Did Bubba Watson hit the greatest shot the Masters has ever seen?

It has been a decade since Bubba Watson somehow managed to escape from the trees at Augusta National to win the first of his two green jackets at the iconic event. The 43-year-old will, of course, return to the Masters in early April 2022, ten years on from that historical moment to try and make it three Masters triumphs in his career.

How realistic that scenario is remains to be seen but at 66/1 in the latest golf odds for Masters betting, you would have to conclude that the Florida-born golfer may have his best days behind him. But when Watson does end up retiring, he will always have his second on the play-off hole at the 2012 Masters to provide him with a sense of satisfaction that is hard to put into words. Let’s take a trip back to that day a decade ago.

It’s hard to believe next week will mark 10 years since winning my first @themasters title. Man, life comes at you fast! It’s gonna be a big week as I relive the moment that changed my life. Go turn on IG notifications 🔔 so you don’t miss the throwback moments. #themasters pic.twitter.com/Zhl94URaPt

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) March 27, 2022

To start with, Watson’s chances of winning the Masters during the play-off against South African Louis Oosthuizen seemed all but gone when he found the trees on the right-hand side of the 10th fairway. Indeed, a golfer is almost always going to drop a shot when they stray offline at Augusta National but the consequences of doing so naturally vary. In Watson’s case, it wasn’t internalizing the disappointment of simply making a bogey but instead, losing the Masters.

Needless to say, this level of disappointment would take a long time to get over and it’s worth pointing out that some golfers don’t. Take Jean van de Velde’s collapse at Carnoustie in 1999 and how much that affected him. The 55-year-old eventually retired without having won a major and you can imagine how much that haunts him when he looks back on his career today.

This was a scenario that faced Watson in the trees as he made his way over the pine needles to hit his second which would, in all likelihood, be a chip out sideways that would hand the advantage over to Oosthuizen. Indeed, the American couldn’t advance his ball closer to the green, or could he?

After some deliberation with his caddie, Ted Scott, Watson pulled out his 52-degree gap wedge and announced that he would go for the green. It was madness, with 164 yards to go and no sight of the green, Watson was about to go out in a blaze of glory and in doing so, hand the 2012 Masters to Oosthuizen on a plate.

Only, Watson proceeded to snap hook his shot 40 yards to the right. In addition to that, the American also managed to keep his ball flight under the trees for the first 15 yards before it miraculously began to take off, like you would see a plane effortlessly do whilst staring out the window of an airport lounge.

Three days until Masters Week.
Nantz and Faldo narrate @bubbawatson‘s brilliant shot from the trees on No. 10 to set up his playoff win in the 2012 Masters Tournament. pic.twitter.com/SxyrQ6eqDk

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 5, 2019

At this stage, the gasps had turned into silence as Augusta National and indeed the watching world fell still to see where Watson’s ball would land up; seconds later it fell on the green and rolled within ten feet of the flag. Watson had done it, a simple two-putt for victory was all that was left for the American as he won his first-ever major.