For more than half the day, a Cinderella story was brewing at the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.
Bubba Watson would have none of it. The player who won at Riviera in 2014, came through again down the stretch to earn his ninth PGA Tour Victory.
Watson came through with two big birdies, the first at the 16th hole when he stuffed his tee shot on the par three within five feet and holed it to tie Jason Kokrak. At the par five 17th, when Kokrak drove in trouble, Watson hit two big shots and two-putted from just inside 45 feet for a second birdie that got him to 15-under.
Kokrak did not go quietly. At the 18th, his birdie bit from just inside 14 feet looked good all the way until it slip off the left side of the hole at the last second, giving Watson two-putts from 10 feet for the win.
“It means a lot,” Watson said after shooting 68 and picking up a second win at Riviera in the last three years. “To come back and win and pull it out is very special to me and my family. It’s all about the mind. Stay patient — it’s workin’ in the right direction.”
Watson won by a shot over Kokrak and Adam Scott. It was Scott who set the early tone, he was five-under after the first five holes and seemingly headed toward a victory. But two ugly three-putts cost him his shot at the win. The first came at the eighth hole and the result was a double-bogey. The second came at the 15th. His birdie-birdie finish, including a chip-in at 18 wasn’t enough to make up for it.
“Wish I could have gotten one or two better,” Scott lamented afterward. “He’s (Bubba) obviously playing well.”
Scott and Kokrak tied for second at 14-under, Dustin Johnson’s 69 got him to 13-under and he was alone in fourth.
Disappointment of the day was the performance of Rory McIlroy. The world’s No. 3 started out with an eagle at the opening hole but it all started to fall apart with his first bogey of the day at the sixth. Two more on the front nine and four on the back nine left him with an embarrassing 75 that dropped him into a tie for 20th.
But there would be no such disappointment for Watson.
The last time he won at Riviera, he went on two win the Masters.
