As part of my pre-tournament coverage at a PGA TOUR events, I liked to walk at least nine holes in the first two rounds with a player just to get a handle on the course. There was no player I’d enjoyed following more than Bubba Watson. Sure, over most of those years he was one of the PGATour’s top players but that wasn’t why I’d spend time with him. I did it because he was fascinating to watch. His creative shot-making skills were obvious, whether he was playing good or bad. He would try to bend shots right or left, over or around trees or hazards. That was his style. There’s a lot more to Bubba Watson than the shot-making skills witnessed on the golf course. We get a better insight into the two-time Masters Champ in his book, “Up & Down: Victories and Struggles with the Course of Life,’’ written during the pandemic stoppage with the help of Don Jaeger. In our frequent travels we passed through the small town of Bagdad, Florida, many times and found it unusual that a town of less than 4,000 near the Alabama line could spawn three PGA Tour players, Watson, Heath Slocum and Boo Weekley. Bubba still lives there and is active in the Pensacola community in a variety of ways, not the least of which, as a part-ownership of the local minor league baseball team, the Blue Wahoos. A few things that I found interesting in the book. Bubba’s wife, Angie was a star basketball player, they have two adopted children, plus he struggles playing golf in front of crowds. BookReviews from Len Ziehm Up & Down: Victories and Struggles with the Course of Life Ohio Golf Journal
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