You hear the name "Bubba" and it reminds you more of a barroom brawler than a professional golfer.
But Bubba Watson's performance at the Masters this weekend was not only a win for the ages, it was a victory for the PGA and its future.
Golf needed a hip young hero, and Bubba fits the bill.
The 33 year old now owns a legendary green jacket, but is more known for his white outfits and pink driver.
With a long haircut and a laid-back attitude, Watson plays like he doesn't have a care in the world. He's seems more like a happy-go-lucky surfer than a serious student of the game of golf. But as the rounds of the Masters unfolded, fans learned more and more about the Florida native, from his humor to his heart.
This is a man who lost his father a year-and-a-half-ago to throat cancer. He's a man who, along with his wife, adopted a baby boy last month. He got choked up talking about his Masters victory, not what it means to his career, but what it means to his family.
Visit his personal website and you'll see his dedication to giving back to the community. Watson's goal this year is to raise one million dollars for charity.
A large part of that effort is a partnership with Ping, which will give $300 for each of Bubba's first 300 drives over 300 yards this season. That means putting that signature pink driver to good use to help cancer patients and the blind.
His unique apparel is another part of his fundraising program.
On his website, Watson says that helping families is "more rewarding than winning a golf tournament."
Imagine the fundraising avenues that will open to him as a Masters Champion. The exposure he's had through four rounds, two playoff holes and hours of post-tournament coverage should put his "Drive for a Million" well on its way to surpassing his goal.
It's been a tough couple of years for the PGA, which is still trying to come back from the ratings and interest lost with Tiger Woods' fall from grace.
Then enter this unlikely of heroes, a young man who has never had a golf lesson or a swing coach, but will swing away with the best of them.
This newest PGA star who wears unconventional outfits, and swings a pink club, who owns one of the original General Lee's from the Dukes of Hazard, and who shares silly videos of himself on YouTube.
And someone who makes amazing shots and dedicates his spare time to helping others. Watson made golf fun to watch again, not just for the die-hard lovers of the game, but for the casual observer as well.
Bubba doesn't take himself too seriously, but he knows the serious impact he can make as a professional athlete and public figure, and he's making the most of it.
Kellie Goodman Shaffer can be reached at kellie@bedfordcountychamber.org. Her column appears on Tuesdays.
