So many of the names atop the leaderboard at the Northern Trust Open late Sunday were familiar, a smattering of top-20-ranked golfers with green jackets, big wins, and big paydays on their resumes. Only Jason Kokrak’s name required a pronunciation guide (COKE-rack) and research into the journey that brought him to the Riviera Country Club and into position, at age 30, to record his first PGA Tour victory.
Kokrak, who was born in North Bay, Canada but raised in Ohio, turned pro in 2008, a year after he graduated from Xavier University. A burly 6 feet 4 and 225 pounds, he toiled on the developmental Web.com Tour for several years, earning a reputation as a big driver who couldn’t crack the top 20 on a consistent basis.
Yet, he started Sunday’s final round in a cluster of players one stroke behind leader Bubba Watson, and he drove to the lead thanks to a birdie on the 13th hole. He was playing with the big boys, and he heard the cheers for Watson roaring around him as he had heard the cheers for charismatic Dustin Johnson beside him on Saturday. This was territory Kokrak had never explored before.
“The wins I had on the Web.com, I think, go so far,” he said, smiling. “I think the PGA Tour is a whole new animal.”
It was an entirely different beast Sunday and despite a noble effort, Kokrak couldn’t quite tame it. He finished with a final-round 68 and a 14-under 270 for the tournament, putting him in a tie for second with Adam Scott, one stroke behind Watson, a nine-time PGA Tour winner.
Kokrak’s 270 matched his best career PGA Tour finish; his placement was his best in 10 starts this season and by far his best in five tries at the Northern Trust Open, where his previous best was a tie for 34th place in 2012. Still, he couldn’t help looking back at his missed opportunities, moments when steadier nerves or more experience might have gotten him that landmark victory.
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Bubba Watson cradles the winner’s trophy on the 18th green after rallying for a victory in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Sunday.
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Dakota Watson, who is 18 months old, romps on the 18th green as father Bubba Watson accepts the winner’s trophy for the Northern Trust Open.
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Bubba Watson waves to fans after hitting his approach at the 18th hole on Sunday during the final round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Bubba Watson walks ahead of Jason Kokrak toward the 18th fairway.
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Bubba Watson waves to fans after making a birdie on the 17th hole that put him in the lead of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday at Riviera Country Club.
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Bubba Watson slams a long drive during a round of 68 on Sunday to win the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club. He finished four rounds at 15 under par.
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Jason Kokrak falls to the ground after missing a birdie putt on the 18th hole that would’ve put him in a tie for the lead.
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Adam Scott hits from the trees surrounding the green on the 10th hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open. Scott saved par on the hole.
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Fans receive high-fives from K.J. Choi as he walks to the 15th hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday at Riviera Country Club.
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Jason Kokrak blasts out of a greenside bunker at No. 16, helping him save par during the final round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Steve Stricker hits out of a fairway trap on the eighth hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.
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Dustin Johnson hits a shot out of the rough at No. 8 during the final round of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.
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K.J. Choi watches his drive on the par-three 14th hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.
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Adam Scott watches his drive land on the green while on his way to a biridie at the sixth hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Rory McIlroy puts at No. 1 during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday at Riviera Country Club.
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Dustin Johnson lines up a putt on the eighth hole during the third orund of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday at Riviera Country Club.
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Bubba Watson tees off on the fourth hole Saturday during the third round of Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Chez Reavie hits from a bunker to the third green during the third round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Troy Merritt drives from the second tee during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
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Hideki Matsuyama lines up a putt on the first hole during round the third round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Kevin Chappell tees off at No. 2 during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
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K.J. Choi reacts after sinking a putt at No. 3 during the third round of the Northern Trust open on Saturday.
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Charl Schwartzel hits around a tree from the rough along the first fairway at Riviera Country Club on Saturday.
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Rory McIlroywatches his tee shot at No. 2 during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
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Jason Kokrak takes his shot out of a fairway bunker on the seventh hole during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
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Bubba Watson acknowledges the crowd after finishing the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday at Riviera Country Club.
