Baby comes first

Masters champion Bubba Watson has opted to miss tomorrow’s elite Players Championship at Sawgrass to spend more time at home with his wife Angie and their recently adopted two-month-old son Caleb.

American left-hander Watson announced the decision on his Twitter feed, saying he wanted to establish stronger bonds with his family.

“I need to spend more time with Caleb and Angie, plan to take at least a month off,” Watson tweeted. “The Players is one of the best weeks of the year but bonding with my son and wife is what it is all about right now.”

Watson has played just once since winning his first major in a play-off with South African Louis Oosthuizen at the Masters, tying for 18th at the recent New Orleans Classic.

Bubba and his wife Angie, it has been reported, started the adoption process four years ago but were rejected multiple times. The tides quickly turned during the recent Arnold Palmer invitational when they got a call from the agency about baby Caleb.

The long-hitting American had felt obliged to compete in New Orleans since he was the defending champion. “Sorry to disappoint fans but the Players has one of the best fields all year, tourney is more than fine without me,” said Watson. “I feel blessed and excited that I get to spend quality time with Caleb and Angie in the next few weeks.”

The $9.5 million Players Championship, widely regarded as the unofficial fifth Major, attracts one of the strongest fields in golf. It will be played from May 10-13 at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida, US, where South Korean K J Choi will defend his title.