Winless so far this season, Rory McIlroy’s eagle on the first hole enabled him to catch a tantalising glimpse of a possible victory only for the world number three to fall away to a final round 75 for tied 20th in the Northern Trust Open at famed Riviera, as two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson stole in with a closing 68 for 15-under-par 269 to claim the title for a second time.
Watson finished one stroke clear of big-hitting Jason Kokrak and former Masters champion Adam Scott.
Overnight leader Watson had 10 players within three shots of him going into the final round.
In 2014, when he last won the LA Open, Watson went on to win the green jacket at Augusta. “To win in a tough way means a lot . . . for me is it is about staying patient,” said Watson, after his ninth PGA Tour win.
Statement of intent
Playing in the tournament for the first time, the Northern Irish man had shot 67, 69 and a 67 over the first three days and he made a real statement of intent on the final day with an opening eagle on the on the Par 5 first where he hit his approach to 25 feet to jump into an early share of the lead.
But it was all downhill from there on, as McIlroy ran up seven bogeys – including a run of three successive dropped shots from the 11th – and only salvaged a closing round 75 with a birdie on the 18th to sign off with a 75 for 278.
If that eagle on the first had briefly thrown McIlroy into what he had predicted would be a final day “shoot-out,” the reality was that he became a bit character as Watson, Australian Scott – who had an electrifying start that included an eagle and three birdies in his first six holes to ultimately card a rollercoaster 67 – Kokrak – chasing a maiden tour win – and Dustin Johnson became the main players in the drama.
Australia’s Marc Leishmann and KJ Choi of South Korea carded 69s to finish tied in fifth place.
Disappointing
McIlroy’s tied-20th finishing position was disappointing mainly for his failure to bring the momentum of that opening eagle into the rest of his round, and he heads back to the east coast for this week’s Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens and next week’s WGC-Cadillac championship in Doral seeking to improve his iron play.
One hole effectively ruined Pádraig Harrington’s bid to leapfrog up the leaderboard.
Having started the final round inside the top-20, the Dubliner’s triple bogey seven on the 408 yards Par 4 seventh – where he drove into a fairway bunker, compounded the error but hitting his next into another fairway bunker and then found a greenside bunker before three-putting – proved very costly as he signed for a closing 75 for 282, two-under-par, in tied-45th.
Harrington defends his Honda Classic title in Florida this week, where McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell will also be in the field.