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Spectators lean over the rope to watch Rory McIlroy hit out of the rough along the 18th fairway at Riviera Country Club on Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Jason Kokrak acknowledges the crowd Friday after finishing the 18th hole at Riviera Country Club. Kokrak leads the Northern Trust Open at 10 under par after a seven-under 64 on Friday.
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Chez Reavie reacts after sinking a birdie putt at No. 18 to finish the second round with a four-under-par 67. He’s in second place after two rounds of the Northern Trust Open at nine under.
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Bubba Watson hits a chip shot from the rough on the 17th hole during the second round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Justin Rose hits out of a sand trap at No. 9 on Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot at No. 11 on Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club. McElroy is tied with seven others for seventh at six under.
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Bubba Watson tosses his putter after missing a birdie putt on the 12th hole during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday. Watson is tied for third at eight under after two rounds.
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Jason Kokrak hits his approach shot into the 18th green during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
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As afternoon shadows lengthen across Riviera Country Club, leader Jason Kokrak follows through on his approach shot into the 18th green during the second round of the Northern Trust Open on Friday.
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The kikuyu grass flies as Rory McIlroy hits out of the rough along the 12th fairway Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Ernie Els hits out of a greenside bunker at the 10th hole during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
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Jason Kokrak hits a chip shot onto the 17th green during the second round of the Northern Trust Open on Friday.
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Justin Rose hits from under the branches of a tree at No. 10 on Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Rory McIlroy hits from the rough at No. 10 during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
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James Hahn, the Northern Trust Open winner last year, hits out of a sand trap at the 10th hole during the second round of the Northern Trust Open on Friday. Hahn missed the cut at four over.
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An aerial view of Riviera Country Club, site of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament, taken from the MetLife blimp on Friday.
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Camilo Villegas tees off on the ninth hole during first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Camilo Villegas reacts after sinking a birdie putt on the eighth hole during the first round of Northern Trust Open.
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Jordan Spieth prepares to tee off during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Jordan Spieth chips onto a green during the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Rory McIlroy doffs his cap after finishing the first round of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament on Thursday at Riviera Country Club.
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Justin Thomas and his caddie line up a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Justin Thomas reacts after missing a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Fred Couples tees off during the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Thursday.
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Fred Couples fist-bumps Justin Thomas after both sank long birdie putts at the fifth hole during the first round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Bubba Watson tees off at No. 9 during the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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James Hahn, the 2015 winner, lines up a putt during the first round of Northern Trust Open on Thursday at Riviera Country Club.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 54/54
Justin Rose lines up a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Kokrak couldn’t hold off Watson, who birdied the 16th and 17th holes, and he missed a chance to pull even with Watson on the 18th when he missed a putt of about 15 feet. “I’ve seen the putt a hundred times on TV,” Kokrak said. “I read it right-center and it broke just a touch more than that. I hit a really good putt. I knew I needed to make the putt. I hit a great putt. I just missed it.”
But the misstep that will stick in his mind was on the 15th fairway, where he ended up three-putting for a bogey.
“I pulled the six-iron on 14 and it was basically the same shot, same wind. I should have known to just hit the seven-iron right in the middle of the green, leave yourself straight up the hill,” he said. “I just didn’t commit to the six-iron and pulled it a little bit and it went right through the wind and over the green.
“It’s a very difficult putt. I saw Chez [Reavie’s] and Bubba’s putts break left and mine didn’t, so a missed opportunity there.”
But he followed that by saying he had played well all day, not because he needed to convince himself but because it was the truth. He belonged with the big boys. “I had a blast,” he said, and he was determined to take some lessons from this, too.
“You’ve got to eliminate the mental mistakes,” he said. “Hitting it in the middle of the green on 15 is just … I had a two-shot lead at the time. I know that 16 and 17 and possibly 18 are all birdie holes for as long as Bubba and I hit it. I knew I needed to make par or better and birdie 17. If I birdie 17 and par the rest of them, I take the tournament but I didn’t do that.”
Watson, who did take the tournament, mentioned afterward to reporters that he had met Kokrak’s wife at breakfast but stumbled over the pronunciation of the family name. A few more performances like Kokrak had here and it will become, if not exactly a household name, a familiar sight atop tour leaderboards.
helene.elliott@latimes.com
Twitter: @helenenothelen
