Watson rules at Riviera a 3rd time
LOS ANGELES — Bubba Watson ended two years without winning with his third victory at Riviera. Watson seized control Sunday with two par putts as everyone around him was dropping shots, then pulled ahead by holing a bunker shot on the par-3 14th hole. He closed with a 2-under 69 for a twoshot victory in the Genesis Open over Kevin Na and Tony Finau, and more tears on the 18th green.
It was his first victory since he won at Riviera two years ago, rising to No. 4 in the world.
Watson showed up this year at No. 117, coming off a year filled with so many doubts that he says he discussed retirement with his wife on a dozen occasions. If anything, the only talk of retirement should be whether to settle down off Sunset Boulevard.
He joined Ben Hogan and Lloyd Mangrum as threetime winners at Riviera. Hogan’s victories include a U.S. Open.
Na hit a wedge close to perfection from the worst angle on the reachable par-4 10th hole for a birdie and two-putted for birdie on the 11th to briefly take the lead. He fell back with consecutive bogeys from the trees and shot 69. Finau lurked all day. His last chance was an eagle putt on the 17th that stopped inches short of the hole.
Patrick Cantlay had a oneshot lead going to the back nine until he ran into tree trouble on the 12th and 13th holes. The UCLA alum could do no better than pars the rest of the way for a 71 to tie for fourth with Scott Stallings (68).
Phil Mickelson also was in the hunt. He was within one shot of the lead when he hit a 4-iron from a deep bunker on the 15th hole to just right of the green. But he went after birdie and watched the ball roll 20 feet down the hill, leading to bogey. Mickelson shot 68 and tied for sixth.
Coming off good weeks at Phoenix and Pebble Beach, Mickelson has three straight top 10s for the first time since 2009.
Watson, meanwhile, wrapped up another funfilled week in L.A. on and off the golf course, which included an appearance in the NBA All-Star celebrity game, where he shot an air ball from just inside the top of the key and was rejected by Tracy McGrady driving — jogging, really — along the baseline toward the basket.
Far more memorable was getting his 10th career PGA Tour victory.
“My goal has always been to get 10 wins. So many emotions going through my head right now,” Watson said, choking back tears. “You never know if you’re going to play good again. You never know if you’re going to lift the trophy.”
Watson once jokingly said he would retire if he reached 10 tour victories, though this should only motivate him more, especially with the Masters closing in, which he has won twice..
He finished at 12-under 272 and moved to No. 41 in the world, which makes him eligible for the World Golf Championship in Mexico City in two weeks.
Watson had a one-shot lead going into the final round.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson, starting the final round four shots behind after a 64 on Saturday, made a double bogey on No. 5 that derailed him.
Johnson made a triple bogey on that hole in the opening round.
Durant a Champ
NAPLES — Joe Durant birdied the final two holes — and got some help from Steve Stricker — to win the PGA Tour Champions’ Chubb Classic in southwest Florida. Durant shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday for a four-stroke victory over Stricker, David Toms, Lee Janzen, Billy Mayfair and Tim Petrovic.
“The stick-to-itiveness and the intestinal fortitude,” Durant said when asked what he most proud about. “I was nervous starting out, and I missed short putts early, but I kept grinding, kept telling myself that if I could just steady myself, hit some quality shots, the putts would start to go.”
Tied with Durant with two holes left, Stricker dropped a stroke back when Durant birdied the par-5 17th. On the par-4 18th, Stricker hit into the water and made a double bogey for a three-shot swing.
“Not my favorite pin in the world on the right side and the right-to-left wind, and I tried to hold it off and pushed it a little bit,” Stricker said. “He hit a great shot in there, forced me to try to go right straight at it, and I didn’t pull it off.”
The 53-year-old Durant closed with a 15-footer to finish at 19-under 197 on TwinEagles’ Talon course. He was safely on the 18th green when Stricker — needing birdie to tie — hit into the water. Durant earned $240,000 for his third victory on the 50-and-over tour after winning four PGA Tour titles.
LPGA rookie wins
ADELAIDE, Australia — Jin Young Ko of South Korea, playing in her first event as an LPGA Tour member, closed with a 3-under 69 to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the Women’s Australian Open. Ko led by four shots going into the final round at Kooyonga Golf Club. Hyejin Choi (67) pulled within one shot at the turn, but Ko made birdie on No. 9 and pulled away with two more birdies to win by three shots over Choi. Hannah Green (69) of Australia was alone in third. Ko finished at 14-under 274 and earned $195,000. Ko became the second player to claim an LPGA Tour title in her first start as a member, and the first since Beverly Hanson in 1951.