Bubba Watson says he has been overwhelmed by the warm welcome he has received at this week’s BNI Indonesian Masters, revealing that the locals have ‘blessed me with open arms” in Jakarta.
The famous lefthander and two-time Masters champion is visiting Indonesia for the first time, for the seventh tournament on The International Series, the set of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, and is trying to win his first title in six years.
His cause will no doubt have been helped by being made to feel at home.
“Any time you travel to a new place you don’t know what to expect,” said the American, who turns 46 next week.
“They have blessed me with open arms this week. It has been amazing so far, it has only been a couple of days. They love us so much, treat us so kindly, I could not ask for a better opportunity to play golf. I am just amazed by the smiles, the energy, the care and dedication to make this feel special here.”
Watson has been a frequent visitor to the Asian Tour during his 22-year professional career and has come close to victory here on a number of occasions.
He has finished runner-up on the Asian Tour twice, at the Thailand Golf Championship in 2012, where he tied for second, and the PIF Saudi International two years ago.
However, he pointed out that the courses here in the region do not need really fit his style of play.
“I looked at the [winning] number last year, 24 under. I was like ‘I am not sure I can get to 24 under’.
“Golfing in Asia the greens are a little smaller, the fairways are smaller, they are tighter. It is a different kind of golf to what we are used to. We have bigger golf courses in America. You can hit driver in a lot of places. In Asia you have some tricky holes. That’s not the way I grew up playing. I hit driver everywhere. In Asia the golf course always beats me.”
Watson, who is currently captain of RangeGoats GC on the LIV Golf League, also revealed at the tournament’s pre-event press conference today that he is aiming to have his two children travel with him in the years ahead.
He explained: “I am actually looking at having my kids home schooled so they can travel with me and see the world. We have been talking about that a lot for next year. I want my kids to be able to experience what I have experienced. See different cultures, different parts of the world.”
And later when asked what his favourite Indonesian food is, he playfully replied: “French fries.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
