Two shots behind with four holes to play, Watson birdied two of his last three holes to overtake Jason Kokrak and hold off Adam Scott for a one-shot victory in the Northern Trust Open.
Watson, who closed with a 3-under 68, won at Riviera for the second time in three years and moved back to No. 4 in the world. He finished at 15-under 269 for his ninth career victory on the PGA Tour.
Watson took advantage of some late mistakes by Kokrak, who was going for his first PGA Tour victory, and his two birdies were enough to turn back the late heroics of Scott, who chipped in for birdie on the 18th for a 67. Kokrak had a 68 to tie for second with Scott.
Rory McIlroy made eagle on the par-5 first hole to tie for the lead. He didn’t make a birdie until the 18th, giving him a 75 to tie for 20th in his Riviera debut.
What a week for Watson. He took his 3-year-old son to hang out with Justin Bieber. He made a cameo appearance in a “ Girl Meets World” episode, and he dashed out of Riviera to hang out with his pals at the Los Angeles Clippers- Golden State Warriors game Saturday night.
Women’s Australian
Open
ADELAIDE, Australia ( AP) — Japan’s Haru Nomura won the Women’s Australian Open for her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 65 for a three-stroke victory.
Nomura finished at 16- under 272 on The Grange’s West Course. The Honolulu based player birdied Nos. 15, 16 and 17 and finished with a bogey.
Top- ranked defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand was second after a 67.
Five-time champion Karrie Webb of Australia shot a 71 to finish third at 9 under.
Maybank
Championship
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Marcus Fraser made a curling 18- foot putt for par on the final hole for a 3-under 68 and a two-stroke victory in the inaugural Maybank Championship Malaysia.
The 37- year- old Australian finished at 15-under 269 at Royal Selangor for his third European Tour title. South Korea’s Lee Soo-min (73) and the Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena (68) tied for second.
The event also was sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
IOA Championship
BEAUMONT, Calif. (AP) — Erynne Lee won the Symetra Tour’s season-opening IOA Championship, making an eagle on the par-5 16th and closing with a 7-under 65 for a one-stroke victory.
The 23-year-old former UCLA player was making her first start on the tour. She finished at 11- under 205 at Tukwet Canyon Golf Club at Morongo and earned $15,000.
Jessica Wallace shot a 70 to finish second. Tied for the lead, the Canadian bogeyed the par-4 18th after driving into the right rough and failing to get up-and-down for par from the fringe.
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