicknamed "Bubba" by his father after the former American professional football player Bubba Smith. Watson is married to Angela P. "Angie" Watson, née Ball, a 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Canadian whom he met at Georgia University while he was on the golf team and she was on the women's basketball team. They were married in September 2004. In 2009, Angie was diagnosed with an enlarged pituitary gland, which accounts for her height. On their first date, Angie told Bubba that she would be unable to conceive a child.Various family issues, including the illness and death of Watson's
father in 2010, kept them from attempting to adopt until the winter of
2011–12. In March 2012, one week after an adoption of an infant girl fell through at the last moment,Watson and his wife adopted a one-month old baby boy named Caleb.
Watson purchased the mansion in the Isleworth community of Windermere, Florida, that was previously owned by Tiger Woods. In 2013, he was added to the list of Great Floridians by Governor Rick Scott.
GOLF CENTRAL BLOG By NICK MENTA Steve Stricker underwent back surgery on Tuesday to "relieve issues stemming from acute and chronic L5 radiculopathy." The 47-year-old had been experiencing hip and quad problems in 2014 with a bulging disc and took three months off following the PGA Championship. Stricker did play the Hero World Challenge and Franklin Templeton Shootout in December before opting for surgery. The one-hour outpatient procedure was performed at the University of
Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. Stricker will rest and rehab for the next
six weeks and should be able to practise without restriction after
eight weeks. “I’m very excited to get back to practising and competing in
2015 and expect to be 100 percent physically which really excites me,”
he said in a statement. Now a US PGA Tour part-timer, Stricker played only 12 official events in 2014, with his injury further limiting his already limited schedule. “I’ve been limited the last several years and I’m confident the
procedure will allow me to perform at the level I expect from myself,"
he said. "I don’t have a target date for a return to the US PGA Tour at this point, that will very much depend on how my body responds to the surgery and rehab.”
Jack Nicklaus has been colour blind his entire life. The
effects were so severe that he couldn't even distinguish between the
different coloured numbers on leader boards while he was competing.
According to a story from Sports Illustrated, Jack Nicklaus said:
"At
the 18th green, I looked at the leaderboard, and I saw several 1s and
2s. I'm colour-blind, so I said to my caddie, Willie Peterson, 'How many
of those numbers are red?' He said, 'Just you, boss.'"
Jack
is what's known as Red-Green colour blind, which means he can't
distinguish between the two colours. When he sees them -- especially
together, they kind of blend together into a kind of brown.
Having a hard time imagining what that would be like? Well, Buzzfeed put together a good video that describes what it's like:
If you're worried that you might be Red-Green colour blind, you can test yourself online right here. You should, for example, be able to see relatively easily the number that's contained within the circle below...
By DOUG FERGUSON Here's a new tradition unlike any other – the race to see if the Masters can keep its field under 100 players by April. For the fourth time in the last five years, at least 90 players
already have qualified for the Masters at the end of the year with three
months of opportunities remaining before the field is set. Each time,
Augusta National managed to achieve its objective of keeping the number
of competitors in double digits. By far the smallest field of the four majors, the Masters has not had more than 100 players since 1966. That's what Augusta National prefers. Club chairmen have talked about
a small field creating a better experience. Remember, the original name
of the Masters was the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. But if the last eight months were any indication, this could be the closest call yet. Of the 90 players who are eligible and expected to compete, 17 earned invitations by winning US PGA Tour events that award full FedEx Cup
points. That's up from 12 a year ago, a reminder not only that winning
is difficult for everyone but that the US PGA Tour is stronger and deeper
than ever. There are 13 chances for players not already in the Masters to win a
full US PGA Tour event and get in. And because the Match Play Championship
has been moved from its traditional late February slot, top
international players such as Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott are not expected to play much (if at all) before the Florida swing. The other way to qualify is to move into the top 50 in the world ranking published on March 30. Among those on the outside is Brandt Snedeker (No. 58) from the US PGA Tour. Tommy Fleetwood (51), Alexander Levy (53) and Francesco Molinari (55) are also outside the top 50, though they will face some of the European Tour's stronger fields during the Middle East swing. Also, the Masters had created a new spot for the winner of the Latin
America Amateur Championship, to be played in January in Argentina. A year ago, 90 players were eligible after the first cu-toff in
December. Seven players not already eligible won US PGA Tour events, and Stephen Gallacher was added from the world ranking. Then again, one spot was reduced when Tiger Woods had back surgery a week before the Masters. This year? Stay tuned. It starts with the Tournament of Champions at
Kapalua, a field that includes four players who won before last year's
Masters - Scott Stallings, Matt Every, Steven Bowditch and Matt Jones - and are not yet eligible at Augusta. . t
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS A highly-focused Stephen Gallacher has
set his sights on making more history with a third successive win when
the Omega Dubai Desert Classic gets under way at Emirates Golf Club from
January 29-February 1.
Although South African great Ernie Els has won the title on three
occasions (1994, 2002 and 2005), the record of making it two on the
bounce has eluded the field since the inception of the longest-running
European Tour event in the region in 1989 until last year when Gallacher
successfully defended his crown. The amiable Scot, who is also a golf in DUBAi ambassador, has put
himself within touching distance of completing a hat-trick of titles
after an “incredible 2014,” which saw the Bathgate ace make a winning
Ryder Cup debut at Gleneagles, rise to number 35 in the world and win
over $2 million in prize money. CONFIDENCE HIGH With his confidence on a new high, Gallacher believes an early
success in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, fondly referred to as the
“Major of the Middle East,’ will put him on course for even better
results as he gives the final touches to his schedule for 2015 with
fitness being high on the agenda. “I love Dubai, I love the tournament and it will be great to repeat
the success, but I not getting ahead of myself. I hope to play well
again and see where that leaves me,” said the 40-year-old Scot, who
is spending hours in the gym to stay fit physically and mentally. “To defend the title in 2014, which was the 25th anniversary of the
event, was special with all the former champions in the field. Dubai is
one of my favourite stops on the European Tour because there is always a
lot of strength at the top of the field,” said Gallacher, whose recent
record at the tournament makes an impressive 10th, 2nd, 1st and 1st
reading. “It’s a great honour to be part of the ‘golf in DUBAi’ family of
ambassadors. They have done a tremendous job in raising the golfing
profile of this brilliant city. They’re lovely people and look after us
so well.” THREE EUROPEAN TOUR WINS A nephew of former Ryder Cup player and captain Bernard Gallcher, Stephen was born in 1974 at Dechmont (two miles west of Uphall in West Lothian). He has achieved three
wins on the European Tour since turning professional in 1995, enjoyed a
glittering amateur career which saw him win the Scottish match play and
stroke play titles as well as the European Amateur Championship before
turning professional in 1995 and winning a Tour card in his first
attempt the same year. Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, said:
“Stephen is a world-class player, one whose hard word has paid off in
spades as his recent achievements suggest. Like everyone, we are really
impressed by his constant quest for high performance. “A likeable character on and off the golf course, Stephen is doing great work
through his foundation to help junior players maximize their potential
through playing golf, at the same time encouraging a healthy lifestyle,
while teaching them discipline, honesty and the joys of the game. “We look forward to welcoming our defending champion back and hope that his visit will be rewarding once again.”
