It was Watson’s second victory in three years at Riviera, and the ninth of his PGA Tour career. That might be gravy.
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After a second-round 70 was blighted by some indifferent putting, McIlroy regained his form with birdies at the second, sixth, 10th, 15th and 17th holes, with his bogey five at the par-four third his only blemish. He closed with a 3-under 68 for a one-shot victory over Kokrak and Scott.
After joking the highlight of the week was hanging with Bieber, Watson admitted that winning at historic Riviera for a second time was the biggest moment. “And that Sunday morning playing with the kids, I had to go take a bathroom break, and same thing”.
During the build-up to the Phoenix Open, Watson was asked by reporters why he liked the hosting TPC Scottsdale layout where he had been a runner-up for the previous two years.
“I didn’t have the pace on the greens at all today”, he explained.
“I thought I was dying, basically, without pain”, Watson said.
“What I was looking for today was to make par and then throw in some lucky birdies”, said Watson, who now has nine wins on the US PGA Tour.
Reavie looked on course to claim the 54-hole lead when he turned in 33 and then made a superb eagle-two at the 10th, where he nailed a 33-foot putt from the front fringe.
For all the birdies, the final round was shaped largely by pars on the 18th hole.
Reavie needed to be great Saturday because Watson, Johnson and Rory McIlroy, among others, weren’t going down without a fight. This time, he played too much of a fade around the eucalyptus trees, and it tumbled down the hill next to the concessions stand. His chip raced by the hole, leaving a downhill par putt from 18 feet that he sank.
Still smiling, he showed his winning mood when he added, “I love it when I win and can just make stuff up”. “It would be nice to hear something like that again tomorrow”.
Dustin Johnson finished fourth on 13 under while Scotland’s Martin Laird was the highest-placed European in tied 11th after a 69 saw him finish on eight under.
“A guy like Bubba, he’s very tough to beat”, Scott said. “Not everyone is just going to fade away. When I got in trouble, I tried to play the smartest way that I know how and that’s how it worked out this week”.
Watson finished at 15-under par. He was able to clip the ball perfectly, and it checked up just 3 feet above the hole. The Aussie made back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15 which he got back with birdies on the final two holes.
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World number one and ante-post Riviera favourite Jordan Spieth opened with a 79 and missed the cut by five shots. And it was this week at Riviera, the 80-year-old course a mile in from the Pacific that, because Ben Hogan won there four times, carries the nickname “Hogan’s Alley”.
