? American blames poor pronunciation for furore in French press
? World No15's comments came after missing cut at Versailles
Repentance, thy name is Bubba Watson, the American Ryder Cup star who began this Open Championship week with a wholesale apology to the great nation of France after causing uproar on his last trip across the Atlantic to play in Versailles.
The world No15 missed the cut in the French Open two weeks ago but that was the least of his problems after a succession of incidents and interviews that, if nothing else, perpetuated the stereotype of the insular and coddled PGA Tour professional. Among his many "crimes" was a misguided tour of the great Parisian landmarks, or as Bubba put it "that big tower" (the Eiffel Tower), the "building starting with an L" (the Louvre) and "this arch I drove round in a circle" (the Arc de Triomphe).
"I didn't know how to pronounce the names in the right way. That's my bad. They say it was disrespectful and I'm sorry for that. But I'm a golfer not a history major," he explained before heading off to play a practice round at Royal St George's.
Over the last year Watson has become one of the most popular figures in American golf. His big-hitting, freewheeling style has often led him to be compared to John Daly and this season it has paid dividends on the course, securing him two victories on the PGA Tour. His popularity was threatening to spread to Europe, although he acknowledged he now has ground to recover.
"I didn't know I had done anything wrong until I got back to the United States and discovered there had been a lot of negative press about me. I didn't mean any harm. I just told [French journalists] what was different over there to what I was used to. That's what was wrong. I was uncomfortable,'' he told the Guardian.
"It is just like being uncomfortable with heights. I am uncomfortable with heights, I'm scared of the dark and I am scared of big crowds. So for me to be among a bunch of big crowds like there was in France ? it was different for me."
That being so Watson, who has in the past said he suffers from attention deficit disorder, might be in for a shock this week, with organisers at the Open in Kent expecting upwards of 40,000 spectators every day.
Contrary to earlier reports, the 32-year-old American did not receive a $200,000 (�126,000) appearance fee for journeying across the Atlantic.
He did in fact choose to play in France, believing that he needed to broaden his horizons. However, he was shocked when he arrived for the tournament and discovered he was the draw card in the field.
"I didn't understand that I was the big star of the week because I don't go over to Europe that much. I'm not used to being the star, so I have never been interviewed when I have played that bad.
"After the first day I was 128th and after the second day I was still in the hundreds, so I couldn't understand why anybody would want to interview me playing bad golf," he said.
"But now I see that I was wrong. There is a lot of learning I have to do and a lot of growing up I have to do."
As for future overseas trips, Watson said he intended to play in two more European Tour events this year. "I would also like to go back to France next year," he added. "Though I am not sure they will want me after all this stuff."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jul/11/the-open-2011-bubba-watson
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