AVONDALE – With a massive gallery ringing the 18th green at TPC Louisiana, Bubba Watson calmly rolled in a three-foot putt to defeat Webb Simpson and win the Zurich Classic after a two-hole playoff.
The crowd roared, jazz music blared from speakers throughout the course and Better Than Ezra took the stage for a post-tournament concert. Watson got his trophy, but not without placing beads around his neck.
Ironically, the New Orleans-flavored atmosphere was one of the biggest reasons Watson even entered the tournament.
Following a first-round performance that left him tied for the lead, Watson let out a bit of a confession.
“The honest truth is I wasn’t in this field until some time last week,” he said. “About a month ago, I backed out because I had so much going on.”
An emotional year that included his first PGA Tour win, a spot on the Ryder Cup team and the death of his father built up to the point that he took two weeks off following the Masters and had planned to make it three after withdrawing from the Zurich Classic.
That is, until someone asked him to reconsider.
“My mom always comes to this golf tournament, so when my mom says she wants to come, I’m here,” Watson said.
Four days later, trophy in hand, Watson was asked if he wanted to say anything to his mother.
“Yeah, I want to ask mom where else I should play at,” he deadpanned.
The win represented Watson’s third on the PGA Tour and gives him fully-exempt status as a PGA Tour member through the end of the 2014 season.
In addition to taking the advice from his mother, Watson credited his success in part to some advice he got from his father as a child.
“When I was growing up, my dad said, ‘We don’t have any money, so you’re going to have to be really smart in school or really good at a sport,'” Watson said. “And I was too lazy to be good in school, so I’m decent at a sport right now. That’s the best thing he’s taught me. I have to be good at something.”
Playing in the field as an amateur, LSU senior golfer Andrew Loupe showed occasional glimpses that golf may the ‘something’ he’s good enough at as well.
Loupe bested teammate and fellow senior John Peterson to gain a spot in the field through open qualifier.
In the opening round Thursday, he finished second in driving distance – only trailing Watson – after averaging 334 yards per drive.
However, dreams of making the cut and playing the weekend were greeted with a harsh reality after Loupe shot a 10-over-par 82 in the opening round, placing him last in the field.
“Overall, it’s been a valuable experience,” Loupe said.
“Everyone here has been great.”
He improved with a 5-over 77 Friday but struggled in two critical phases of the game – driving accuracy and putting – that kept him mired near the bottom of the field, finishing 151st overall.
 
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