Newly named Masters champion Bubba Watson may be have been born in the small Florida town of Bagdad, but he has ties to the small town of Brewton where he has played at the Country Club of Brewton.
Jack Slocum of Jay is a member of the Country Club of Brewton and the teaching professor at the club and has known and worked with Watson. Slocum’s son, Heath, is also on the PGA Tour and went to high school at Milton where Watson went along with Boo Weekley.
“I owned a mini tour and Bubba played on my mini tour with Boo,” Slocum said. “It was the Developmental Players Tour and we actually played an event at the Country Club of Brewton. Bubba actually won the event and Heath and Boo finished in the top-five.”
Slocum said he caddied for Bubba through all stages of two schools to get him on the PGA Tour the first time.
“He is just a very humble young man,” he said. “He has tons of talent and he sees shots that no one else sees. He can hit all the shots. There was no doubt that when I was watching him have to curve that ball 30-40 yards with a pitching wedge that far, I knew he could do because I have seen him hit those shots.”
Slocum said he also served as the pro at Tanglewood when Heath and Boo both played on the high school golf team and Bubba was in the eighth grade.
“He didn’t get to play with Heath and Boo because they had both left,” Slocum said. “Heath and Boo were both a really good ball striker and Boo just never took it serious until later on. They have all played at the Country Club of Brewton and Boo has had his golf tournament there for several years now. Bubba is just a fine young man. He doesn’t want anyone to tell him how to do it. He wants to do it his way and he is very successful doing it his way.”
Watson, who won the Masters with a two-putt on the second playoff hole Sunday, has a degree from the University of Georgia, by way of Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette. He grew up playing the game at Tanglewood Golf Course in Milton and Stonebrook Golf Club in nearby Pace.
After high school, Watson moved across the state line to Bay Minette, where he enrolled at Faulkner State Community College and played there for Coach Leo Kling III in 1997-99, earning Junior College All-American honors along the way.
During his time there he was on 18 all-tournament teams (out of 20 events played), won five events and was on the team that finished second at the junior college national tournament in 1998.
Eventually, Watson graduated from both Faulkner State and Georgia.
Playing for Georgia from 1999 to 2001, he helped the Dawgs win the SEC team title in 2000, and his Masters win is the first major for this storied golf program.
He turned pro in 2003, played the Nationwide Tour for a couple of years before earning his PGA Tour card by way of this tour in 2005.
His first major marked his fourth win on the big tour —all since 2010.
“We were incredibly proud of Bubba Watson winning the Masters,” says Jason Hamilton, General Manager of Country Club of Brewton. “To have a PGA Tour player of his caliber call Country Club of Brewton ‘home’ is quite an honor; we look forward to celebrating with him the next time he’s in town. Everyone at Country Club of Brewton was thrilled to see Bubba win the Masters. It is great to have someone from our club win the biggest golf tournament of the year.”
According to a press release from the CCB, the CCB is home to Watson, Slocum and Weekley, features a signature Jerry Pate-designed golf course. Slocum will conduct a golf clinic and sign autographs on Friday, April 27 at 6 p.m.
The tournament is a 36-hole stroke-play competition with junior golfers grouped by gender and age. The $100 entry fee includes greens fees, practice round, range balls, lunch on Saturday and prizes. Registration ends on Friday, April 27 at 1 p.m.
“We’re excited to host this tournament for junior golfers,” Hamilton said. “The course will provide a fair test, and golfers will learn valuable lessons in sportsmanship and camaraderie.”