Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson wrote his name alongside some of the greats of the game once more after a two-year drought in which he considered retirement.
Watson became the fifth player to capture what is now the Genesis Open at least three times when he carded a 2-under-par 69 in the final round to beat Kevin Na and Diamond Bar and Tony Finau by two strokes at Riviera Country Club.
“It means a lot,” said Watson, who won for the first time since 2016 at Riviera and claimed his 10th PGA Tour victory after struggling through a difficult season last year because of a mysterious illness. “I’ve always said I wanted to get 10 wins.
“There are so many emotions right now. It didn’t know if I could play good again and lift another trophy. God gave me a gift to be able to play golf. I even thought about retiring, but I’m not good enough to do anything else.”
Bubba, who also won the tournament in 2014, posted a score of 12-under 272 to join Macdonald Smith and Lloyd Mangrum, who won what started out as the Los Angeles Open four times, and Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer, who each claimed the title three times.
Na held the lead before making bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes and finished with a 69, the same score as Finau, who got close with a birdie on the 17th hole.
Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA, who held at least a share of the lead after each of the first two rounds, shot 71 to finish three back in a tie for fourth with Scott Stallings, who recorded a third straight 68.
Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner at Riviera, was within one shot of the lead before carding bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes and wound up at 68 to finish another stroke behind in a tie for sixth with Cameron Smith of Australia, who shot 65, and Adam Hadwin of Canada, who put up a second straight 66.
Third-ranked Jordan Spieth posted a 67 to wind up five down in a tie for ninth with fourth-ranked Justin Thomas (70), Xander Schauffele (68) of La Jolla and San Diego State, Martin Laird (68) of Scotland and Ryan Moore (70).
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson, the defending champion, closed with a 73 to tie for 16th and 10th-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tied for 20th after a 68.
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