Bubba Watson was stricken with an unexplained illness last year and suffered through the worst season of his PGA Tour career.
Watson seems to be back and has shown it at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, one of his favorite courses, where he shot 6-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA after three rounds of the Genesis Open.
“It was a grind,” said Watson, the two-time Masters champion, who won at Riviera in 2014 and 2016. “Of course, it’s easy when you have a tap-in for eagle, and I also chipped in for birdie (on the sixth hole). Mostly, I just played solid and it was a good day.
“I made my mistakes in the right place. This course will make you mess up, but it’s just golf. On Sunday, I just want to stay ahead of the rest of the guys.”
Watson started his day with a tap-in eagle on the first hole to kick-start his round and finished with a 54-hole total of 10-under 203.
Cantlay, who had at least a share of the lead after each of the first two rounds, sank an improbable 54-foot birdie putt on the famed 18th hole at Riviera, with its natural amphitheater backdrop, to cap a 69.
Cameron Smith of Australia holed a nine-foot eagle putt at No. 16 on the 16th hole and matched Watson’s 65 to sit two shots behind in a tie for third with Kevin Na of Diamond Bar, who shot 67, Tony Finau, who finished at 68, and Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, who came in at 70.
Derek Fathauer holed his second shot on the fly from 120 yards for an eagle on the third hole in a 68 and is three shots back in seventh, while top-ranked Dustin Johnson roared into contention with a 64 after opening with an eagle and is another stroke back in a tie for eighth with fourth-ranked Justin Thomas (67), Aaron Baddeley (67) of Australia, Scott Stallings (68) and Ryan Moore (71).
Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner at Riviera, shot 67 and is tied for 13th, while third-ranked Jordan Spieth is tied for 20th after a 69 and 10-ranked Rory McIlroy posted a 73 and is tied for 42nd.
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