Bubba Watson fired a second consecutive bogey-free, 7-under-par 64 to claim a two-stroke victory over Dustin Johnson in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, winning for the first time since the 2012 Masters.
Watson, who earned his fifth PGA Tour victory, came to the famed final hole at Riviera needing only a par to win, but punctuated his brilliant weekend by holing a 14-foot putt for his 22nd birdie of the tournament, tied for the most in the field.
“I’ve been playing well,” said Watson, who tied for second behind Kevin Stadler two weeks earlier in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. “I hit the ball well this week and I went back to my old putter.
“My bad shots turned out good and the other guys didn’t make birdies on the last few holes.”
Johnson closed with a bogey-free 66 and to finish second after tying for the runner-up spot behind Jimmy Walker last week in the at Pebble Beach, posting his fourth top-10 finish of the 2013-14 season, including a victory in the WGC-HSBC Champions in China last November.
Monday qualifier Jason Allred, a 2002 Pepperdine graduate, finished with a bogey-free 68 to wind up three shots back with the best finish of his PGA career, a tie for third with Brian Harmon, who also had a 68.
Charles Schwartzel of South Africa carded another 68 to finish solo fifth, while 54-hole leader William McGirt, seeking his first PGA Tour victory, struggled to a 73 and wound up in a tie for sixth.
Brendan Steele of Irvine and UC Riverside came in with a 69 to tie for 10th.
