Bubba Watson’s drive lands where drives aren’t supposed to land

Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson hits out of the sand during the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

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The Golden Bear Club at Muirfield Village Golf Club was closed this year. No fans at either the Workday Charity Open two weeks ago or the Memorial last week. No need for the Golden Bear Club’s food and beverage tents. 

Bubba Watson got in. 

During the second round of the Workday, the par-4 14th was playing 318 yards. Watson’s drive went 384. The PGA Tour’s data site does not even show where it lands. The Tour’s website says it went to “unknown.”

The yellow ball was about 3 yards away from a green picnic bench. 

Watson’s caddie, Ted Scott, said the ball hit the cart part to the left of the green, took a bounce and went in the club. Watson and Scott went in, too.     

“310 Hole, Cut Driver + Cart Path equals bounce over giant grandstand, through trees and bushes, into eating area,” Scott wrote on Instagram.

Watson played it from there.

He had 82 yards back to the green. Behind him, eight green picnic benches, a short, white fence and one of the Golden Bear Club’s green tents. In front of him, to his left, part of the tent. In front of him, to his right, trees. Directly in front of him, to where he and Scott believed the pin was, a tan storage container and a white propane tank. Watson was actually playing with fire. 

He played it to within 14 feet. 

“Total guesstimate yardage, total guesstimate pin direction, green slopes away about 4%,” Scott wrote on Instagram. “@bubbawatson hits a ridiculous recovery that lands pin hi somehow and rips back to 25 feet. How does he do this nonsense #Freakshow#workdaycharityopen #pgatour.”

Watson two-putted for par, narrowly missing the birdie putt. He finished 1-over for his round and 8-over over his two rounds and missed the cut. 

The ball was likely done, too. Scott showed on Instagram that it had a large black scuff on it. 

“Love watching the freak show every time I get the chance!” Tony Finau wrote on the Instagram post. “One of the best duos in the game.” 

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Nick Piastowski

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score. You can reach out to him about any of these topics — his stories, his game or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.