Opinion & Analysis
Bubba releases “Bubbaclaus” music video… and it’s terrible
Social media is going ballistic about “The Single,” a music video release by Bubba Watson (aka Bubbaclaus), but I’m seeing right through this whole schtick.
Let’s be serious. How can Bubba Watson, the guy who rained on everyone’s parade during the long-drive contest at the 2014 PGA Championship, possibly be our best candidate to spread Christmas cheer to all the boys and girls? How can a guy who has no problem throwing his caddy under the bus objectively determine who goes on the naughty and nice list? Isn’t Bubba golf’s No. 1 choice for the naughty list after his 2014 showing?
At least he was wearing Bubbaclaus Christmas colors, right?
Bubba was more of a Bubbascrooge all summer. He was so bitter, yelling and cussing at everyone, protesting long-drive contests — then claims to be Merry Ol’ Saint Nick come holiday season?
If you want to tell me Christmas Gumby with the “HoHoHo!” chain dunking a basketball while wearing a Kevin Durant jersey was awesome, go ahead — because you’d be right. The hovercraft replacing the Christmas sleigh was ridiculously clever, and the beat is… actually good. But if you’re going to tell me the lyrical content is brilliant or that the whole “Bubbaclaus” persona is anything but hypocritical, then I have a tee-time to sell you in the North Pole.
Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.
Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.
First, meet Min Woo Lee
Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.
Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter
The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.
Third, meet Martin Kaymer
Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.
Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler
Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.
Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger
Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!
On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.
I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.
To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.
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Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s
5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s
9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s
Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag
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Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 M.S.I. 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (15 degrees)...
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
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Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (6 degrees) Shaft: Project X Prototype 3-wood: Krank Formula Fire (10 degrees) Shaft: LA Golf BAD...
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enrique
Jan 4, 2015 at 6:40 pm
See, I thought Bubba was ADD/ADHD. Turns out he’s bipolar.
Heyo
Dec 23, 2014 at 12:22 pm
Doesn’t mean he should get a pass on being a fool in ‘this life’.
Greg
Dec 22, 2014 at 11:53 pm
not any worse than all the other rap stuff out there. since James “Bubba” Stewart was in it, I expected to see Fowler riding along with him?
TS
Dec 19, 2014 at 6:26 pm
So equating this to the typical working adult…
You want me to be my goofy self when my job and paycheck are on the line but would like for me to remain serious when on vacation?
Seems like odd logic to me. In season the guy flat out performs. Sure he yells at his caddy and doesn’t always participate in all the “fun” stuff…big deal. You have never had or heard of a boss who yells at employees and has a lame excuse for not going to a company function because he doesn’t feel like it that day?
We have had a lot of good articles here lately, this seems to be more of an opinion about a player you don’t care for…trying to convince others they too should not like him. Not saying you cannot have the opinion or express it, just doesn’t seem like the platform for it.
golfiend
Dec 19, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Why is it cool to act like a white wanna be rap gangster?
Joe Golfnerd
Jan 1, 2015 at 12:17 pm
not everyone can be jeff maggert…thank god
Rich
Dec 18, 2014 at 3:34 am
How many of you lot they are laying into Bubba are Tiger Woods fans? I bet there’s plenty of you. Stop being so hypocritical. Ok, the video is lame, gives his caddie a hard time and is a bit of a tool but who cares. He’s not doing anything illegal or immoral. He’s just being a goose. So what. Those of you getting all judgemental on him could perhaps give it a rest and focus on what’s really important. If you hate Bubba, you’ve got to hate Tiger but I bet you don’t.
Huh?
Dec 19, 2014 at 12:32 pm
I’ve read and re-read your first sentence and I still don’t get it…
Rich
Dec 21, 2014 at 6:32 am
Yeah, typo. Should be “that are laying into Bubba” not “they are laying into Bubba”. Was just trying to establish what type of behaviour people find acceptable. Cheating on your wife with a 100 ho’s would seem to be more acceptable than doing a stupid music video according to most of the people on this website. The guy below actually said he is the worst person on any golf tour in the world. Just because he’s a goose? Really?
Tyler
Dec 17, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Worst person on any golf tour in the world. Only the casual fans like him because they only see 10% of his actions.
Rich
Dec 18, 2014 at 3:53 am
Really, the worst? I bet your perfect.
Grammar police
Dec 19, 2014 at 12:34 pm
*you’re
Rich
Dec 21, 2014 at 6:33 am
Thanks fuzz
Grammar police
Dec 21, 2014 at 12:12 pm
You’re welcome.
Bill
Dec 17, 2014 at 3:20 pm
You can take Bubba out Bagdad, but you can’t take the Bagdad out of Bubba. He is like the Eminem of the south.
Slim
Dec 17, 2014 at 2:30 pm
C’mon. It’s a guy with money and time on his hands doing something fun. Wouldn’t we all like to be in that position? It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Not everyone’s going to like it, and that’s OK.
Awedge333
Dec 20, 2014 at 6:48 am
Slim, Couldn’t agree more! Not a big Bubba fan, but in the scheme of all things important, this doesn’t earn a mention. Successful guy goofing off. Good for him.
Merry Christmas!
Golfraven
Dec 17, 2014 at 2:29 pm
Wow, this is p… poor. Guess this is how you spend your off season time when you just made couple of Mil $. Very generous if him covering his sponsors, God bless. We want see more, not. Just hope the YouTube $ go straight to a charity.
chris
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:02 pm
wow is that bad
Joe Golfnerd
Jan 1, 2015 at 12:16 pm
and it’s better than i thought it’d be…
GodSpeed
Dec 17, 2014 at 9:31 am
Yawn.
g
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:42 am
He’s a nut!
Bubba Watson
Dec 17, 2014 at 9:15 am
Haters gonna hate!
JEFF
Dec 17, 2014 at 2:54 pm
HE MIGHT BE A TALENTED GOLFER (SOMEHOW) BUT A LOOSER IN LIFE!
Grammar police
Dec 19, 2014 at 12:34 pm
*loser
Dr Troy
Dec 17, 2014 at 8:49 am
1 minute was all I could stomach and I stopped the video… I have a great sense of humor, but this is utter garbage and isn’t funny.
Robert Carlson
Dec 17, 2014 at 8:27 am
Ten year old kid in the body of a 30 year old guy, not really liked on Tour by others, grow up punk.
Dpavs
Dec 17, 2014 at 8:15 am
Of course! … Wrx just stacks replies like this when they are to a common post.
Beacher50
Dec 16, 2014 at 11:45 pm
They actually spent money doing this? Pretty dumb.
The dude
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:03 pm
………well….let’s not forget he has the mentality of an 8 year old….kinda sad really
Cwolf
Dec 16, 2014 at 7:34 pm
How can something be so awful and amazing at the same time! Brilliant!
Ken
Dec 16, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Aside from being kinda ‘Gomeresque,’ I think this guy suffers from illusory superiority. Just sayin’.
B
Dec 16, 2014 at 8:19 pm
2 green jackets though. You’re welcome.
Philip
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:37 pm
so…….
Ken
Dec 17, 2014 at 11:26 am
Can’t buy CLASS, B.
other paul
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:55 pm
I stopped watching after one minute. So bad.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:17 pm
I watched it once, just as I watched the golf boys videos. I won’t watch it again. Just not interested. Won’t buy it on iTunes, either.
If social media is blowing up over this, a lot of people have time on their hands and little inspiration to contribute to the world.
I liked the video cuts, the colorization, but I didn’t understand Gumby or the elf. Was that Rickie riding his motorbike?
bhhahah
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:15 pm
sooooooooooooo stupid……….soooooooooo dumb…………..embarrassing for everyone w the nickname bubba
jeff
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:14 pm
and did not Bubba address and apologize for every incident. I would put a serious wager on who gave more time and financial to support to charities Bubba vs the haters and especially Tursky. Where was the hate from Tursky when Tiger was beating his wife and sleeping with hookers.
FatRick
Dec 16, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Giving money to charities says nothing about who you are as a person, so spare with that nonsense. Your buddy Tiger does a bunch of charity work but you obviously aren’t too fond of him.
Bubba is no doubt an amazing talent, but he is a tool plain and simple.
Jeff
Dec 16, 2014 at 8:24 pm
Where did you hear Tiger beat his wife? Come on. Its for charity lighten up. As for Tursky, hes a writer. Calling him a hater in the comment section is expected, its just a misinterpretation of whats going on in the story.
Slimeone
Dec 17, 2014 at 7:35 am
Actually Tiger was the one who got beaten by his wife, and he’s been a broken man ever since.
Boner
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:58 pm
Did Bubba not get enough attention when he was a kid? Jesus that was pathetic, he reminds me of a 17 year old girl on Instagram.
Also with his money he could have got someone to write a better song for him, I was embarrassed just watching this thing.
marcel
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:56 pm
Bubba qualifies for wacko of the year every year
MartyMoose
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:49 pm
Bubba is the definition of hypocrite. He is a self absorbed punk. An impromptu long drive competition during a practice round is hokey, but this isn’t?
Ben
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:38 pm
That video is funny!
Cut him some slack. We can all be a little grumpy when things don’t go our way on the golf course.
Pat
Dec 16, 2014 at 7:08 pm
LOL, you’ve never seen him in person have you? He berates his own fans, cusses them out and blames his caddy for all his bad shots. He is the definition of tool. You wouldn’t know that because all you see is what they allow on tv.
dr bloor
Dec 16, 2014 at 4:34 pm
Perhaps he was visited by the ghosts of Endorsements Past, Endorsements Present and Endorsements Future, and had a change of heart.