Bubba Watson, Denny Hamlin combine forces for a good cause

Bagdad, Florida – the hometown of Bubba Watson – is about 225 miles south of Talladega Superspeedway and about 430 miles west of Daytona International Speedway. In some ways, it’s in the heart of NASCAR country, certainly in the middle of its two most popular racetracks.

Yet Watson was well past his 30th birthday and still had never attended a race. Oh, he had interest. He remembers watching back in the days when the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. was in his prime. Watson’s father was a big Jeff Gordon fan, too.

But it was approximately 10 years ago when Watson discovered that Denny Hamlin – then an emerging NASCAR star – was a golf nut. Hamlin also played left-handed, just like Watson. And Hamlin also, like Watson, was born in Florida.

So Bubba reached out to the driver on social media, just to touch base, say hello. The result? A decade-long friendship that’s been built on two sports – sports, by the way, that each rely heavily on a driver – and careers that have each blossomed during that time. Watson, a 12-time PGA TOUR winner with two Masters wins. Hamlin, a 38-time NASCAR Cup winner with three Daytona 500 wins, including the most recent one in February.

In that decade, the two have played countless rounds of golf together, and Hamlin has taken Watson to stock car races around the country. Plus, Hamlin got to caddie for Watson in the Par-3 Contest at the 2012 Masters that his good friend went on to win.

“So, it's just one of the things that reached out because of common bonds, I guess you would say,” Watson said this week. “We're sports fanatics and we also both play golf left-handed, right? And we're fun. I would consider him fun-loving and obviously loves to give back. And that's the same thing I would consider myself. ...

“It's just one of those random things on social media that we kind of connected.”

Thus, in some ways, partnering for the ALL IN Challenge was a no-brainer, too -- golf, stock car racing and two long-time buddies helping to raise money to benefit America’s food insecure during this frightening pandemic. In a matter of days, Watson and Hamlin had put together a one-of-a-kind experience to auction off.

“Bubba is a good friend of mine, so when we heard about the ALL IN Challenge, we thought it would be cool to auction an experience that combines our two sports, golf and racing,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin wanted a foursome to be part of the prize, so Watson suggested the two of them host the winner and a guest at the ultra-exclusive Grove XXIII, Michael Jordan’s private golf course in Hobe Sound, Florida. PING will fit and provide custom clubs while Watson is offering up his own Richard Mille Aviator watch, which by itself is worth over $150,000.

But the two weren’t through yet. Whoever wins the auction can take three of his or her friends to the 2021 Daytona 500 where they will meet Hamlin (the reigning two-time champ) and take a ride-along with him on the track. Also included are four seats in the FedEx pit box, as well as a signed race-worn helmet or fire suit.

“If you're a race fan, that has a little bit of like in golf, it's a great thing,” Watson said. “If you're a golfer who likes racing a little bit, it's a great thing. If you're just a sports person in general, it's a great thing because you're talking about two different sports worlds.

“He's won Daytona three times. And I've won of the Masters twice, so you're talking about some people that have had some great experiences that you're going to get to spend five hours with at a course. And then you're going to get to see my side of it, you're going to get to see from his side of it at a historic place at Daytona, which is unbelievable in itself.”

So far, the bidding is up to $160,000 with less than a week remaining in the auction. The proceeds of the ALL IN Challenge benefit five different organizations that service the hungry – Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, America’s Food Fund, World Central Kitchen and Feeding America.

Watson remembers helping at local food banks supported by the Waste Management Phoenix Open when he lived in Arizona, so the cause hits close to home. And he knows the coronavirus pandemic has put so many people out of work, people who now must wonder where their next meal will come from.

“How would you not want to bless people and try to bless them as much as you can?” Watson said. “And this is a no-brainer that the charity organization that the money would go to in this time.”

Including all auctions, the ALL IN Challenge has raised more than $15 million. But you don’t have to be a high-roller to participate. There are more than 80 sweepstakes where as little as a $10 donation puts you in a drawing to be a co-host on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” or have a walk-on role in a Martin Scorsese movie starring Leonardo DeCaprio and Robert DeNiro, or have a speaking role in an episode of “This is Us” next year or sign a one-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks – among many other things.

“So, when you think about $15 million, that was, as of a week ago, nobody was even thinking about putting this money towards something like this,” Watson said. “... I think these auctions will go up a little bit in time, and the more people understand them, and the more people know that you could put in $10 to have a chance to be on the Ellen show, have a chance to be in a movie.

“That's small peanuts, but $10 goes a long way when you're talking about providing a couple dinners or lunches for kids, or for anybody in need at this moment.”

Interestingly, while Watson and Hamlin – who’s quite the trash-talker, his TOUR-playing buddy is quick to point out -- have played many rounds of golf together, they’ve never ventured out on the racetrack like the winner of the auction is going to get to do.

Surprisingly, Watson isn’t exactly a thrill-seeker … at least when it comes to stock cars doing close to 200 mph.

“I’ve joked about this before,” Watson said. “I live here in Pensacola, Florida where the Blue Angels are. And the Blue Angels, they always ask, ‘Hey, you want to go up in the plane?’ And I'm like, ‘No, y'all are crazy.’

“And with Denny, it's the same way. He goes, ‘Oh man, we'll come off the railing, or the wall, we'll be two inches off the wall. You won't have anything to worry about.’ I was like, ‘Two inches off the wall at a hundred-and-something miles an hour? No. I will not do it.’”

Lately, Watson has been content staying at home with his wife Angie and their two young children, Caleb and Dakota. He says it’s brought them closer together as a family and that he and his wife have grown as a couple, as parents and in their faith.

In addition to getting into a routine with schoolwork, there’s been time to take the boat out and fish or ride the jet skis and those kayak-paddleboard hybrids they have. “And I jumped on the trampoline more than I've ever jumped in my life,” Watson said with a chuckle.

A week or so ago, Watson and Caleb, who’s 8 years old, went out and played golf together. Watson also owns a driving range, but it’s closed – although he’s hit balls for a total of perhaps 40 minutes during the three times he’s been there to check that it’s still being mowed and maintained correctly.

“The golf course is doing all their precautions as much as they can, with the cups upside down so the ball doesn't go in the hole,” Watson said. “But we walked, he actually got a pull cart out and he put his bag on the pull cart and he pushed, and it was the first time me and him played nine holes without any complaints.

“Normally kids at that age, they're tired, they want a snack, they want water. But he never complained, and he played every shot. I think he had a blast. Maybe it was just because we'd been in the house locked up for over 20 days at that point.”

Watson has been treating this time away from the PGA TOUR as he would his winter break. He been able to recharge his batteries and he’s starting to miss the game. More serious sessions in the gym and the practice range will begin in the next few weeks with a potential start date looming for the Charles Schwab Challenge in June.

“I'm starting to get the itch, missing all sports, but I'm starting to get the itch of wanting to play and get back out there,” Watson said. “And we have to gear up. And as an athlete, you have to gear up like you're going to play June 8th. Now obviously different things can develop and cause a delay again, but I have to prepare like we're definitely going June 8th.”

In other words, he hopes to put the pedal to the metal, as his good friend might say.

To participate in the ALL IN Challenge auction for the Watson-Hamlin experience, click here, or to view all ALL IN Challenge auction items, click here.

FedEx is also ALL IN and will be donating the shipping of All IN Challenge auction items, helping to ensure 100% of the funds raised will support vital food charities during the coronavirus pandemic.