Bubba Breaks Through at Travelers

Bubba Watson had a lot to think about during a three-way playoff at the 2010 Travelers Championship Sunday.

He thought about which club to hit, how the wind was blowing, and most of all he thought about his father, who is suffering from cancer.  "We don't know how long he's got," Watson said about his father.  "Any time I got around the lead, that's all I thought about."

Watson said his arms were numb as he lined up a putt on the second playoff hole on the 16th green at the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell.

It was a near miracle that he got into a playoff at all.  Watson began the day six shots behind the 54-hole leader Justin Rose.  But Rose faded late in the day, and ended up shooting a 5-over 75, taking himself out of contention.

Watson actually led the tournament alone at 15-under as he walked off the 16th green earlier in the day.  But his tee shot at 17 found a fairway bunker, and it went downhill from there.  Watson topped his approach out of the bunker, sending it into the famed lake on the signature hole at the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell.  He took a double bogey and seemed to be done.

But his drive on 18 hit the cart path that dissects the fairway, and his ball came to rest about 50 yards from the green.  He made birdie and got himself into the playoff at 14-under along with Scott Verplank and Corey Pavin.

On the first playoff hole, Watson hit his approach on 18 to an inch from the cup, but watched as Scott Verplank sank an eight-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff.

The next playoff hole sent the players back to the par-three 16th, where Scott Verplank missed the green, and then left his chip about 10 feet short.  Verplank missed the putt, meaning Watson needed a two-putt for par and the victory.  He did just that, giving the Florida native his first ever PGA Tour win.

As he rode a golf cart back to the 18th green for the trophy presentation, Watson called his father, who had been watching the playoff on television.  "There's no words, there were just tears," Watson said of the brief conversation.  "We just said 'I love you'.  That's the only words we got out."

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