Bubba Watson became the first three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, and did so in incredible fashion. The two-time major champion came from six shots back in Sunday’s final round to win the Travelers Championship by three strokes.
Watson, has captured this event three times in his career, including his first PGA Tour victory in 2010. He also won in 2015.
“I feel like this is my home course,” Watson said. “As soon as they put the schedule up, I sign up for this. I want to come back here. This means so much, not only from the golf side of it, but from the family side. My dad, it was the only time he got to see me win. He got to see me qualify for the Ryder Cup at this event. So all these things just mean so much to my family.”
Fan Favorite Not a Betting Fave
Watson’s popularity at the Cromwell, Connecticut, tournament was evident by the throngs of people in the gallery. But despite his admirers and success on the course, sportsbooks had him far down the betting line.
He began the event as a 28/1 pick, far behind favorite Justin Thomas, who was 12/1, and US Open champion Brooks Koepka, a 14/1 selection. Even on Saturday night, he was listed at 25/1. Paul Casey, who was sitting on a four-shot lead going into the final round, was the overwhelming 1/2 pick.
Casey finished second here in 2015, when he lost to Watson in a playoff. Shooting a 63 on Saturday put him in a position to try to win for the second time this year, and the third time in his career on the PGA Tour. Before winning the Valspar Championship in March, the Englishman had gone nine years without a victory in the states.
“I’m happy to be in the lead,” Casey said on Saturday. “It’s a championship I’d really like to win.”
Watson Catches Casey from Behind
With Casey having a comfortable lead, Watson wasn’t even focused on winning the event when he began his fourth round.
“I was never thinking about victory,” Watson said. “I was thinking about just playing golf. I bogeyed and made a sloppy bogey on 8, and I hit a perfect tee shot on 9. Got that up-and-down, and holed out. So the momentum started building, and I was thinking high finish. So the whole day was just about playing good golf and moving up the leaderboard. It wasn’t really about a victory.”
That all changed on the back nine when Watson started to creep up on Casey. He made birdies on No. 10, 12 and 13. When he drained a 11-foot birdie putt on No. 15 he was tied for the lead.
“I wasn’t really focused on winning the golf tournament until we got to the last three holes,” Watson said. “That’s when I fist-pumped on 15 because I knew we had a shot at it.”
Especially when Casey was struggling to score. He made a birdie on the first hole, but gave it back with a bogey on the fifth. Ten pars followed, then bogeys on 16 and 17 did him in.
“I was fighting it and I didn’t have my swing all day,” Casey said. “I battled as hard as I could, but to only make one birdie all day is not good.”