Two-time masters winner Bubba Watson arrived at Augusta, but something didn't feel right. "I thought maybe I was on the wrong day or something," the 47-year-old said while describing what felt off.

"It was weird because I was expecting more people. I know it's Monday, but I was expecting more people," Bubba Watson said during a press conference at the Masters Tournament on Monday.

"When I say people, golfers. I didn't really see many people, which was weird... I didn't know what was going on," Watson said during the presser.

Bubba Watson returns to the 2026 Masters Tournament, set for April 9–12 at Augusta National Golf Club. This will be his 18th appearance through exemption after his wins in 2012 and 2014.

"Saturday was a little slower than we were used to, and then today was more tournament speed," added Bubba Watson.

As the week begins and the field settles in, his recent form remains a point of focus. A T28 in Singapore stands as his best result in five LIV Golf starts this season. 

In 2025, he finished T14, his highest at the venue since 2019.

Bubba Watson also reflected on Tiger Woods

"I could care less about Tiger's golf, I'm pulling for him as a human being. Forget his golf. Anybody who's struggling with anything, I feel for him because I've [gone] through a lot of mental stuff. I always pull for him," said Watson on Monday in an interview shared by Chris McKee via YouTube.

Watson’s perspective comes from what he saw in 2019. When Tiger Woods won the Masters, Bubba Watson brought past champions out of the locker room at Augusta National Golf Club to meet him near the clubhouse. Others, including Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler, joined in.

Now, the situation is different. Woods is not in the field after his arrest on March 27 in Jupiter, Florida, and his move to rehab. When asked about it after a practice round on April 6, Watson’s reaction reflected that shift.

He said that moment in 2019 stayed with him. Woods later thanked him for it. Watson also shared that he had told Woods he wanted to be there for his next major.

Do you think what Bubba Watson saw at Augusta was really that unusual? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi