Watson wins at Riviera as McIlroy collapses

“I’m just saying, the mental stress, that I had to just bite my tongue, sometimes when things are written or things are said, and there was a lot of things said in between those ropes”. It’s all about the steadiness on the greens.

Kokrak, who held a two-shot lead on the back nine for a stretch, finished in a tie for second at 14 under with Scott after bogeying the par-4 15th.

Watson was at 12-under 201. Bubba Watson waves on the 18th green as he wins the Northern Trust Open golf tournament Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles.

For Watson this was something of a Riviera redemption, a chance to put another hard chapter behind him and improve, both as a player and a person. In his last three outings he shot 73s in Maui and Phoenix and 74 at Pebble Beach.

Watson, 37, got a needling text from the 27-year-old when Fowler vaulted over him in the rankings with his January victory in the Middle East.

“Five years ago (my doctor) said there was one more in my system and obviously it decided this week”. You get excited and you want to do so well. “If I putt well, I’m always kind of close to the top-10, top-20”.

Several golfers got off to hot starts Sunday thanks in part to the par-five first being the easiest hole on the course this week.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Marcus Fraser made a curling 18-foot putt for par on the final hole for a 3-under 68 and a two-stroke victory in the inaugural Maybank Championship Malaysia.

“I’m very happy. The last few days have been good”.

“They set me up with a place”.

“Sure, this is a ball-striker’s golf course, so even if you have shorter irons in, you still have to hit them in the right spot”.

Watson took the lead with a birdie that was pure Bubba.

His tee shot sailed 321 yards to the fairway.

Moore’s tee shot flew just over the bunker fronting the green, took a good bounce out of the rough and rolled straight toward the pin, smoothly dropping in the hole like a putt. Scott held the lead during Sunday’s round, as did many players, but he had trouble with his putter.

Considering the history of the event and with the leaderboard crowded as it is, 72 holes might not be enough to determine a victor.

Rory McIlroy’s hopes of launching his Masters preparations with a victory fell apart however after the world number three from Northern Ireland fired a final round four-over-par 75. Play now moves to Florida, which is the road to Augusta, Ga., and the Masters, a tournament Watson also has won twice and certainly will be a favorite in this year.

“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. He said Riviera is a wonderful course, and he was very much in contention for 54 holes.

“You have to try and play a solid round of golf and see where the chips fall”.