Back in 2012 Denny Hamlin Took Up Caddy Duties for 2X Golf Major Champ Bubba Watson

There’s nothing quite as fun as watching Denny Hamlin play golf as seriously as he goes racing. Whether it’s his constant involvement in The Golf Guys Tour or even having a sim-golf setup ready to go, Hamlin has slowly been stepping up his game on the lawn. But did you know about the friendship he’s built with the PGA Tour legend Bubba Watson over the years and how it started?

One fan on Reddit went down the rabbit hole after hearing Larry Mac mention Hamlin’s shenanigans as Watson’s caddy during a race. Let’s take a look at what went down all those years ago to make Denny Hamlin and Bubba Watson cross paths and how it’s grown into a wholesome relationship today.

Bubba Watson’s family are NASCAR enthusiasts

It’s no secret that Bubba Watson’s family has been long-time NASCAR fans. Whether it’s his grandfather and his love for Dale Earnhardt or his father who supported Jeff Gordon, the Florida native has always been close to NASCAR despite never having been to a race himself. But it was when he got wind of Denny Hamlin and his love for golf that things took a turn. As the story goes, over a decade ago, Hamlin was Watson’s caddy for the Par 3 contest a day before the masters.

A user who was alerted to the same by the legendary crew chief shared his amazement on Reddit. “How many people knew this? Watching the 2012 spring Kansas race, and Larry Mac mentions this. I knew he and Bubba are good friends through golf, and that Denny is very good with a club, so maybe this isn’t as surprising others as it was me. Just a cool little tidbit of information for the off-season.”

Sharing pictures of Hamlin and Watson all smiles on the golf course, the user was quite amazed to know Hamlin’s relationship with the 12-time PGA Tour victor dated back to a time when he won in the Master’s tournament in 2012. Other users also chimed in to share their disbelief, “I remember Bubba Watson joking about joining 23XI Racing, but I had no idea that he and Denny Hamlin are friends.”

However, the surprise might be short-lived once the fans figure out that Hamlin was only a caddy for Watson during the Par 3 contest, an honor which was bestowed upon the golfer’s children or other celebrities most of the time owing to its inconsequential nature toward the Masters.

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Fortunately, while Hamlin might not have played a major role in assisting Watson back in 2012, he certainly redeemed himself in 2020!

The time when Hamlin and Watson joined forces to save the day

When the world was struck by the pandemic, Denny Hamlin and Bubba Watson were one of the first to jump in on the All In Challenge, a fundraiser aimed at raising money for several causes. This also entailed that charitable contributors could stand a chance to play a round of golf with Hamlin and Watson on 23XI co-owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan’s golf course.

Back in 2020, when Hamlin had shared his thoughts on social media and wrote, “We all know that this coronavirus has affected millions of people all over the world, and I’m going to try to do my part to help pitch in and raise tens of millions of dollars to feed families in need,” Watson had replied to the driver with a video that said, “Hey Denny, I love it, I’m in for sure. Grove 23, Michael Jordan’s golf course? Who doesn’t want to play that.”

Adding to the enticing proposition, Watson also offered his personal Richard Millie RM 39-01 worth roughly $120,000 along with other goodies from Ping Golf as he shared, “You know what though? Ping is all in as well. They are going to give everybody (in the group) a set of clubs, custom-fit to them.”

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It’s safe to say that Denny Hamlin might have been a caddy to Bubba Watson in a rather insignificant event, but his stint with Watson during the all-in challenge certainly did its part to help the total reach close to $60 million today. With that said, what has been your favourite moment from their unique journey as unlikely friends so far?