PACIFIC PALISADES, California — Former champion Bubba Watson birdied three of the last eight holes to edge one stroke clear of a congested leaderboard in the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
The American left-hander used his booming length off the tee and his creativity around the greens to good advantage as he fired a four-under-par 67 at a sun-splashed Riviera Country Club, a venue he has always relished playing.
Champion here in 2014, Watson mixed five birdies with a lone bogey on a firm and fast-running layout to post a 12-under total of 201, one better than fellow Americans Dustin Johnson (68), Chez Reavie (69) and Jason Kokrak (70, the overnight leader.