Bubba Watson gives health update, faces 'short term setback' ahead of 2026 LIV Golf season

Bubba Watson has provided a health update in his recent post on social media. The American golfer was planning to compete in the Asian Tour events this month. However, he underwent surgery to remove a lesion from his left finger.

Watson shared a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, providing an update on his health. He shared a picture of himself with a bandage on the finger after the minor procedure and a long note in which he shared the details about it.

"My doctors referred to it as a 'lesion' and recommended a minor procedure to have it removed, which I have done. Because of the location and depth of the cuts, which are around a joint, the procedure is expected to prevent me from playing golf for up to 8 weeks while I recover and rehab my finger," he wrote.

Bubba Watson competed at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which was held from October 2 to 5, and finished in T40 place. After the DP World Tour event, he traveled back home and underwent the procedure.

In his post, the two-time Masters winner also said that he was planning to compete at the Links Hong Kong Open and the International Series Philippines, but he will have to skip the tournaments. He thanked the tournament officials for their "understanding of the situation."

"I had been looking forward to playing the International Series Philippines and the Link Hong Kong Open this month and I'm disappointed that I will miss those events. But I'm glad to know this is only a short term setback," he added.

Bubba Watson had enjoyed a decent season on the LIV Golf in 2025, where he finished in 11th place in season-ending standings. He had an amazing start with a T12 finish at the Riyadh event and then settled in a tie for 21st at the Adelaide event. Some of his notable finishes from this LIV Golf season are T7 at Mexico City, T4 at Virginia, second at the United Kingdom, and T8 at Indianapolis.

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Bubba Watson looks forward to the 2026 LIV Golf season

Following the medical issue, Bubba Watson will miss the next few tournaments and is expected to return to the greens at LIV Golf in 2026. He shared an update about his upcoming tournaments in the post on X and said that he is looking forward to the upcoming Saudi League season with his team, RangeGoats. He wrote:

"I look forward to getting back to form and ready to play in time for the 2026 LIV Golf season with my RangeGoats."

In 2025, aside from the LIV Golf, Bubba Watson also competed at a major and one DP World Tour event. As the former winner of the Masters, he holds a lifetime exemption to play in the major, and this year he had an impressive outing.

He started his outing at the Augusta National with an opening round of 71 and then carded 72 on the next day. However, he struggled in the third round and carded 74, but bounced back with the final round of 68 and settled in a tie for 14th place.

Edited by Ankita Yadav