Nick Watney had every reason to see nothing but trouble as he stood on the 18th tee at Doral, a tough tee shot in any circumstance, let alone with a World Golf Championship on the line.
History was hardly on his side Sunday at the Cadillac Championship in Miami.
Two years ago, he lost a duel with Phil Mickelson by one turn of the ball on his final putt the day after he lost focus and pulled his tee shot into the water to make double bogey and lose the lead.
Given another chance, Watney seized it.
He belted his tee shot down the middle, fired an 8-iron over the lake and sank a 12-foot birdie putt for a two-shot victory over Dustin Johnson at the TPC Blue Monster at Doral.
“I wasn’t nervous,” Watney said. “I really wanted to take care of business and to grasp this opportunity. I actually love that feeling; you don’t get it too often. But I really love to be ... yeah, I guess I was a little nervous.
“But it’s fun,” he said when the laughter subsided. “That’s why you play. ...”
The biggest win of his career was worth $1.4 million and puts him in the conversation of top American players.
Watney closed with a 5-under 67, including the birdie he thought was important with Johnson behind him in the 18th fairway after a big drive of his own. Johnson hit a 9-iron that settled 8 feet from the hole. Typical of his final round, he missed it and shot 71.
“I did everything I wanted to do, and just couldn’t get it in the hole,” Johnson said.
Butch Harmon is the swing coach for both of them, and he got choked up when he hugged Watney after his press conference. Harmon started working with Watney when he was a raw talent at Fresno State, hardly one of the elite in the game at the time.
Few players have such a pleasant disposition, so much that Watney’s college buddies called him “Rube” after the character in “Major League II” because he was so polite to the seniors. Against Johnson and the rest of a world-class field, Watney showed no mercy.
BRADLEY WINS 4TH
Michael Bradley took advantage of Troy Matteson’s short par miss on the first extra hole to win the Puerto Rico Open for the second time in three years.
The 44-year-old Bradley closed with his fourth straight 4-under 68 to match Matteson (72) at 16-under 272 at Trump International Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, then parred the par-5 18th in the playoff for his fourth PGA Tour win.
PRICE EDGES WIEBE
Nick Price, who opened the Toshiba Classic with a record-tying 11-under 60, held off Mark Wiebe by a stroke for his fourth career Champions Tour title.
Tracking locals on the PGA tour
TACOMA’S MICHAEL PUTNAM, GIG HARBOR’S KYLE STANLEY, OLYMPIA’S ANDRES GONZALES.
This week: PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open, Trump International Golf Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Stanley’s fourth-round score: 5-under-par 67.
Putnam’s fourth-round score: 3-under 69.
Gonzales’ fourth-round score: 2-over 74.
Position: Putnam (7-under 281) finished tied for 22nd, Stanley (6-under 282) was in a group in 28th and Gonzales (1-under 287) was tied for 59th – all behind playoff winner Michael Bradley (272).
Recap: Putnam, a Life Christian Academy product, easily had his best finish of 2011. He would have been in the top 20 had he not made a late bogey on the 17th hole. ... Stanley appeared to be running in neutral all week, until he eagled both back-nine par-5 holes Sunday to shoot up the leaderboard. ... Two bogeys on his first three holes set the tone of Gonzales’ day.
Next: Stanley is in the Transitions Championship starting Thursday on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, Fla. Putnam is the No. 2 alternate to get into the field.
PUYALLUP’S RYAN MORE
This week: WGC Cadillac Championship, TPC Blue Monster at Doral in Doral, Fla.
Fourth-round score: 3-under-par 69.
Position: Moore (5-under 283) tied for 22nd, 11 strokes behind winner Nick Watney (272).
Recap: Like Saturday, the Puyallup golfer made his move at the turn as he birdied the 10th (6-foot putt), 11th and 12th holes (20-footers) to complete a five-birdie-in-eight-hole stretch playing with U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell.
Next: Transitions Championship starting Thursday on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, Fla.
Todd Milles, staff writer
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