Hero World Challenge: Bubba Watson’s cup of joy bubbles over

The two-time Masters winner, who had opted out of the field but changed his mind when his daughter’s travel papers were okayed and Australian Jason Day pulled out, opened up an early gap before strolling to a four-day total of 25-under par 263, one short of defending champion Jordan Spieth’s score at Isleworth in Florida last year.

Watson shot a six under 66 to finish three ahead of Patrick Reed for the day to receive the tiger-themed tournament trophy and the $1 million winner’s cheque from event host and five-time former champion Tiger Woods in front of his wife and children.

“I guess I’ve got to thank Jason Day for backing out. I have to thank the U.S. government and passport office for getting Dakota a passport so we could be here,” Watson said.

“I want my name to be close to that leaderboard every tournament, every year, so people are always talking about Bubba Watson, about how consistent he is and good he is,” Watson said. “That’s my whole focus right now, every year getting better and better.”

Watson kept a safe distance from the field with a rash of early birdies — he had seven in all on the day plus an eagle, before dropping his shot of the week on the final hole. By then, he was home and dry.

Rickie Fowler hit a 64 to finish third, while the course record was rewritten yet again, this time by Englishman Justin Rose, the Albany resident crashing a stunning 62 in ideal conditions with 10 birdies after a delayed start for a rainstorm.

Former winner Spieth was three shots behind Watson until a 4-foot birdie putt lipped out on the ninth hole to end fourth. He however, did enough to tighten his grip on the world no. 1 ranking.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Hero MotoCorp head Pawan Munjal said, “We have just seen another great champion in full flow and he was amazing. Consistent and aggressive, he is a deserving winner.”

Anirban Lahiri closed the week with another round of 72 to finish with four-under 284 and a T-17th placing in the elite field of 18. “It was a very disappointing week. It becomes all the more disappointing because the course was gettable. I played a good first 27 holes at which staged I was seven-under and somewhere after that I lost focus,” Lahiri said. He though agreed that it had been an experience in this invitational field against the world’s best. Lahiri flies out now to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for the EurAsia Cup.