Bubba Watson considered retirement before winning Genesis Open

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Bubba Watson says he thought about retirement before claiming his 10th PGA Tour win at the 2018 Genesis Open.

The 39-year-old shot a 12-under-par 272 for the tournament at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. He fired a 2-under-par 69 in his final round on Sunday to win the tournament.

"It means a lot," Watson said after the victory in an interview with CBS. "My goal has always been to get 10 wins. I just got my 10th win. There are so many emotions going through my head right now. Never know if you are going to play good again. Never know if you are going to be able to lift a trophy again. So many things."

"I thought about retirement. There is just so much stuff going through my head right now. I cant believe I'm going to lift the trophy here in a second."

Watson is ranked No. 40 in the World Golf Rankings. He edged fellow Americans Kevin Na and Tony Finau by two strokes to win the tournament. Watson had five birdies and three bogies in the final round.

Watson said he mentioned retirement 10 or 12 times to his wife Angie, whom he married in 2004.

"We have sat down and had many talks about it, because physically I wasn't where I needed to be to keep continuing to play."

Watson cited several of his off-the-course ventures when asked what he would do without golf.

"Well, I have a car dealership, a candy shop and a baseball team. So we would have had something to do," he said.

Bubba's Sweet Spot is in Pensacola, Fla. He also has a Chevrolet dealership in nearby Milton, Fla. Watson is part owner of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, a minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.

"I was close, my wife was not close," Watson told reporters in a news conference after winning at Riviera. "My wife basically told me to quit whining and play golf. She's a lot tougher than I am. I get a paper cut and I'm out for a week or so. For me, it was tough."

"I'd rather be healthy than play golf," Watson continued. "So, that's what I was focusing on. And I was focussing on the wrong things...pitiful me and not how beautiful my life was."

Watson also won the Genesis Open in 2014 and 2016. He has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the FedExCup during his career. Watson has claimed nearly $40 million in prize money and has two major tournament victories, including the 2012 and 2014 Masters Tournaments.