Published>Sat, Oct 02 10 05:16 AM
Thrown in the deep end with fellow U.S. rookie Jeff Overton, Bubba Watson took to Ryder Cup golf like a duck to water at Celtic Manor on Friday.
The 31-year-old from Baghdad, Florida gelled perfectly with Overton and when bad light curtailed a rain-ruined opening day in south Wales they were one up on experienced Europeans Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald after eight holes.
Despite Watson admitting he was "scared to death" when teeing off in driving rain as thousands of partisan home fans produced a soccer-like atmosphere on the opening hole, he played like a seasoned Cup campaigner.
Paul Goydos, one of American skipper Corey Pavin's assistants, was not surprised.
Asked how well Watson and 27-year-old Overton had handled the occasion, he suggested both were future major champions.
"They did pretty well I would say," Goydos, a journeyman of the U.S. PGA Tour, told Reuters as he walked down the ninth fairway.
"You call these guys rookies? Give me a break. They are not rookies in the old sense, these guys can be major champions.
"Would you call Rory McIlroy a rookie? These guys play like this on the PGA Tour every week so I'm not surprised they are performing like this, not at all," added Goydos.
"Okay, it's a different environment maybe to what they are used to with all the crowd involvement. But hey, they love it, it's a fun environment to play golf."
Watson, who birdied the par-five second hole after Overton had sunk a huge 40-foot putt on the first, was rock solid and vindicated Pavin's decision to leave experienced Jim Furyk out of the opening fourballs.
"It was just a joy," said Watson, who used his distinctive pink-shafted driver to good effect at the U.S. PGA Championship in August as he was narrowly beaten in a playoff by Germany's Martin Kaymer.
"You know, you hear about soccer matches or football matches over here, and the people chanting and cheering, I guess like our NFL. To hear it first hand and be there on the first tee, it was pretty exciting," he told reporters.
"They had some good songs going. But when I saw Overton hitting the first shot and saw USA on his back, that's when it hit me we are in the Ryder Cup.
"I think it showed we can play and even though we are rookies and both scared to death, it made it fun for us."
Overton certainly enjoyed his moment of magic on the first where he rolled in his monster putt from off the green.
"It was probably the most unbelievable shot of my life," he said. "It was so nerve wracking just to be playing the first hole, let alone hole it from nowhere.
"It was just so mentally draining out there all day, and then to start the day like that was just awesome."
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