Watson has had an impressive 2011, with two PGA wins this season. In January 2011 Watson won the Farmers Insurance Open shooting 16 under par beating Phil Mickelson by one stroke. He picked up his second win of the 2011 season at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans when Watson defeated Webb Simpson in a play-off. At the second play-off hole, Watson made birdie to win the tournament as Simpson could only manage par.

Watson's first major championship win came at the 2012 Masters Tournament. He began the final round at six-under-par, three strokes off the lead. After recording four consecutive birdies for a round of 68 (-4) Watson was tied for the lead with Louis Oosthuizen at ten-under-par. Waston found victory on the second sudden-death playoff hole, the downhill 10th, after executing a miraculous recovery shot from deep in the woods and making par against Oosthuizen who made bogey. The win took him to a career-high world ranking of four.