For all the midrange putts Rory McIlroy sank at Riviera on Saturday, including a par-saving 19-footer on the 18th hole that kept him within two shots of the Northern Trust Open lead, the one he probably felt most sure of somehow eluded the cup.
It came on the 12th hole of a four-under-par round of 67 that moved McIlroy, the world’s third-ranked player, to 10 under for the tournament and near the top of a crowded leaderboard.
The Northern Irishman’s birdie try from 13 feet may have had a little too much pace, but his aim was true. The ball was headed right for the hole … until it wasn’t.
The putt appeared to jump the hole but actually veered slightly to the left at the last second, settling four feet away. McIlroy’s arms dropped to his side. He stood and stared for several seconds, looking almost dazed.
“I couldn’t believe it,” McIlroy said. “That’s the influence of the ocean there, and everything sort of gets pulled that way. But two feet out, that thing was in the middle of the hole. It just took a turn left. It happens on these greens. Sometimes it can hit a little bump. But I held my fair share today, so I’m not complaining.”
McIlroy drained the comebacker for par, part of a round that he called “one of my better four-unders.”
It didn’t start well, with McIlroy three-putting for par on the easiest hole of the course, the 503-yard, par-five first that yielded 45 birdies, four eagles and 24 pars Saturday and 241 birdies, 29 eagles and 89 pars in the first three rounds. He bogeyed the par-four third and didn’t hit his first fairway until the eighth hole.
But it ended with McIlroy electrifying the gallery on the hillside of the ampitheater-like 18th green, which he reached in treacherous fashion.
After a five-foot birdie putt on No. 17, McIlroy sent his drive on the par-four, 475-yard 18th into the right rough. McIlroy’s 161-yard approach landed in the gallery to the right of the green, near a concession stand. He took a drop, which didn’t go well.
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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.
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Justin Rose lines up a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) “It got stuck on this little tuft of grass, and it was a terrible lie,” McIlroy said.
His ensuing chip shot “came out really hot, not a lot of spin,” McIlroy said. The ball bounced well past the pin, leaving McIlroy with a tricky, slightly downhill putt from 19 feet. But McIlroy’s stroke, pace and line were perfect. The crowd roared as the ball dropped in the cup.
“That’s one of the loudest cheers I’ve had in a while,” said McIlroy, who attracted large and boisterous third-round galleries. “It would be nice to hear something like that again [on Sunday].”
If McIlroy can win in his first tournament at Riviera, it would be his 12th PGA Tour victory before he turns 27 on May 4. The only other players who have accomplished that feat are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
“I’m on a good path,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy holed birdie putts of 16 feet on the sixth hole, 13 feet on the 10th hole and eight feet on the 15th hole. But his path to victory would be smoother Sunday with a birdie or eagle on the first and some more accuracy off the tee.
“I need to hit more fairways,” McIlroy said. “Even though the rough isn’t that long, being in that kikuyu rough, it takes so much control out of your hands. Even though the greens are soft, they’re still very tricky to judge.
“I feel like my iron game is sharp. My short game has been pretty good. My putting was nice today. I felt like I rolled it really well.”
