‘Bad golf’ on final stretch sinks Watson
CROMWELL — Another memorable Sunday seemed in sight Saturday afternoon, Bubba Watson stalking the third-round lead one more time at the Travelers Championship, with three holes left to be played.
It did not end that way. Watson’s tee shots found bunkers on the par-3 16th hole and the par-4 17th. He parred 18 to finish with a 3-under 67 on Saturday, 10-under for the tournament, six behind leader Paul Casey.
“Bad golf,” said Watson, 39, who came from behind on Sunday to win at TPC River Highlands in 2010 and again in 2015.
“I missed the par putt. I missed the other par putt, then tap-in for bogey. Bad decision on the par 3, then very tough tee shot for me on 17, just creeped into the bunker. That’s golf. You have mistakes every once in a while.”
Watson wasn’t the only big name with ups and downs on a chilly, dreary Saturday. Rory McIlroy looked as if he might finish strong, chipping in for eagle on 15, but he three-putted from 11 feet on
18 to finish at 8-under for the tournament.
Jason Day had a couple of bogeys against six birdies, leaving him tied with Watson and three others for sixth.
“I’m happy the way I’m playing right now. I played well today from tee to green,” Day said. “I could have tidied up a few more putts on the greens. But for the most part, I feel good about my game. Short game’s nice. Tomorrow it all depends on how Paul plays.”
In 2010, Watson was six shots behind third-round leader Justin Rose and came back to win in a playoff. He trailed Brian Harman by a shot in 2015, but won in a playoff against Casey.
Seven men have won this tournament, in all its different incarnations since 1952, more than once. But only the first, Billy Casper, has won more than twice; he did it four times in 11 years, from 1963-73.
Joining Casper will be a tall task on Sunday for Watson.
“You’ve got to just play golf, and hopefully you have a good one,” Watson said. “My 7-under (Friday, tied for the low secondround score), I need to be better than that. I’m going to have to get to, like, 10 (-under).”
“If the weather is better than this, guys are going to make birdies. We’ve seen it on this golf course. The only beauty is, getting out in front, you have a chance to put a number up and scare ‘em, but to scare ‘em, you’re gonna have to shoot 10-under, where I’m at.”
Watson had birdies on his first two holes Saturday, then Nos. 7, 13 and 15, before the afternoon turned against him.