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 A stroke in front overnight, the American left-hander twice fell two
off the pace as first Adam Scott and then Jason Kokrak broke clear
but he regained control of the tournament with two birdies in the
last three holes.
Watson, who has always loved playing on the iconic Riviera Country
Club layout, shot 68 on a breezy afternoon to land his ninth PGA
Tour title with a 15-under total of 269.
"It means a lot," Watson, who won the 2014 Northern Trust Open two
months before claiming his second Masters title, told CBS Sports in
a greenside interview.
"You never know when your last (win) is going to be. So for me to
come back and to win, and pull one out in a tough way, is special
for me and my family.
"It's all about staying patient with (caddie) Teddy (Scott) in my
ear. It's been a struggle over the last five years but it's going in
the right direction."
Australian Scott, after an electrifying start that included an eagle
and three birdies in his first six holes, carded a roller-coaster 67
to share second place with long-hitting American Kokrak (68).
"There wasn't a lot in it," said Scott, who ended his round with a
birdie-birdie flourish, including a chip-in at the last.
"I played a good round of golf around a pretty demanding course
again today."
World number three Rory McIlroy squandered a fast start with an
erratic putting display as he shot 75 to finish nine shots off the
pace.
A final-round shootout was always on the cards and the day began
explosively as playing companions Scott and McIlroy both sank
lengthy putts to eagle the par-five first, Scott sinking a 36-footer
and McIlroy a 24-footer.
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By the time Watson lined up a three-foot birdie at the same hole,
five players were level with him at the top of the leaderboard, at
12 under.
Though Watson briefly regained his one-shot advantage with his
birdie at the first, he was soon overtaken by the red-hot Scott, who
drained putts from 32 feet at the third, 20 feet at the fourth and
four feet at the sixth to move two strokes clear.
Scott stumbled with a double-bogey at the eighth, after his tee shot
ended up in a creek bed dividing the two fairways on the hole, as
the leaderboard bunched up again before Kokrak moved two ahead with
a four-foot birdie putt at the 13th.
However Kokrak also faltered, with a bogey at the 15th after he
over-hit the green with an adrenalin-fuelled approach, and Watson
took control for good with birdies at the 16th and 17th.
(Editing by Andrew Both)
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