Monday 22 February 2016 09:33, UK
Bubba Watson held his nerve at the business end of an enthralling final round at Riviera Country Club to clinch a one-shot victory at the Northern Trust Open.
On a day when the lead changed hands on numerous occasions, Watson picked up crucial birdies at the 16th and 17th before a cast-iron par at the last earned him the ninth PGA Tour title of his career.
Rory McIlroy plummeted out of contention following an eagle at the first, dropping three shots in four holes on the front nine before making three bogeys in a row from the 12th, while Adam Scott came up one short after failing to build on an incredible start which yielded an eagle and three birdies over the first six holes.
Jason Kokrak and KJ Choi both held the lead before faltering down the stretch, leaving Watson to take advantage as a solid 68 gave him a winning score of 15 under par.
Watson opened with a birdie but struggled to get his approaches within 30 feet of the pin over the next five holes before he found sand twice at the seventh and bogeyed to slip back to 12 under.
But the two-time Masters champion got back under the card when he rolled in a close-range birdie putt at the ninth, and he picked up another shot with a superb 30-foot putt at the tricky 11th.
He took another step backwards after tugging his approach into greenside rough at the 13th, but he converted a delightful tee shot to within six feet at the short 16th before hitting the 17th in two and two-putting from over 40 feet for the birdie that took him into the outright lead.
And after Kokrak's birdie putt at the last grazed the edge of the cup, Watson had the luxury of two putts from 12 feet to secure his first PGA Tour victory since the Travelers Championship in June last year.
Kokrak appeared on course for a surprise victory after he birdied the first two holes en route to an outward 32, and a five-foot birdie putt dropped at the 13th which took him two clear of the chasing pack on 15 under.
But he missed the green with his approach to the 15th green and failed to get up and down, and he did well to save par at the next two holes before slightly misreading his birdie putt at the last.
Kokrak's 68 earned him a share of second with Scott, who set pulses racing when he holed from 35 feet for eagle at the first, and his putter was the hottest on the course as he birdied the third, fourth and sixth to hit the front on 15 under.
But the Australian came to grief after a poor drive at the eighth and ran up a double-bogey six, although he got one shot back at 11 before making back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15.
Scott rallied late as he birdied the 17th and then chipped in for another at the last for a 67, while playing partner McIlroy also holed from the rear fringe to end a miserable day with a smile.
The world No 3 was tied for the lead when he holed a 25-footer for eagle at the opening hole, but his all-round game deserted him as he three-putted the fourth and seventh greens either side of another bogey at the sixth.
Any hopes he had of mounting a back-nine charge vanished when he carved his second shot to 11 way right and ran up a six which began a run of three straight bogeys, and another wayward iron cost him a further shot at 16 as he limped in with a 75 to finish tied for 20th on six under.
Dustin Johnson followed a birdie with a bogey three times and closed with a 69 to finish two off the pace, while Marc Leishman and Choi, who birdied four of the first six holes, both wilted down the stretch and shared fifth on 12 under.
