Watson cruises past Kisner
Dell Technologies Match Play ends with rout in final
Bubba Watson made the final of the Dell Technologies Match Play look as though he were on vacation all along.
Watson won his second World Golf Championships title Sunday with the biggest blowout since the championship matched switched to 18 holes in 2011, a 7-and-6 victory over Kevin Kisner in Austin, Texas.
Watson wasn’t as sharp as he was in the semifinals against Justin Thomas, whom he beat in 16 holes to deny Thomas going to No. 1 in the world rankings. He didn’t have to be in the final. If not for missing a four-foot birdie putt on the par-5 sixth, Watson would have won the first seven holes. Kisner had a lot to do with that. After escaping in 19 holes against Alex Noren in his semifinal match, Kisner didn’t put up much of a fight. He made four straight bogeys and only twice on the front nine was putting for birdie.
Watson had scheduled a family vacation out of the country on Sunday, which he had to postpone.
Watson figured he hardly ever makes it this far in golf ’s most fickle format, so it was a good problem to have.
There was nothing fickle about his game, especially on the final day.
Watson never trailed in the 28 holes he played Sunday, and he was never seriously threatened.
The tougher match was against Thomas, the PGA champion who needed only to reach the championship match to replace Dustin Johnson at No. 1 in the world.
Watson went out to a 3-up lead on the front nine, and when Thomas closed to one down at the turn with his first birdie putt, Watson won two of the next three holes to regain control.
Thomas didn’t make another birdie until the par-5 16th, and by then it was too late. Watson made his birdie from three feet for a 3-and-2 victory.
Thomas said he was too consumed with what was at stake.
“I haven’t had such a hard time not thinking about something so much, and that really sucked,” Thomas said.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it, to be perfectly honest. And I think you’re constantly getting questions about it with the media. But I need to be mentally stronger than that, and understand that it’s just a match.”
One year after Watson disappeared from among the elite in golf, he has won his last two starts.
He was No. 117 in the world when he arrived at Riviera, where he won for the third time in his career. With his 11th victory on the PGA Tour, he is back up to No. 21.
JI ACES 14TH IN WIN
Meanwhile in the LPGA, EunHee Ji had a hole-in-one to dramatically finish off Cristie Kerr and the other challengers on Sunday in the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.
Her lead cut from four strokes to one, Ji aced the 156-yard 14th with a seven-iron, the ball bouncing and rolling into the hole, to push her advantage to three shots.
Ji finished with a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory in the final event before the major ANA Inspiration next week at Mission Hills.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., led the Canadians, finishing eight strokes back.