Marc Leishman took charge when Jon Rahm and the other leaders faltered at the start, then held off the charging Rahm at the finish.
Leishman, the 36-year-old Australian, posted a 7-under-par 65 and beat the charging Rahm by one stroke to claim his fifth PGA Tour victory in the Farmers Insurance Open on the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course www.torreypinesgolfcourse.com in La Jolla.
“No. 5 sounds pretty good and to do it on Australia Day is just awesome,” said Leishman, who claimed his 13th victory as a professional. “To win this is great because it will help me support the people who have been affected by the wildfires in Australia.
“I didn’t think this was possible at the start of the day. I didn’t drive the ball very well, but I made a lot of putts, I made a bunch of birdies putts early and then made several for pars later on that might have been more important.
“It’s just awesome to win. I didn’t even dream I would be a five-time winner on this four.”
Leishman, who started the final round four strokes behind Rahm in a tie for seventh, made birdies on five of the first eight holes and added three more on the back, where he took his only bogey at No. 17 while recording a score of 15-under 273.
Rahm, who held a one-stroke lead at the start of the final round, played the first five holes in 4-over before stopping the bleeding with a birdie at No. 6. Then he sank a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 13 and added four birdies on the last five holes, but a bogey at No. 15 proved costly in the end.
The Spaniard left a 53-foot each putt inches short on the last hole to cap a 70 and thought he was in a playoff with Leishman.
“After I made birdie on 17, I though I was tied for the lead because I didn’t hear a roar and didn’t know (Leishman) made a birdie on 18,” who made a 60-foot eagle putt from a similar spot when he won the Farmers in 2017 for his first PGA Tour victory. “I made my birdie on the last hole and thought I was in a playoff until my caddied told me.
“I knew it was possible to come back if I hit the shots, and I did, but I just fell short.”
Brandt Snedeker, who won the Farmers in 2012 and 2016 and his finished second in the tournament twice, made a tap-in eagle on the 13th in a 68 that left him three back in a tie for third with second-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who totaled 69 on a day he could have taken the No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings with a victory.
Tom Hoge was four strokes back in solo fourth following a 68, while Bubba Watson, the 201x Farmers champ, finished at 69 and was one more down in a tie for fifth with Patrick Reed and Patrick Reed, who wound up at 70.
Brandt Snedeker, who won the Farmers in 2012 and 2016 and his finished second in the tournament twice, made a tap-in eagle on the 13th in a 68 that left him three back in a tie for third with second-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who totaled 69 on a day he could have taken the No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings with a victory.
Tom Hoge was four strokes back in solo fourth following a 68, while Bubba Watson, the 201x Farmers champ, finished at 69 and was one more down in a tie for fifth with Patrick Reed and Patrick Reed, who wound up at 70.
Tiger Woods, who has won eight times at Torrey Pines including the 2008 U.S. and will break a tie at 82 with Sam Snead for the most victories in PGA Tour history, posted a 70 and was six strokes back in a tie for ninth with Max Homa of Valencia and Cal (67), Patrick Rodgers of Stanford (68), Beau Hossler of Rancho Santa Margarita (68), Charlie Hoffman of Poway (65) and Harry Higgs (72).
Woods was told my his caddie, Joe LaCava, that his friend Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was killed in a helicopter accident earlier in the day.
“I just found out when Joey told me, but I was wondering why the fans were telling me, ‘Do it for ‘Mamba,’” Woods said shortly after his round. “It’s just a shocker, unbelievable.”
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