Olympic Golf: Six Key Questions For The Weekend
By Adam McGee
Can Bubba Watson Win From Behind?
Bubba Watson has never won a tournament when he has started with an opening round over par, like he did this week in Rio. Even after a strong second round 67, Watson finds himself eight shots behind the lead. By all means, Watson has a lot to do, but there’s a chance that his attitude this week will allow him to challenge.
It doesn’t normally take much for Watson, who plays with his heart on his sleeve, to get a little tetchy on the course. In Rio, his attitude is different though, he’s playing with the freedom of a man who’s just happy to be there. As Watson told USA Today:
"“You know, right or wrong, it’s hard for me to focus on golf because of the fact that it’s just a dream, dream of a lifetime to be associated with these great athletes. We want to compete but being here, I want to take this in and golf just gets to tag along and say we’re athletes now.”"
Watson has been soaking it all in so far, in recent days alone being pictured at Swimming, Fencing, Table Tennis and Hockey events.
This is not your average week on the PGA Tour, there are endless distractions, and for Watson that might actually be a good thing. The course sets up well for a player with Watson’s length and creativity, if he can just make his putts he’ll have a chance to shoot really low. From there anything is possible.
Next: Unsung Heroes?