February 18, 2014 – Two weeks after Bubba Watson (Ping) made a pair of late bogeys in the Phoenix Open, he delivered the best closing round at Riviera CC (Pacific Palisades, California) in some three decades. Watson played the final 39 holes without a bogey and shot a 7-under 64 on Sunday to win the 2014 Northern Trust Open.

Watson wound up with a two-shot victory over Dustin Johnson (TaylorMade Golf), who closed with a 66 for the second straight week and got the same result. It was as simply as a great golf of Bubba, with his golf bag full of Ping golf clubs, in his fifth victory in his career, and the first in 22 months and 41 tournaments worldwide dating to the 2012 Masters.

Watson, who also shot 64 on Saturday to start the final round four shots behind William McGirt (Cleveland Golf/Srixon), made up ground so quickly that he broke out of a four-way tie for the lead with a birdie on the eighth hole and made the turn in 30. Equally critical were a pair of par saves with 7-foot putts on the 12th and 13th holes.

Johnson, who was second at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am last week after a final-round 66, made birdie on the 15th hole to get within one shot. He didn’t give himself good birdie chances on the last three holes.

Watson made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18^th, finishing at 15-under 269, a lot better than he did two weeks ago in Phoenix, where he missed a short par putt on the last hole to lose by one to Kevin Stadler (Cleveland Golf/Srixon). Has been the best closing round in this tournament since Doug Tewell shot a 63 in 1986.

What’s in Bubba’s golf bag?

• Driver: Ping G25 (8.5º, Pink Grafalloy Bi-Matrix-X, 44,5”, tipped ½”, D4, 703-Gold grips, +10 RH, +12 LH, set 10º open)
• Fairway Woods: Ping G25 3 (16.5º, Fujikura Motore Speeder Tour Spec 8.2 X, tipped 1,5”, 42”, D3, 703-Gold grips, +10 RH, +12 LH, set 10º open)
• Irons: Ping S55 (3-PW, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100, + ½”, Green, D4, 703-Gold grips, +10 top, +12 bottom, set 10º open)
• Wedges: Ping Tour Gorge (52º and 56º, True Temper Dynamic Golf X100, +1/2”, D5, D6, 703-Gold grips, +10 top, +12 bottom, set 10º open); Ping Tour-S Rustique (64º, True Temper Dynamic Golf X100, +1/2”, D0, 703-Gold grips, +11 top, +13 bottom, set 10º open)
• Putter: Ping Anser Milled Anser 1, 34,5”, 21º lie, 3º loft, PP58 Black midsize, +2 wraps
• Golf ball: Titleist Pro V1x
• Apparel: Oakley
• Socks: Kentwool

 

Por REDACCIÓN