Thursday it was Camilo Villegas.
Friday it was Jason Kokrak.
Now it’s Bubba Watson’s turn to top the leader board at the Northern Trust Open and he did with a steady round Saturday that produced a four-under par 67 that put him 12-under through 54 holes.
Watson went bogey-free on the back nine at Riviera Country Club and made a superb up-and-down for par at the 18th hole from the right side of the green to preserve a one-shot margin. He was also more accurate with his driver in the third round, hitting 10 fairways as opposed to two on Friday.
“Making the putts. It always comes down to making the putts,” Watson said, not worrying about playing from the rough at Riviera. “The key for me is always putting.”
Watson will have plenty of quality players pursuing him on Sunday.
Dustin Johnson is a shot back at 11-under. He salvaged an important par at 18 after hitting an errant drive.
Rory McIlroy is another shot back at 10-under and like Watson, made a terrific up-and-down for par from right of the 18th green.
There are plenty of smaller names in the mix as well. Overnight leader Kokrak’s 70 put him in the group at 11-under with Johnson and Chez Reavie. Reavie, who led by as many as three shots early on the back nine, shot 69 and produced a spectacular eagle at the difficult par four 10th when he drove just short of the green and holed a 28-footer from just off the green with his putter.
Adam Scott, who has found a short putter that works for him, is in the mix. He’s in the 10-under group with McIlroy along with K.J. Choi, Marc Leishman and Kevin Chappell.
With the top of the leader board bunched, it’s anyone’s tournament on Sunday.
