Watson feeling the love at BNI Indonesian Masters

JAKARTA, Indonesia - RangeGoats GC captain Bubba Watson says he has been overwhelmed by the warm welcome he has received at this week’s BNI Indonesian Masters, saying that the locals have "blessed me with open arms" in Jakarta.

The left-handed star and two-time Masters champion is visiting Indonesia for the first time. It's the seventh tournament on The International Series, the set of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, and Watson is trying to win his first title in six years.

His cause will no doubt be helped by being made to feel at home.

“Any time you travel to a new place you don’t know what to expect,” said Watson, who turns 46 next week. “They have blessed me with open arms this week. It has been amazing so far; it has only been a couple of days. They love us so much and treat us so kindly. I could not ask for a better opportunity to play golf. I am just amazed by the smiles, the energy, the care and dedication to make this feel special here.”

Watson has been a frequent visitor to the Asian Tour during his 22-year professional career and has come close to victory here on a number of occasions. He has finished runner-up twice on the Asian Tour, at the Thailand Golf Championship in 2012, where he tied for second, and the PIF Saudi International two years ago.

However, he pointed out that the courses here in the region provide a challenge.

“I looked at the [winning] number last year, 24 under. I was like ‘I am not sure I can get to 24 under,’ " Watson said. “Golfing in Asia, the greens are a little smaller, the fairways are smaller, they are tighter. It is a different kind of golf to what we are used to. We have bigger golf courses in America. You can hit driver in a lot of places. In Asia you have some tricky holes. That’s not the way I grew up playing. I hit driver everywhere. In Asia the golf course always beats me.”

Watson also said that he is aiming to have his two children travel with him in the years ahead.

“I am actually looking at having my kids home schooled so they can travel with me and see the world," Watson said. "We have been talking about that a lot for next year. I want my kids to be able to experience what I have experienced. See different cultures, different parts of the world.”

For more information on The International Series, please visit www.internationalseries.com

(Photo courtesy of Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour)