Did ‘8 or 9 guys’ turn down playing with Bubba Watson at Zurich Classic?

Bubba Watson had called Scottie Scheffler early in January during the Hawaii Swing to pitch the idea of being partners in New Orleans.

AVONDALE, La. – With Bubba Watson playing with his third different partner at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week in a four-year span since the tournament switched to a two-man team format, it begged the question, how did the 42-year-old two-time Masters champion join forces with 24-year-old Scottie Scheffler?

“Bubba asked like eight or nine guys and then they all said no, and he waited for me, and then I waited about four or five days, texted a few guys and no one responded, so I said yes,” Scheffler said.

“That is pretty much it,” Watson confirmed.

Well, there was more to it, but Scheffler sure made it sound like the uber-talented Watson was the last man picked for kick ball in gym class.

It turned out Watson and Scheffler both participate in the Tour’s bible study class and Watson called him early in January during the Hawaii Swing to pitch the idea of being partners.

“Yeah, it was pretty early,” Scheffler said.

“I texted him and he said, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to play it.’ I said, ‘that’s not what I said. I asked, yes or no, do you want to play as my partner?’ He waited a couple days and he texted me when he got back to, I think, Dallas. He said he was getting on a flight, and he said, ‘yes,’ ” explained Watson, who previously paired with J.B. Holmes in 2017 and 2019 and Matt Kuchar in 2018.

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Having already thrown some serious shade on his partner, Scheffler tried a recovery shot.

“When he asked me if I wanted to be partners, I thought we’d have a great time, I thought we’d have a lot of fun,” Scheffler said. “Watching him play golf is a lot of fun, and I think for alternate-shot tomorrow, I think we’re going to make a good team because he’s able to hit those shots from the weird spots that I’m probably going to put him in, and I feel like I’m able to do the same. We said yesterday that I’m never going to put him in a place on the golf course that he hasn’t seen before. I feel like both of us kind of manage our games pretty well in that sense, and I’m looking forward to teeing it up and playing the rest of the week.”

Scheffler and Watson teamed for an 8-under 64 and are tied for seventh, just two strokes off the lead held by Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura.