WATSON LAUNCHES ‘BUBBAGOLF’
Bubba Watson has still to win a tournament, but he has already launched an apparel range he is hoping will be as big as his booming drive.
Bubba Watson has still to win a tournament, but he has already launched an apparel range he is hoping will be as big as his booming drive.
On June 10, Watson officially launched ‘bubbagolf’, a clothing line that offers over 30 pieces of clothing, including polos, windshirts, pants and shorts, and which will all sell for less than $14.98.
There was not a lot of spare cash when Watson was growing up and he clearly remembers how much of a sacrifice it was for his parents to send him off to tournaments in decent attire.
“My dad worked at a construction site for 32 years to make sure that I could have everything. I want to make it easier for the many parents around America like him,” said Watson, who with an average of 315.3 yards, is currently ranked as the longest driver in US golf this year.
Lead the PGA TOUR in driving distance? Check. Watson has crushed the ball this season, knocking his drives 315.3 yards on average.
Steve & Barry’s, a chain of over 200 stores nationwide that offers less expensive clothing, approached Watson with the idea and he excitedly agreed.
The company has notably worked with NBA star Stephon Marbury on his Starbury line, which features $14.98 basketball sneakers that Marbury himself sports on the court.
They also carry a line of chic but affordable ladies apparel bearing the stamp and label of actress Sarah Jessica Parker
“Anybody that has their name on a clothing line, it’s a special thing and an honor to do, especially for me to do it at an affordable price point, said Watson, who, before signing up with Steve & Barry’s attended the New York City release party for the Starbury shoes found himself being great impressed with chain store’s quality.
“That really blew me out of the water that they’d want to come to me, a guy who is practically a rookie on TOUR, so I said heck yeah. I’ll do it in a heartbeat,”
The 6-foot-3in golf ball bomber says he has always liked his clothes “to have the color pink in them on a Sunday” and although he once admitted proudly to being a redneck, he clearly isn’t afraid to go with softer colours in his style choices.
His clothing line, which Watson has been wearing since the start of the year, will feature lots of baby blues, pinks, lime greens and black, clearly not his favourite colour.
“Some people like black shirts, but I’m not big on that colour,” Watson said.
How involved was he in the design of his range?
“Very much so,” he said at the launch.
“I chose which colors I liked, which designs I liked, which stripe patterns, how many buttons I wanted. Down to every last stitch, I played a part in everything. Picking the tags, everything.”
Watson reaffirmed that the affordable prices suggested to him by Steve & Barry’s had been by far the greatest draw card to getting him involved.
“My mom had a regular job to make more money and my dad worked at a construction site for 32 years to make sure that I could have everything, like newer clothes for golf tournaments. so I didn’t have to wear the same outfits every week and they paid for all of my equipment.
“They really helped me out, but it would have saved them a lot of energy and money if there were more affordable golfing clothes around at that time,” said Watson, who hopes his new range will make it so much easier for people from his hometown to play golf.
The town of Bagdad in Florida where he grew up and Milton High where he went to school also produced current US PGA Tour golfers Heath Slocum and Boo Weekley.
At this moment in time, Watson hasn’t qualified for the British Open but could play his way into the tournament by being the top finisher not otherwise exempt at this week’s US PGA Tour event, the John Deere Classic.
That, seeing sales soar of his ‘Bubagolf’ apparel range and maintaining his position in the FedExCup standings are his biggest priorities right now.
“I’m inside the top 30 and need to play a couple of good weeks coming down the stretch. I’d love to go to the Tour Championship,” Watson said clearly excited by the prospect of getting his hands on the $10 million first prize
“I believe I have the game to do it, I just have to stay focused like I did in the US Open )where he finished 5th) and keep plugging away.”
Watson’s Top-10s in 2007:
T4 Buick Invitational
T8 FBR Open
T2 Shell Houston Open
T5 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
T5 US Open Championship
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