This article is part of our Weekly PGA Recap series.
Bubba Watson won a riveting Northern Trust Open on Sunday to move to No. 4 in the world rankings. But he's not in the Big 4, oh no.
Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and now No. 5-ranked Rickie Fowler are the only members of the world's most exclusive golf club, even though Watson has more wins and at least as many majors as all of them but McIlroy. He wasn't in the conversation before outlasting a marquee field that included McIlroy for his ninth career win at storied Riviera Country Club. And he isn't now, after rallying on the back nine to edge former No. 1 Adam Scott and surprising Jason Kokrak by one shot.
Heck, Watson wouldn't even be in a Big 5, if there was one, according to NBC analyst Peter Jacobsen, who said last week in a Golf.com podcast that Japan's Hideki Matsuyama would be the next great player in line.
Yes, there's certainly a shortage of Bubba Love out there.
But why?
Despite possessing the brilliant combination of enormous length off the tee and a Mickelson-esque touch around the greens, Watson is perceived as a golfer who can win on only certain types of courses – courses he likes that suit his game. And while there are some similarities between Riviera and Augusta, where Watson has now won two times each, he has five other wins plus more than a dozen runners-up.
But what detractors really hold against Watson is that they perceive him as
Bubba Watson won a riveting Northern Trust Open on Sunday to move to No. 4 in the world rankings. But he's not in the Big 4, oh no.
Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and now No. 5-ranked Rickie Fowler are the only members of the world's most exclusive golf club, even though Watson has more wins and at least as many majors as all of them but McIlroy. He wasn't in the conversation before outlasting a marquee field that included McIlroy for his ninth career win at storied Riviera Country Club. And he isn't now, after rallying on the back nine to edge former No. 1 Adam Scott and surprising Jason Kokrak by one shot.
Heck, Watson wouldn't even be in a Big 5, if there was one, according to NBC analyst Peter Jacobsen, who said last week in a Golf.com podcast that Japan's Hideki Matsuyama would be the next great player in line.
Yes, there's certainly a shortage of Bubba Love out there.
But why?
Despite possessing the brilliant combination of enormous length off the tee and a Mickelson-esque touch around the greens, Watson is perceived as a golfer who can win on only certain types of courses – courses he likes that suit his game. And while there are some similarities between Riviera and Augusta, where Watson has now won two times each, he has five other wins plus more than a dozen runners-up.
But what detractors really hold against Watson is that they perceive him as eccentric and a bit moody, prone to on-course pouts. True, but he also was engaging, fun and funny in his post-tournament chat with reporters on Sunday, even acknowledging how he's viewed by the public and media.
In the RotoWire League's auction draft, Spieth (eight titles, including two majors) went for $80, McIlroy (17 and 4) and Day (7 and 1) went for $70, Dustin Johnson went for $62, Fowler (5 and 0) went for $61, and Patrick Reed and Matsuyama went for $44 before we got to Watson at $43. Now, prices aren't always "true," especially if a golfer is bid on late, but Watson went early. I didn't get any of those guys, and the one I've been kicking myself over is Watson, because that price was way too low.
The Masters is less than two months away. Spieth (5-1 in the pre-Riviera odds) and McIlroy (6-1) will be the favorites, as they should be. Then oddsmakers had Day at 10-1, Watson and Johnson at 15-1 and Fowler at 25-1. By April, Watson may overtake Day.
Vegas has more love for Watson than the rest of us. As usual, Vegas is the smartest guy in the room.
MONDAY TAKEAWAY
Bubba Watson
Watson had the 54-hole lead, then fell behind as Kokrak surged to a two-stroke lead on the back nine. But Watson showed another quality not usually associated with him: fortitude. He birdied 16 and 17 to overtake Kokrak. He was valued significantly less than Spieth and McIlroy in DraftKings ($13,200 for both of them to his $10,400) and, if the margin continues to be that great in future tourneys, it'll be hard to go against Watson.
Adam Scott
Scott's future was in question after the anchored-putting ban went into effect on Jan. 1. And his ranking had fallen to No. 19. But his tee-to-green game is so strong that he'll be able to contend on certain courses – and Riviera, where putting isn't as all-important as on some tracks, is one of them. Still, Scott did putt well this past week, 15th in strokes gained: putting. That ranking may be skewed somewhat by some long putts Scott made, while missing some critical shorter ones. The upshot is that Scott is still a world-class golfer who can be an integral part of any lineup. He's back up to No. 13 in the world.
John Kokrak
Kokrak came within an eyelash of his first career title thanks to hitting better than 80 percent of greens in regulation, perhaps the key stat for success at Riviera. He was done in by some terrific shots from Watson, plus one fatal bogey of his own on 15. This was by far his best tournament as a pro (he also finished second in the Frys back in 2012). Kokrak is a nice enough player, but this performance came out of the blue, and he remains nothing more than an option in deeper formats.
Dustin Johnson
Johnson finished solo fourth, two shots behind Watson. He's contended at Riviera multiple times, and he's always come up empty. For those who think Watson is a bit of a head case, he's got nothing on Johnson. Johnson will skip this week's Honda before defending his title at the WGC-Cadillac. But chances are better he'll break your heart or torpedo your lineup – and at an inflated price.
K.J. Choi
Choi is an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, albeit one who has been in decline for about five years. But for the second time in a month, he was in the mix for victory. He finished runner-up at Torrey Pines and had a part of the lead on Sunday at Riviera before fading to T5, three strokes back. Unlike Kokrak, Choi has a resume that gamers can fall back on. Will he continue his resurgent play? The feeling is that he will, even though he may not go so far as to win a tournament.
Chez Reavie
Reavie recorded his first top-10 in five years, finishing solo seventh, four strokes back. It continued a stretch of strong play out of the blue for the 34-year-old, a couple of years removed from wrist surgery. Perhaps only now is he finding his form, and he can be an asset in deeper formats. After aT17 at La Quinta, Reavie contended at Pebble Beach before fading on Sunday. He'll give it a go this week at the Honda.
Steve Stricker
Stricker has been playing more than he did last season and, finally, has something to show for it. After three straight MCs, he strung together four strong rounds to tie for 11th at Riviera. Stricker isn't in the Honda and won't qualify for the WGC-Cadillac, so it's going to be at least three weeks for us to learn whether Stricker is on the rebound.
Jimmy Walker
Walker finished his worst West Coast Swing in three years with a missed cut at Riviera. Yes, he has two top-10s this season, including a T4 at Torrey Pines, but the past two years he had had multiple wins by now. And at Torrey, he had a chance to win before a Sunday 77. Walker is definitely a fade.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth opened with a 79 en route to a Friday trunk-slam. That's his 13th missed cut, and that seems like a lot for the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, especially one who is only 22 years old. You may have seen the stat circulating on Friday that 40-year-old Tiger Woods has missed 15 cuts in his entire career. Yes, Spieth is great and will win plenty, but it's just another reminder that he isn't – and won't be – another Tiger.
