Professional golfer Bubba Watson won his second Masters tournament Sunday, to the applaud of many Christian fans. Humbled by his win, Bubba broke out in tears when his adopted son Caleb walked out to him on the green and then he kissed his wife Angie before greeting fans on the 18th hole.
Professing Christian and world-renowned golfer Bubba Watson has won his second Masters tournament in the past three years. Bubba, a self-taught golfer with a left-handed swing, is known for his long drives. He finished 8-under-par on Sunday, and lead the tournament by three shots.
Much like his Masters win in 2012, Bubba was overcome with emotion upon winning. He cried tears of joy after sinking his last hole, knowing that he had won the tournament and seeing his loving family's support.
"It's a dream to be on the PGA Tour ... Why Bubba Watson from Bagdad, Fla.? Why is he winning? So I just always ask the question 'why, why me?' That's why I'm always going to cry," he said after the win.
Christian evangelist Ray Comfort made mention of the family-oriented golfer on "The Comfort Zone" this afternoon - "It was so refreshing to see Bubba Watson ... embrace his little child and break down in tears ... and say that his wife is his best friend - such a contrast to the image that golf has had lately," he said, referring to some celebrity golfers who have committed adultery or who throw a fit when they don't win a tournament.
Other Christians in the spotlight tweeted congratulations to Bubba after Sunday's win as well, among whom were the 2014 NFL Champion Seattle Seahawks' quarterback Russell Wilson, Christian Hip Hop artist Lecrae, and Tim Tebow.
The Billy Graham Evangelical Association (BGEA) also applauds Watson, highlighting his desire to use golf as a platform to share his faith - "In April of 2011, just before teeing off on the final round of the Masters, Watson took advantage of his social media platform to Tweet out two Bible verses on Sunday morning. He followed that up talking about his faith, his relationship with God, Tweeting out more verses and the impact of Christian artists on his iPod," their article reads.
Though the Masters champion did not grow up going to church, he had professed faith in Christ at a youth group as a teenager. Bubba says that he didn't take his faith seriously until he was on scholarship at the University of Georgia, however, when he met his future wife, Angie. The two were baptized in 2004 after their wedding, and Bubba pinpoints this year as when he truly began to follow Christ - "I would say 2004 was my true time of becoming a Christian ... shaping me into the man I am today," he says.
Bubba's attitude on the golf course did not initially align with his faith, however, and he was eventually approached by his caddy Ted Scott who said that he would quit working with Bubba if he didn't change his demeanor on the course. The confrontation greatly impacted Bubba, causing him to reflect on and to reevaluate his Christian faith. Bubba has since been known to have a much more relaxed and jovial attitude on the green, even in the most tense of tournaments.
"I've been getting stronger in my faith, and reading the Bible more and more," he told CNN in an interview after his first Masters win in 2012. The BGEA reports that Bubba has also attended the PGA Tour's weekly Bible study along with several other believing professional golfers, saying that it has helped to create more dialogue about the Lord between the Christian professionals. "Golf is just an avenue for Jesus to use me to reach as many people as I can," he says.
