Bubba Watson takes alarm attacks in stride

Bubba Watson revealed in a news conference Wednesday that he has suffered from panic attacks in the past, including three hospital visits during which he underwent extensive tests.

In response to a question about Charlie Beljan, who suffered from panic attacks while winning last year’s Children’s Miracle Network Classic, Watson said, “I’ve had a lot of panic attacks off the golf course … thinking I was having something wrong with my heart and my wife is like, ‘What is wrong with you?’ So I’ve had some issues.”

The most recent panic attack occurred during the 2011 Northern Trust Open, when he posted an opening-round 76 before withdrawing from the tournament and checking himself into a hospital.

Dealing with severe bouts of anxiety are nothing new for Watson, who said his last such experience happened two years ago in Los Angeles (he withdrew from the 2011 Northern Trust Open after a first-round 76). That episode led to what he said has become an every-other-year visit to the ER and a battery of tests indicating he was fine.

Later that season, Watson sounded like a guy who needed a break from his day job rather than one who shared the 36-hole lead. At the time, Watson was dealing with the “instant fame” of becoming a three-time tour winner, as well as the aftermath of criticism he took for ill-considered remarks he made while traveling in France.

“It’s just hard, it’s hard,” Watson told Golf Channel after the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. “You take a lot of energy, your mental game goes, and I feel tired at the end of the day, I feel like I’m sick, I feel like something’s wrong with me and it’s just all the energy it takes to play on the top level every week.”

This week, Watson acknowledged the toll his work took on him but reported that doctors could find nothing wrong.

BubbaCharlie Beljan's win last year at Disney was remarkable considering he struggled to make it through the second round because of a panic attack that eventually landed him in the hospital.

Masters champion Bubba Watson, known for being high strung himself, knows how Beljan felt.

During his press conference Wednesday at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, which starts Friday, Watson was asked about Beljan and panic attacks. Watson revealed that he'd been to the hospital three times over the years because of panic attacks.