Watson surprises himself by taking match play title
Bubba no fan of format, but cashes $1.7M
AUSTIN, Texas — Bubba Watson was in high spirits for someone with such low expectations at the Dell Technologies Match Play.
Walking to the sixth tee, already 2 up in his semifinal match against Justin Thomas, he smiled and said, “Just remember, I was beating No. 1 at some point.” Thomas only had to win that match to reach No. 1 in the world, and Watson figured that’s what would happen.
It was about the only thing he got wrong Sunday.
Watson denied Thomas with a brand of golf that was close to flawless, and then he made the final look as though he were on vacation all along. Watson won his second World Golf Championship with the biggest blowout since the title match switched to 18 holes in 2011, a 7-and-6 victory over Kevin Kisner.
He sure didn’t expect to play only 28 holes in two matches on the final day at Austin Country Club, lead after every one of them, and pose with the trophy.
“There’s stories all different directions that didn’t go the way I saw it,” he said. “It worked out in my favor. I’m glad I didn’t see it.”
Watson wasn’t as sharp in the final as he was in his 3-and-2 victory over Thomas, and didn’t have to be. If not for missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole of the championship match, Watson would have won the first seven holes.
Kisner contributed to that. After escaping in 19 holes against Alex Noren in the semifinals, in which Noren had putts of 10 feet and 7 feet on the last two holes to win, Kisner didn’t put up much of a fight. He made four straight bogeys, and only twice was putting for birdie through 10 holes.
“I don’t know what was going on. It was just pitiful,” Kisner said. “I’ve just got to forget this 12 holes and get back to working on the things that got me here.”
Watson never expected to be here, mainly because this fickle format is not his favorite. He reached the semifinals his first year in 2011 — losing to Martin Kaymer, the PGA champion, for Kaymer to go to No. 1 in the world — and only made it to the weekend once after that.
So he booked a family vacation for Sunday, and then had to change his plans, which was a good problem to have.
Watson won $1.7 million for his 11th career victory on the PGA Tour.
At Carlsbad, California, Eun-hee Ji had a hole-in-one to dramatically finish off Cristie Kerr and the other challengers in the Kia Classic.
Her lead cut from four strokes to one, Ji aced the 156-yard 14that Aviara with a 7-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 total of 16-under 272 and a two-stroke victory over Kerr (68) and Lizette Salas (69).
At Biloxi, Mississippi, Steve Stricker pulled away on the back nine at Fallen Oak to win the Rapiscan Systems Classic for his second straight PGA Tour Champions victory. Stricker closed with a 4-under 68, birdieing all four par-5 holes on the Tom Fazio-designed layout with big and fast greens, to finish at 11-under 205 for a threestroke victory over Billy Andrade (69). Stricker won the Cologuard Classic three weeks ago in Tucson, Arizona, for his first victory on the 50-and-over tour.
At Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Brice Garnett closed with a 2-under 70 to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship for his first PGA Tour title. Two strokes ahead after three late wind-blown bogeys on Saturday, Garnett, 34, finished at 18-under 270 for a four-stroke victory over Keith Mitchell (67).
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