Why Bubba is grateful to Rose

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July 8, 2010

Bubba Watson is hugely thankful to Justin Rose for the way he helped him book a ticket to the Open Championship.

Bubba Watson heads into the John Deere Classic in Illinois thankful that Justin Rose helped him book a ticket to next week’s Open Championship.
Watson will gear up for St Andrews at TPC Deere Run in Illinois, where he will vie with defending champion Steve Stricker, former Masters winner Zach Johnson and Players champion Tim Clark.
The form of Rose, meanwhile, is the reason the big-hitting American will be heading to Scotland.
Rose’s victory at the AT&T National in Philadelphia last Sunday saw the Englishman top a special PGA Tour money list and earn a spot in the Open at St Andrews.
Rose’s success also ensured Watson finished second on that list to take the other available spot, thanks in large part to his maiden PGA Tour title at the previous week’s Travelers Championship.
Having won in Hartford, Connecticut, Watson had scheduled to take the next week off and so had to watch and wait to see where he would finish in the six-event money list, having missed out on international qualifying when he lost a play-off in Texas.
“I was rooting for him,” Watson said of Rose at the AT&T National. “I was like his parents. I was wanting him to win.
“I didn’t think anything of the special money list until I won (the Travelers) and then I saw that I was number two. So we started looking at it.
“I didn’t play last week, and the reason why I didn’t play, I was already involved in some things and raising money for charity out on my junior golf tournament.
“So it didn’t hit me until Sunday that I had a shot at making it. And then me and my friend were working out and watching the golf at that time, so we started watching it. So my training went a lot longer than normal because I was focused on Justin Rose winning, I needed him to win.”
Watson’s wishes were granted but more immediately he has his sights set on another title.
“Another golf tournament I’m trying to win, trying to prove that I’m a good player,” he said.
“That’s why I play on the PGA Tour. I love golf, and I want to win. And it’s fun. It’s fun having the chance to win, but I don’t really see it as I’m a winner on the PGA Tour. I see it as I’m trying to win this week.
“I want to be the winner of the John Deere Classic, and next week I want to win the British Open, and then the Canadian Open. So I don’t see it as any different, just I have a platform now that I have played and I can do it. So let’s do it again.
“After the first one, they say the first one is hard, but then the second one is just as hard and the third one is just as hard, so I’m trying to just keep winning, keep it going.”